This is a great video. I like how you get right into the subject, no wasting time talking about nonsense. Your presentation is very thorough and easy to follow. I'm learning lots. Thanks for the hard work.
I've had a Sears audio appliance with record player, am/fm radio, and two tape decks--one for recording and playback, the other for just end to end playback, no reverse. The single end-to-end cassette player has not worked for over a decade. The record/play cassette player stopped closer to 5 years ago. It's always been my goal to give both cassette players an overhaul and see what's up. Thank you for giving me both a roadmap to the mechanism and where typical failures happen. I'm looking forward to having this back in working condition!
Good luck with it. I have quite a few other cassette and boombox repair videos. They might be worth a quick look to see if any have the same mechanisms as yours so you can get a more detailed video on them.
Fabulous video! Recently, I purchased a vintage Sankyo single cassette deck. Everything worked fine, except the Record button could not be pushed. Now, I found and fixed the problem. The unit works great. Thank you very much.
Wow, I learned a lot watching this video. I’m keeping it favorited for reference. I was researching on how i could fix any problems with my boombox with a general service. Thanks mate!
Wow this has been a really good video! I like the presentation style, hope you will continue with such electronic videos. Hope more people would appreciate this channel 🤞🏻
Fantastic video mate. I now know how a cassette deck works and you helped me repair/clean 2 portable cassette players in 24 hours. I've subscribed and look forward to future videos.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop hey Steve I got a question. I have an old tqscam tape recorder. It seems the parts that go into the tape when you hit play is stuck out so I cant get the tape in. I think when you hit stop it should go back in and it's stuck out. Do you have any explanation of that? Is it purely mechanical and not electrical? Like an easy fix?
@@greendragon2471 That is a mechanical problem where the deck is stuck in the play/record position with the heads up and pinch roller on the captan. It could be that the bar that latches things in place is not releasing the plate with the heads etc when stop is pressed, or the plate itself isnt moving back for some reason like somethings bent. The first thing to check is whatever the play button pushes on, to see if its bent at all. You could also hold the stop button and see if you can push the heads back down. Hopefully I will have a video up soon were I go over a corroded old 1970s Cassette player and get it mostly working, which shows a bit more detail on mechanical problems like that.
I'm currently restoring a Philips portable boombox and take-up reel doesn't turn during playback. Your very informative video gave me a crash course on Tanashin transport mechanism. I now know where to troubleshoot. Thanks!
Thanks buddy I really appreciate your help. Actually what happened was an old lady down the road had a garage sale and there sitting on a table was 3 suitcase style turntable the 3 band radios and you could actually pick up country NSW, radio stations, and a Pyle diotron cd500 tape deck. She told me that none of them work. She was right about the tape deck but the turntables just needed new cartridge that were a pain to find, but I was able to track some sellers on eBay who deal with vintage record players. Thanks again for your help
Some of those old radios were great. I used to listen to 3XY and 2SM in Hobart on my dads old National 3 band hooked to an old TV antenna back in the early 1980s.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop oh my god one of the suitcase turntables I got from the old lady is a national 3 band sg-766 with an antenna that pulls out from side of the case and 2 detached speakers. Do you have a shop
The speed/freq test can be done with a smartphone: generate a 1kz sound with the phone and record the sound on a tape in a reference deck. Then play the tape in the test-deck. Use a spectrum analyzer on the phone to Read the freq.
I have a Mabuchi EG-510 AD, possibly Mabuchi's first electronically governed motor, in my collection. I took it out of an old Sears component stereo system.
Im on my way to buying an old defective but beautiful tape radio. Im looking forward to fixing it, probably replacing all the internal stuff. Ill probably get/build a Class A amplifier, add Bluetooth and add a direct output from the head for recording. Ill also probably replace the speakers and install a lot of 18650s for energy storage.
Thanks I managed to fix my deck with this, one thing for some machines too is the auto return switch in on position on 4 tracks can fool you into thinking the deck has failed because it clicks off when the counter zeros at whatever spot you reset-zeroed it at last, worth checking
So much good information here. But I have an issue when trying to record, the play/rec buttons lock into position but it does not feed the tape onto the take up reel, other than that everything works as intended... and it is a unit with the counter on it. Not sure if it's user error or mechanical error.... Any help would be appreciated.
excellent video. excited to work on some broken cassette stuff i've been procrastinating because there wasn't a video out like this a couple years ago when i got it 😂.
Your video helped me identify fault. I have Denon 1995 era HiFi tape deck with idler fault. Capstan turns, pinch roller engages but take up reel does not turn - the tape spools & unit auto-stops. FF & RW work fine. It is a single belt system. I swapped out entire cassette unit & replacement has cricket chirping from capstan motor but idler works fine. The capstan motor runs a little hot & cassette tape is warm to touch after playing & removing it. I will replace 12V capstan motor when part arrives in the mail as I suspect it has internal fault. The faulty idler I will address once I have access to technical service manual that is also in the mail. If it is irreparable I will use as spare parts if desperate. Servicing capstan motors is not ideal IMO as repair reliability is questionable. I don't want to have to replace anyway after a few months of use.
Another common cause of tape eating is a loose belt. I encountered this problem in a Radio Shack Realistic tape recorder that I bought to part out but decided to repair.
I've been trying to fix a cassette player I recently bought. I think some part must've broken off because one of the heads is loose! The tape will play for about a second before cutting off, but the tape plays fine when I completely hold the player upside down😆
Gday Steve, I enjoy your videos mate! Firstly, happy New Year! I'm trying to get a child-hood 70's Panasonic Take 'n Tape (RQ711-S) cassette recorder up and running again. She's in great cosmetic nick, pristine in fact, but its been idol for decades. I have replaced the belt - all good, motor and spindles running perfectly now. What I'm getting sound-wise though, is loud crackle and pop 90% of the time, whether a tape is inserted or not. When I press Play, Rew or FF, same thing...crackle crackle. Occasionally though - depending on how I orient the machine - rock it side to side, lay it down, or upside down for example, it will play a cassette perfectly. It's an "upright" machine by design, but my best luck has been laying it down face up. Volume control even works when she's running. Move her again though and back to endless loud crackle with no volume adjustment. I have cleaned the head, capstan and pinch roller with alcohol and ear-buds (as I did when I was a kid). So I'm stumped mate, but my repair skills are very basic at best. Any thoughts? Ta mate! Cheers, Mark - Caloundra, Qld. 👍
If the crackle is not affected by the volume control its something to do with the amplifier. I would start with the motor switch on the cassette deck which should be a little leaf switch with a couple of wires connected to it, probably the only wires other than motor and heads. Clean the contacts of that or just bypass it to see if tarnished contacts are the problem. It could also be some other earth or power connection including the switch contacts in the power socket for the plug in power cord. Could also be bad solder joints, especially on things like the volume control, but tapping on or wobbling things like that should make it come and go. It looks like they also have germanium transistors in them, which can do things like that. They are the silver cans with three legs on the PCB, two look to have metal heatsinks attached which would be the amplifier. You could try warming them with a hair dryer to see if it has any effect, or even cool it in the fridge and see if its temperature related, which is usually a faulty transistor.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop oh mate, this great info! Thanks for that. I will take her apart a bit further and look for those points. The fact that she works perfectly (sometimes) gives me hope 👍 Do you have a physical 'shop' that I could send her to, if I can't find the issue myself? Nobody here on the Sunshine Coast (Qld)... Thanks again mate!
Subbed. Great clear video. After replacing the belt (single belt mechanism) I'm pretty sure it's the rubber idler wheel that is the cause of my issues. Old Data cassette player for loading programs into vintage (80's) computers. Good times :) O-Ring replacement was what I was thinking so great to hear you suggest that. Fingers crossed. Chewing a game cassette is worse than music as it literally becomes useless. Any warble and the program wont load :(
I remember having fun with the good old datasette as a kid. You definitely cannot afford to chew those tapes. They are annoying enough already having to wait for them to load.
Hey man seems like you’re very knowledgeable about this. This actually helped me a lot. But I have an issue on my lasonic Trc 975 book box. Where the speeds on the slots are different to one another. Tape A is perfectly fine ! But tape b is slooooowwwww. There is a 1k ohm trimmer pot that I replaced. But if I adjust it so that tape b plays at correct speed tape A plays too fast. I have no idea why this is happening. I replaced all belts in it. It’s driven by one motor. Both decks. Will wrong belt sizes cause speed issues ? And shouldn’t that trimmer pot control speed between both decks evenly ? That’s the mystery
I think I had a similar issue in a boombox recently but cant remember what it was. May have been the Mitsubishi one. Belts shouldnt cause unless very tight, it but possibly something like the reels having an issue may cause one capstan to slow if the reel belt comes from the capstan, though in theory it should slow the whole motor, but it may not always be the case. The problem is you cant test it easily as removing the belt will make it chew a tape on that deck.
So I bought a vintage Sears brand cassette player on eBay, similar to a Radio Shack table deck model. Looked well-made & I hoped more trustworthy than the brand new models that people have been complaining about. The playback sound was pretty rough, but I was hoping mostly to use it to record (& playback on a different machine). I got Q-tips and isopropyl and cleaned all the heads (didn't remove the cover or anything). I let it dry and tried it again a day later - now, even though it's clearly on (there's a hum), the wheels don't turn at all! No Play, no FF, no Rewind...! What could I have screwed up so badly just while cleaning the heads, which I've done many times on other decks?! Next step will be removing the cover & taking a look inside, but so far I'm baffled...
It wouldnt be anything you have done. Probably a slipping belt or something. If the sound isnt good on playback its likely to be bad on record as well.
I'm Fixing a Yamaha TC-800D (awsome deck) and the playback quality is awful and crackly when engaging. Sound warbles in and out from muffled to full sound in either channel while playing. This video might have solved the issue with cleaning the Record Playback Switch. Gonna tackle it tomorrow!
I`m just beginning to delve into the cases of factory Jeep AM/FM Cassette Players and recently did an R&R on two 56002467(1991) cases and swapped out the tape modules. Now I have me some rocking tunes. Now I have a couple of questions for you so I can troubleshoot and repair a couple of players. What is the cause of a channel going out, either left or right, in a 2467 and what is the cause of a little lack of volume when you have the volume knob maxed out on a 56009004(1992)? If I knew how to repair tape modules that won`t draw the tape in on their own and seat down into position along with these two other issues then I would have those stack of players whipped. You can hear the tape mechanism running that supposed to draw the tape in after you manually push the tape in and then you have to pull the tape out with needle nose pliers. The 2467 and 9004 tape modules are held in by four screws. The 56003021&19(1988-90) are stationary or soldered. Don`t believe you can take those tape modules out. Gimme some good car stereo 101 Steve.
What would you replace in an old (20Y+) cassette mechanism if you want it to last for 5Y+ ?? How do you find the speed adjustment? What smartphone app do you use (android? apple?) to check a 3 Khz speed tape? Can you tell if the pinch roller is so worn that it needs replacement? What is the signal, how to replace it? What is the sign that you might need to demagnetize your heads? I think I have a demagnetizer tape do those work? Do you have a recommended piece of music (popular - easy to find) to test & tune the azimuth?
I like to fix stuff and I always wondered what gets dirty inside these contacts. I see now what is going on inside the deck I am working on @35:00 Thanks for making this video. c];-)
FANTASTIC video THANK YOU. I would love to know what are the exact places to lubricate a player (i.e. watch you doing it), and what kind of oil or silicone grease to use? Like, you mention the capstan (where exactly? At what point might you rebuild the motor (working on a Sony Walkman)? Should you lubricate all the gear pivot wells? Any idea how to diagnose a weak (but still spinning) motor?
Normally you only lubricate anywhere where you can see lubricant already on the tape mech, which isnt usually much. With the capstan you lubricate the bearing or bushing that the shaft goes through. With motors you can add some light oil at the base of the shaft into the bearing, or pull them apart and lube both ends of the shaft. With faulty motors I used to check they were getting the correct voltage and then just replace the faulty ones. There is usually some electronics in them which may be possible to repair if a replacement is not available. I have another video where I resurrect an old Sharp in poor condition which has more of me lubricating things. Any light oil or grease should do.
love the thorough breakdown you gave in this video! my problem is that my cassette deck wont catch the cassette to play (as if the whole deck is dead). Could that be the problem is generating from the motor controlling the gears? or could it be a disintegrated belt controlling the mechanism?
Usually if its a belt you can hear the motor whirring when you press play or rew/ff. If you dont even hear that it may be a problem with the motor or the switch that gives it power.
At Steve's Electronic repair shop, how do you fix the rewind button that won't click all the way and clicks if you hold it and stops if you don't. But only works if you press the pause button. It's a top cassette recorder on a sony boom box.
Sound like there is something faulty in the button latching, but its odd if the pause button affects it. Most of the time its easiest to replace the whole mech with those sort of problems.
This was super informative, very good to see how the mechanisms inside operate. I’ve been trying to resolve an issue with the record side of one of those double tape decks. On this one, pressing pause & record engages the record function and then you press play to record. It started not responding to pressing both and it only engages pause. I noticed if I fast forward and get the tape moving, I can sometimes get the record to engage, then I can usually rewind it and quickly hit record & pause and it’ll work. I can’t tell if it’s a mechanical issue or not, do you have any insight to what might be going on? Thanks for reading
There were a few different ways dual decks operated. Do you normally press record and pause and it allows you to see the VU meters and set record levels, and then pressing play starts the recording process? With most decks you would press pause then play and record together to get it ready, and then hit pause to start recording. When you say the record doesnt engage, what does it normally do when it does engage? Does it have mechanical buttons or logic control? The fact it works after FF is used would suggest a mechanical issue is more likely, but that is not definitely the case.
This is a really good video and with helpful info. My problem is that my player will not start. The roller does not start at all, I press play and nothing rolls. Should I disassemble it or do something else. My player is also a stereo if that helps.
Sounds like it will need to be pulled apart. First thing to check is whether the motor runs when play or FF or Rewind are pressed. If it does, its most likely the belts
I need help fixing the auto stop on my Yamaha mt50. I fixed it on a unit like you had that had the plastic arm, on my fostex. this seems way more complicated. a little tiny spring is loose and I dont know where it goes. im worried to fiddle with it and make the machine worse.
when u press stop, and the whole thing disengages, and the tape head mechanism drops back down....mine won't drop back down now. i can't figure out why...do u have any idea?
Hi Steve, great video! Just trying to figure out an issue meself. With my Aiwa HS-T37, the none of the buttons seem to be staying down. I can hold them down and the tape will start playing, but whatever latch is supposed to hold them down doesn't seem to be working. Where should I be looking to fix that?
There is a metal plate that slides across to lock the buttons down, and the stop button pushes it back to one side to release any that are locked down. That plate can stick due to sticky grease, or the spring that pulls it into place may break or something it is attached to may break. They are the most common problems but it might be something else.
Hey amazing video! I recently found a beautiful Technics RS271 stereo cassette recorder online, but unfortunately I'm having some trouble getting it to work properly. The record button is stuck -- I cannot press it down. Also, The motor works fine, and I cleaned the tape head with 91% alcohol, but the audio comes out extremely quiet, and only from one channel (left). With the output turned to max, I have to turn my interface gain up past 1 o'clock to just register a signal. This problem exists both in the headphones out and the line out, which leads me to believe the problem is earlier in the signal flow.
There is a lever that stops record going down if there is no tab in the top of the tape, so I would check that first. Obviously use a tape with a tab or put some sticky tape over the hole if you are using an old prerecorded tape. The lever is at the top left of the mechanism and can be pressed up with your finger through the door to see if the record button then engages. If not you would have to pull the mech out and check it. If there is a play/record switch on the main circuit board then I would clean that with switch cleaner lubricant first to see if it fixes the audio. It could also be that someone has put the head out of alignment, or there is a problem in the electronics. The line out and headphone are both connected right at the end of the audio circuits.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop Wow thank you so much for your detailed response! This is my first cassette deck, so I did not know about the tab at the top of the cassette tape. I manually pressed the lever and now the record button engages! I unscrewed the back to see if I could find a play/record switch like you show in your video, but I can't tell what's what in there. Is it possible to align the heads without an Oscilloscope, and without taking the whole thing apart? Would it be possible to arrange a short face time with you to show you? I would be happy to pay you for your time, thank you!
@@cezarjacobson927 You can align the heads by ear to get the clearest high frequency response. Hifi decks often have a removable door cover, either two round pieces that unscrew or the plastic front slides upwards and off. You can then access the head adjustment screw when its in play mode. Decks without a removable door cover often have a small cutout under the door that allows adjustment. Its usually the left screw on the play head, but either way you want to adjust the one with a spring under it, turning one way and then back until you find the point of best high frequency response.
My luxman tape deck wont actually respond to recording.Will play & idicate it recording but dosent ) what do I need to do?..any advice is appreciated mainly use for recording off Fm radio...Thanks!,,,,,,,,Should I trash it & get a nak?
What kind of a signal comes off the tape head? I'm wondering if it's possible to get a cassette mechanism working without the rest of the deck and get audio out of it.
Its a fairly low level signal and may need some equalisation to get the frequencies correct. You could wire the head from one mechanism to the head input of another cassette player and it should work fine. Its unlikely to be much good straight into a Hifi amplifier.
Dear Steve, Greetings from India. I have battery of Technics from RS- to AZ Series and Few Sony ES and Nak tape decks with me. I am very impressed to see your comprehensive understanding of Tape Decks. May i have the privilege of having your mail and and which country are you placed? Thanks in Advance Best Regards Vikram
Your video was very informative and it helped me figure out that I may have problem with weak tension on the pinch roller on an old Panasonic tape recorder (model RQ-309AS) that my son got a charity yard sale. When we placed new cassette it played it very high pitch very fast speed. After taking it apart and then reanalyzing the issue....I noticed that the pinch roller was very loose and wasn't contacting the tape right. Once I put pressure on pinch roller it actually slowed the tape down and allowed music to play music more legible and audible. Anyway you can help me address how fix the pinch roller problem? Any help would be appreciated!
Usually the pinch roller is pushed into place by a spring on the plate that moves it and the heads into place. If you push the pinch roller away from the capstan shaft you should feel a strong spring pushing it back into place. If not the spring could be missing or bent, or whatever pushes it into place might be bent. That is the most likely area for the problem.
It seems like I have a very similar mechanism to you but when I hit play, the motor gear is not moved into place to make contact with the takeup spindle gear. It just stays in place. Any idea what could be causing this?
With that Tanashin mech the middle gear only does rewind and fast forward. The other gear under the auto stop part runs off the capstan to run the take up reel in play.
amazing video. Any idea why a cassette player plays at very low volume and very bassy? It does this on all cassettes I use - the player just doesn't work like it used to. thanks man - subscribed.
Most likely cause is dirty, misaligned or worn head. Could also be that the head is not lifting high enough into the cassette but that is unlikely. If it's clean you could try adjusting the azimuth by ear to get the high frequency sounds the loudest and clearest and see if that fixes it. I forgot to mention in the video that the door cover on most component decks slides upwards and off so you access the azimuth screw while playing a tape in the door frame.
Looks like one of the bias resistors on one of the channels is probably a little low, if you could find the power transistor and the 4 bias resistors around it (class A/B) you could replace one with a pot and measure what it needs to be (or just leave the pot in the circuit forever once you get it tuned perfectly.) Is 1 Khz the standard frequency to set azimuth? Can it be off at higher (or lower) frequencies?
Question: I have a Technics 630 and it’s in amazing shape other than the right channel drops because of that rec/play switch you mentioned. When I crack it open and hose it with Deoxit D5 it sounds good as new but it will only last a few days before it’s right back. I tried putting a blank tape in every day and just switching the record and play back and forth about a dozen or two times but it seems to never want to go back unless I hose it down again. Is this thing trash? I want to just replace it but I don’t want to spend hundreds on another deck and have the same problem 😭
Great video, thanks for the time. Quick question, I have an old boombox and when you press play the head mechanism does not move up on its own, but will when using your finger. Any ideas on what might be causing this? Thanks!
If its a basic mechanical deck its most likely a lubrication issue like sticky grease. Some mechs have a gear to lift them like the soft touch electronically controlled decks, and it can be an issue with that gear not engaging
Hi Steve, thanks for the video, there’s a lot of useful information. I recently got a Sony TCM 200dv cassette voice recorder and am having some issues with it. The tape playback is warbling, so I’ll need to replace the belt. The other issues are the playback is very noisy, and when recording either via line in mic or the mic on the unit there seems to be a lot of noise. Am wondering if you had any ideas on the fix? Also do you take on repairs by any chance? Located in Aus
I am not familiar with those. If the noise is still there with line in it must be some sort of electronic problem. What sort of noise is it, eg static, hiss, hum etc?
It would be something to do with the idler tyre or gear not engaging the take up reel, or not having enough torque due to slipping. There is a bit at 17:22 that gives you some idea.
Brilliant video - you really know your stuff! PLEASE help me!! Ive just changed the belts on my Sony V702 auto reverse cassette deck. Put back together again but now when you press play.... the take up reel doesn't move and the tape starts to unwind as the pinch roller etc are all turning ok. Works perfectly in autoreverse however and fast forward and rewind work ok too. Checked everything over and can't see what the issue is - was ok before apart from the belts. Going insane! Any ideas?
Its something to do with the gears or wheels that engage the take up reel, which are usually different in play to rew and ff, though in an auto reverse deck it should swing to both sides so affect both directions. Some of those later Sonys get cracked idler gears that will slip. Since its a dual deck the easiest thing is to remove both mechs from the front and observe what turns in the good one and doesnt in the bad one.
Hi, thanks a lot, quite interesting as many people have lots of sentiments to these players from 80s and 90s. Me also, I still love the old analog devices and just tried to revive my Sony FH-B170 fom 91-92. I changed belts, cleaned it and re-assembled. Happily it started working - both decks. But after a while, maybe 3-5 minutes a strange annoying noise appeared from some rotating part presume because after pressing stop, sound dissapears. And it is for both decks. Sound is like high pitch frequency, it is present for FF and REV and also playing. Any idea what causes it? Do i need to clean any parts or lubricate motor? Any advice will be apreciated. Thanks and cheers. M
I personally cant see myself using Cassette ever again, but its good people are getting old machines going again. The only parts that rotate in all modes are the Motor and Capstan. I would pull the capstans back a bit or right out and put a small drop of oil where they go through the bushing, making sure to clean the part that sticks out on the tape side after so no oil gets on the tape. With the motor, a little bit of oil where the shaft goes into the body may stop it making a noise. Sit the motor with the pulley upwards and put a dab or small drop of oil on the base of the shaft, and rotate by hand and let it soak down into the bushing.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop Thanks for the advice. On your comment about using cassette player - it is just for FUN, not as needed. I really want to have it in working conditions despite the fact of not using it. Greetings
Technically its possible if you can get something to push the slide plate that holds the buttons down to one side so they release. It would probably be a fair bit of work to implement mechanically on a deck not designed for it. It would also be possible to electronically detect the take up reel has stopped turning and use a solenoid to push the slide plate. I think one of the Sony or Sharp boom boxes uses a belt from the take up reel to an optical interrupter to trigger a solenoid to stop the deck.
Thanks for the video. Have you any advice for a machine that will not record on either the external or internal microphones? The playback is fine. Thanks.
Assuming it has line inputs or is part of a portable unit with inbuilt radio, and it records either of those OK, I would look for a small mic/line slide switch somewhere near the sockets. Some decks have a mic level control too that will cut them off if set to minimum, but usually its an obvious knob near the mic in sockets. If its something like a dictation recorder then its most likely a problem with the mic socket or the connections to it, since the internal mic goes via a switch inside the socket, so a broken connection or pcb track can take internal and external out together.
@@markschirripa3607 Another thing you can test is to see if it erases an old recording even if it doesnt record anything from the mic. If its not even doing that it has an electronic problem or the record playback switch may need a clean.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop How do you know if something is worth fixing before you get too far into it let alone if you can find parts? I've never been able to find parts on anything cassette deck related
@@gleni8651 With the older audio cassette players its almost always something simple like belts which are still available. From the mid 80s onwards most use the same mechs so if you can salvage a couple of them you will have most parts you need. Some parts are still available new as well. VCRs are a different story as they have things like heads and capstan motors fail, as well as various plastic gears and levers that are specific to each mechanism, which is only used in a few models. It doesnt take long to diagnose most of them though. Things from the later 1990s onwards I generally dont touch because they are mostly junk and a waste of time.
Thanks for the very informative video, but I can’t still figure out how to fix my Aiwa PS002. The problem is when there is no cassette tape inserted, the mechanism works well. But then, when I insert one and press play, it runs for a second and then stops instantly. The rewind, fast forward, and stop buttons work well, but the play mechanism doesn’t. Also, the player is sometimes sensitive. It needs to be knocked or tapped hard just to keep the motor spinning. What do you think is the problem?
Slipping belts or idler tyre is the most likely cause. Have you tried putting your finger on the take up reel like I suggest to see if it has any torque or just stops easily?
I have a Victoria 6 in 1 record player, one of the functions is a cassette player but when I insert a tape it is just playing static noise, I know they aren’t made the best quality but I like things working and it’s annoying not doing so. I only realised months later when I bought an old tape the player isn’t working and have tried a new tape too same again. Also tried a tape cleaner same result, any advice on possibly fixing it and being able to play a tape?
Dirty heads usually cause a muffled sound, but there is still some music there. If there is no music or whatever is recorded on the tape, and the tape is turning OK, it is often the play/record switch inside the unit needs the contacts cleaning. It could also be something simple like the wires to the head have broken off.
Hi Steve. I liked going through your repair video and your tone is good for this kind of technically challenging repair video. So, it got me reacquainted with the oscilloscope. You are going at a good pace though so one must keep up or use playback. I have a question about a JVC single cassette deck I bought used. There is one annoying issue. It will play for a while maybe 2 minutes or so but stop suddenly and start rewinding itself in the middle of each song (while in play mode). Is that something to do with the auto stop being triggered too soon(before the end)? How would I go about testing it if it is or not and what is the technical explanation in a nutshell in layman's terms? If I have to go about opening the chassis and work safely what would be the source of the issue? mechanical I hope. Could I get at easily and find the problem and change a part in side if I could tell what part I was looking for without too much damage like a belt or something easy and simple to fix without much more disassembly. That is would this be a easy fix. I am electronic / mechanically inclined and somewhat good at trying to repair electronics. I fixed an old JVC VCR once. A changed a chip by desoldering the old one and resoldering the new one into a PCB. The repairman suggested the chip to replace given the symptoms. and details of issue. I used an oscilloscope and signal generator. I remembered the usefulness of these instruments for testing the 1 khz wave signal for the head alignment in your video. I have to get an oscilloscope if I could open up this. By the way when you are checking continuity of the switch you have the power turned off the deck right? I saw when you had the power on to check the voltage at the switch and at the motor. But then you must have turned it off to check the continuity? Thanks for the clear and well explained video. Though most of the mechanical sequence of operations are faster than I can understand. There are gears idlers belts and sprockets and levers everywhere. So I ask you as the man with the experience on all these equipment. Its a JVC KD-A66stereo cassette deck( good condition except for that). Mike
An auto stop problem should just stop the tape. I have never heard of one going into rewind, though its possible decks exist with an auto rewind function at the end of a tape. The first thing to do would be to make sure the takeup reel (right hand one) is still turning when the machine stops and rewinds, and also check the counter is also turning. If either stop then its likely a belt. Also turn off the timer and memory function while testing, though I doubt they are related to the problem. Its likely that its a logic function problem , which means the deck thinks the rewind button is being pressed. It could be as simple as the switch is faulty. See if the rewind button feels the same as the others. Also try pressing gently on it and see if it operates easier than the other functions as that might indicate a mechanical problem with the switch. You could also tap on the circuit boards with a screwdriver handle or other hard insulated thing to see if you can trigger the problem, which might indicate dry solder joints. A deck like that probably isnt the easiest to work on, but shouldnt be too bad. Take photos of everything as you disassemble if you are worried you will forget where things went. You are correct that its normal to test continuity with the power off, otherwise voltages can affect your multimeter readings.
I have a 1985 Nissan 300zx and the cassette deck is having issues. Would you recommend trying to find a used deck that works? it looks like a much smaller system than what you have shown in the video.
If you dont care about having the original you could likely find another car unit to fit. If its the type with the two knobs that come through the cars panel and hold the front of the unit then you may have trouble finding one that fits exactly without having to cut the surround, but if its the DIN type rectangular opening others should fit straight in, but you might have to check the depth. Some Japanese cars also have different ways of mounting that arent standard, so more work to try and fit a different unit mechanically in place. Also there may not be a wiring harness adaptor, which means identifying each wire in the car harness and connecting to the correct ones. The main problem with a used unit is finding one that works, and preferably has been serviced and new belts fitted. The old one may only need new belts and be viable to repair, its a matter of finding someone to do the work at a reasonable price if you dont want to try yourself, and they are more difficult to work on than a Hifi deck. Nice car BTW
There were two later generic mechanisms. The one most of this video shows is actually what is shown on an archive of the Tanashin website. Tech Moan did a video on the other generic mechanism which is the one he calls a Tanashin. I didnt have one of those at the time I did this video, but now have one. Its possible they both came from Tanashin but I doubt it. You can see that mech in this video: ruclips.net/video/Urp1hoHrdlw/видео.html. Archive page showing the mechanism I used in this video: web.archive.org/web/20200221171330/www.tanashin.co.jp/english/aboutus/history.html
Hi, I've got a Pioneer ct-w502r dual cassette deck that had the belts get twisted inside of it. I put new belts in it and it played for one song, perfectly. I then tried a second tape but tried rewinding it first, the it didn't automatically stop at the break in the music on the tape and kept making a clicking noise. I had to turn the power off to get it to quit. Then it didn't want to eject the tape or open the cassette door. Do you think the auto stop has failed? Are any parts available to fix this?
Quick question. Why does auto stop active while you are testing the deck in rewind? I hear it clicking to stop, is that normal? One of my tape players does this, but not the other ones.
Auto stop is only on the take up reel and activates when that doesnt turn. In play and FF that reel is turning even without a tape in there. In rewind without a tape, only the supply reel turns, so the auto stop detects a stalled take up reel and activates like its stalled because the tape has reached its end, which is its job. Some decks use a lever under the cassette that senses a rise in tape tension and they cant be activated with no tape in the machine.
I just realized that I was testing rewind without a tape in it, I opened the cover to replace a blown speaker, and its a new deck for me. Makes sense now. Thanks!
Hello Steve, I have a stereo system that has two cassette decks and a cd player, and recently it has not worked properly. Just sounds like everything is dying - this varies from tape to tape. What could you narrow it down to do you think? What I also do is play a cd first to let the unit generate heat and thus warm the cassettes before I play them, but this sometimes doesn't work. Cool channel btw. Cheers
I’ve looked everywhere I got a KP 500 pioneer need a mechanism cassette mechanism according to the guy working on it he told me the wheels are too old and brittle and I need to replace it if I want to get to cassette player working any help her information would be great
I have never seen one of those in Australia but hopefully someone can help you. Getting parts for cassette players can be an issue these days and you often have to use second hand parts if you can find them.
Great video Steve. I recently purchased an Hitachi boombox. On deck one it plays perfect. But when i press forward or reverse it doesn't seem to lock on engage and the switch pops back up. And if i keep my finger on the forward or rewind to prevent it popping up its starts clicking until i release my finger. I did notice a little bit of lubricant near the mechanism. Would this be the problem why it isnt engaging properly. Thanks in advance. Rich
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop Thanx for being a gentleman and getting back to me Steve. When I press either forward or rewind neither moves the reel. With out the tape in it does exactly the same. When I press the forward or rewind I can see the mechanism lifting up to engage but it returns pretty quick. If I keep my finger on forward or rewind it will do the same to keep lifting up to engage but get a clicking noise until I remove my finger which then it just shuts off Steve
@@RICHLFCFAN Its likely auto stop kicking in because the reels arent turning, which is likely a belt or rubber idler tyre that needs replacing. If the deck runs with the door open, or its got a cover on the door that slides off, you could try turning the right hand reel that goes up inside the tape with your fingers, and then hit rew or ff. If the deck tries to run rather than click off then its definitely auto stop kicking in due to an issue with it turning the reels in those modes. Often in play the decks use different things to turn the reel which is why it still works in that mode.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop Thank you. I'm asking because I have a car deck (in a 1999 Mercedes) which auto-reverse ANY cassette I insert (even one without any tape) every 5 seconds or so. I'm going to pull the head and open it - probably to make it worse! - and see if anything jumps out at me. Would you suggest I first look at anything resembling the Auto-Stop arm in your diagram? Or maybe make sure the reels are spinning OK? Thanks again
@@firstlast4874 Its a common fault to have them keep reversing. Often just a slipping belt and lack of reel rotation, but can be other things too. I looked at a car cassette mech in this video and think I looked at how auto reverse is triggered. Most mechs are fairly similiar in operation, and only a few manufacturers like Tanashin make most of them anyway. ruclips.net/video/8ay7pKVuLBQ/видео.html
Hum is usually an earthing issue. I would try cleaning the record/playback switch first, if that doesnt fix it it might be a broken wire on the head itself. If there is no obvious wire off I would try wiggling the cable from the head to the circuit board gently to see if it comes and goes which would indicate an internal break in the cable, usually right near the head where it moves up and down. Its also possible there is a power supply issue like faulty capacitors.
i have a becker mexico 2000 and when i put in a cassette i can't get it back. The two round things just keep down there. Its like they don't respond anymore. Also when the cassette is in there i can't play it, it will go to FM instantly and will keep running the cassette every few minutes. do you know how i can fix this?
Its best to find another tape player that uses the same mech since they were used in lots of things. You can then fit the original motor and heads to that
This is a great video. I like how you get right into the subject, no wasting time talking about nonsense. Your presentation is very thorough and easy to follow. I'm learning lots. Thanks for the hard work.
Yeah I hate those who tell you what they are going to tell, after a boring introduction etc, etc
I've had a Sears audio appliance with record player, am/fm radio, and two tape decks--one for recording and playback, the other for just end to end playback, no reverse.
The single end-to-end cassette player has not worked for over a decade. The record/play cassette player stopped closer to 5 years ago. It's always been my goal to give both cassette players an overhaul and see what's up. Thank you for giving me both a roadmap to the mechanism and where typical failures happen. I'm looking forward to having this back in working condition!
Good luck with it. I have quite a few other cassette and boombox repair videos. They might be worth a quick look to see if any have the same mechanisms as yours so you can get a more detailed video on them.
I got popcorn out and will enjoy an hour of knowledge share
You're a Godsend sir! Doing the Lord's work! I would not have been able to fix my cassette deck without you! Thank you!!!
Fabulous video! Recently, I purchased a vintage Sankyo single cassette deck. Everything worked fine, except the Record button could not be pushed. Now, I found and fixed the problem. The unit works great. Thank you very much.
Looking to repair a Panasonic I bought recently and this video is great for learning the basics of how players generally work
Wow, I learned a lot watching this video. I’m keeping it favorited for reference. I was researching on how i could fix any problems with my boombox with a general service. Thanks mate!
Glad it helped
Wow this has been a really good video! I like the presentation style, hope you will continue with such electronic videos. Hope more people would appreciate this channel 🤞🏻
Love it!
Fantastic video mate. I now know how a cassette deck works and you helped me repair/clean 2 portable cassette players in 24 hours. I've subscribed and look forward to future videos.
Glad it helped. Hopefully I can pass on some of what I learned before I forget it, so people can keep some of this old gear going.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop hey Steve I got a question. I have an old tqscam tape recorder. It seems the parts that go into the tape when you hit play is stuck out so I cant get the tape in. I think when you hit stop it should go back in and it's stuck out. Do you have any explanation of that? Is it purely mechanical and not electrical? Like an easy fix?
@@greendragon2471 That is a mechanical problem where the deck is stuck in the play/record position with the heads up and pinch roller on the captan. It could be that the bar that latches things in place is not releasing the plate with the heads etc when stop is pressed, or the plate itself isnt moving back for some reason like somethings bent. The first thing to check is whatever the play button pushes on, to see if its bent at all. You could also hold the stop button and see if you can push the heads back down. Hopefully I will have a video up soon were I go over a corroded old 1970s Cassette player and get it mostly working, which shows a bit more detail on mechanical problems like that.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop omg thank you!!! Also I'm about to upload a video I took of it if you wunna watch it. It's like 2 minutes.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop just realized the video was private. I made it public
I'm currently restoring a Philips portable boombox and take-up reel doesn't turn during playback.
Your very informative video gave me a crash course on Tanashin transport mechanism.
I now know where to troubleshoot.
Thanks!
A brilliant informative video about how to diagnose faults on old tape decks. Thanks 👍
Thanks buddy I really appreciate your help. Actually what happened was an old lady down the road had a garage sale and there sitting on a table was 3 suitcase style turntable the 3 band radios and you could actually pick up country NSW, radio stations, and a Pyle diotron cd500 tape deck. She told me that none of them work. She was right about the tape deck but the turntables just needed new cartridge that were a pain to find, but I was able to track some sellers on eBay who deal with vintage record players. Thanks again for your help
Some of those old radios were great. I used to listen to 3XY and 2SM in Hobart on my dads old National 3 band hooked to an old TV antenna back in the early 1980s.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop oh my god one of the suitcase turntables I got from the old lady is a national 3 band sg-766 with an antenna that pulls out from side of the case and 2 detached speakers. Do you have a shop
Ah! This video is so helpful. I feel like I totally understand my tape player now and can make repairs to it.
Thank you, this is absolutely stellar.
Thanks. I now know what the problem is with my Teac cassette player. I could not have done it without your help.
Glad it helped. Teac made some good decks back in the day.
The speed/freq test can be done with a smartphone: generate a 1kz sound with the phone and record the sound on a tape in a reference deck. Then play the tape in the test-deck. Use a spectrum analyzer on the phone to Read the freq.
Fabulous job on this video. Best repair video I’ve ever seen for anything. Bababad. 👍👍
I shall use this to make a wrist mounted cassette player 👌
I have a Mabuchi EG-510 AD, possibly Mabuchi's first electronically governed motor, in my collection. I took it out of an old Sears component stereo system.
Im on my way to buying an old defective but beautiful tape radio. Im looking forward to fixing it, probably replacing all the internal stuff. Ill probably get/build a Class A amplifier, add Bluetooth and add a direct output from the head for recording. Ill also probably replace the speakers and install a lot of 18650s for energy storage.
seriously great video. fantastically useful for me and many others im sure
Thanks I managed to fix my deck with this, one thing for some machines too is the auto return switch in on position on 4 tracks can fool you into thinking the deck has failed because it clicks off when the counter zeros at whatever spot you reset-zeroed it at last, worth checking
I forgot that some of the early decks had a memory function on the counter to stop the tape at zero.
So much good information here. But I have an issue when trying to record, the play/rec buttons lock into position but it does not feed the tape onto the take up reel, other than that everything works as intended... and it is a unit with the counter on it. Not sure if it's user error or mechanical error.... Any help would be appreciated.
Really good information and easy to follow. I like your style and learned a lot. Looking forward to more.
excellent video. excited to work on some broken cassette stuff i've been procrastinating because there wasn't a video out like this a couple years ago when i got it 😂.
Your video helped me identify fault. I have Denon 1995 era HiFi tape deck with idler fault. Capstan turns, pinch roller engages but take up reel does not turn - the tape spools & unit auto-stops. FF & RW work fine. It is a single belt system. I swapped out entire cassette unit & replacement has cricket chirping from capstan motor but idler works fine. The capstan motor runs a little hot & cassette tape is warm to touch after playing & removing it. I will replace 12V capstan motor when part arrives in the mail as I suspect it has internal fault. The faulty idler I will address once I have access to technical service manual that is also in the mail. If it is irreparable I will use as spare parts if desperate. Servicing capstan motors is not ideal IMO as repair reliability is questionable. I don't want to have to replace anyway after a few months of use.
Another common cause of tape eating is a loose belt. I encountered this problem in a Radio Shack Realistic tape recorder that I bought to part out but decided to repair.
I've been trying to fix a cassette player I recently bought. I think some part must've broken off because one of the heads is loose! The tape will play for about a second before cutting off, but the tape plays fine when I completely hold the player upside down😆
Gday Steve, I enjoy your videos mate! Firstly, happy New Year! I'm trying to get a child-hood 70's Panasonic Take 'n Tape (RQ711-S) cassette recorder up and running again. She's in great cosmetic nick, pristine in fact, but its been idol for decades. I have replaced the belt - all good, motor and spindles running perfectly now. What I'm getting sound-wise though, is loud crackle and pop 90% of the time, whether a tape is inserted or not. When I press Play, Rew or FF, same thing...crackle crackle. Occasionally though - depending on how I orient the machine - rock it side to side, lay it down, or upside down for example, it will play a cassette perfectly. It's an "upright" machine by design, but my best luck has been laying it down face up. Volume control even works when she's running. Move her again though and back to endless loud crackle with no volume adjustment. I have cleaned the head, capstan and pinch roller with alcohol and ear-buds (as I did when I was a kid). So I'm stumped mate, but my repair skills are very basic at best. Any thoughts? Ta mate! Cheers, Mark - Caloundra, Qld. 👍
If the crackle is not affected by the volume control its something to do with the amplifier. I would start with the motor switch on the cassette deck which should be a little leaf switch with a couple of wires connected to it, probably the only wires other than motor and heads. Clean the contacts of that or just bypass it to see if tarnished contacts are the problem. It could also be some other earth or power connection including the switch contacts in the power socket for the plug in power cord. Could also be bad solder joints, especially on things like the volume control, but tapping on or wobbling things like that should make it come and go. It looks like they also have germanium transistors in them, which can do things like that. They are the silver cans with three legs on the PCB, two look to have metal heatsinks attached which would be the amplifier. You could try warming them with a hair dryer to see if it has any effect, or even cool it in the fridge and see if its temperature related, which is usually a faulty transistor.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop oh mate, this great info! Thanks for that. I will take her apart a bit further and look for those points. The fact that she works perfectly (sometimes) gives me hope 👍 Do you have a physical 'shop' that I could send her to, if I can't find the issue myself? Nobody here on the Sunshine Coast (Qld)... Thanks again mate!
@@markhooper1352 I dont run a business anymore, but my email is in the About section. If you have no luck let me know and we can arrange something.
Subbed. Great clear video. After replacing the belt (single belt mechanism) I'm pretty sure it's the rubber idler wheel that is the cause of my issues. Old Data cassette player for loading programs into vintage (80's) computers. Good times :) O-Ring replacement was what I was thinking so great to hear you suggest that. Fingers crossed. Chewing a game cassette is worse than music as it literally becomes useless. Any warble and the program wont load :(
I remember having fun with the good old datasette as a kid. You definitely cannot afford to chew those tapes. They are annoying enough already having to wait for them to load.
It seems to be the right player from my GE double deck radio
Hey man seems like you’re very knowledgeable about this. This actually helped me a lot. But I have an issue on my lasonic Trc 975 book box. Where the speeds on the slots are different to one another. Tape A is perfectly fine ! But tape b is slooooowwwww. There is a 1k ohm trimmer pot that I replaced. But if I adjust it so that tape b plays at correct speed tape A plays too fast. I have no idea why this is happening. I replaced all belts in it. It’s driven by one motor. Both decks.
Will wrong belt sizes cause speed issues ?
And shouldn’t that trimmer pot control speed between both decks evenly ? That’s the mystery
I think I had a similar issue in a boombox recently but cant remember what it was. May have been the Mitsubishi one. Belts shouldnt cause unless very tight, it but possibly something like the reels having an issue may cause one capstan to slow if the reel belt comes from the capstan, though in theory it should slow the whole motor, but it may not always be the case. The problem is you cant test it easily as removing the belt will make it chew a tape on that deck.
Very detailed, clear, and easy to understand
So I bought a vintage Sears brand cassette player on eBay, similar to a Radio Shack table deck model. Looked well-made & I hoped more trustworthy than the brand new models that people have been complaining about. The playback sound was pretty rough, but I was hoping mostly to use it to record (& playback on a different machine). I got Q-tips and isopropyl and cleaned all the heads (didn't remove the cover or anything). I let it dry and tried it again a day later - now, even though it's clearly on (there's a hum), the wheels don't turn at all! No Play, no FF, no Rewind...! What could I have screwed up so badly just while cleaning the heads, which I've done many times on other decks?! Next step will be removing the cover & taking a look inside, but so far I'm baffled...
It wouldnt be anything you have done. Probably a slipping belt or something. If the sound isnt good on playback its likely to be bad on record as well.
I'm Fixing a Yamaha TC-800D (awsome deck) and the playback quality is awful and crackly when engaging. Sound warbles in and out from muffled to full sound in either channel while playing.
This video might have solved the issue with cleaning the Record Playback Switch. Gonna tackle it tomorrow!
I`m just beginning to delve into the cases of factory Jeep AM/FM Cassette Players and recently did an R&R on two 56002467(1991) cases and swapped out the tape modules. Now I have me some rocking tunes. Now I have a couple of questions for you so I can troubleshoot and repair a couple of players. What is the cause of a channel going out, either left or right, in a 2467 and what is the cause of a little lack of volume when you have the volume knob maxed out on a 56009004(1992)? If I knew how to repair tape modules that won`t draw the tape in on their own and seat down into position along with these two other issues then I would have those stack of players whipped. You can hear the tape mechanism running that supposed to draw the tape in after you manually push the tape in and then you have to pull the tape out with needle nose pliers. The 2467 and 9004 tape modules are held in by four screws. The 56003021&19(1988-90) are stationary or soldered. Don`t believe you can take those tape modules out. Gimme some good car stereo 101 Steve.
What would you replace in an old (20Y+) cassette mechanism if you want it to last for 5Y+ ??
How do you find the speed adjustment? What smartphone app do you use (android? apple?) to check a 3 Khz speed tape?
Can you tell if the pinch roller is so worn that it needs replacement? What is the signal, how to replace it?
What is the sign that you might need to demagnetize your heads? I think I have a demagnetizer tape do those work?
Do you have a recommended piece of music (popular - easy to find) to test & tune the azimuth?
I like to fix stuff and I always wondered what gets dirty inside these contacts. I see now what is going on inside the deck I am working on @35:00 Thanks for making this video. c];-)
Thank you
love from India
FANTASTIC video THANK YOU. I would love to know what are the exact places to lubricate a player (i.e. watch you doing it), and what kind of oil or silicone grease to use? Like, you mention the capstan (where exactly? At what point might you rebuild the motor (working on a Sony Walkman)? Should you lubricate all the gear pivot wells? Any idea how to diagnose a weak (but still spinning) motor?
Normally you only lubricate anywhere where you can see lubricant already on the tape mech, which isnt usually much. With the capstan you lubricate the bearing or bushing that the shaft goes through. With motors you can add some light oil at the base of the shaft into the bearing, or pull them apart and lube both ends of the shaft. With faulty motors I used to check they were getting the correct voltage and then just replace the faulty ones. There is usually some electronics in them which may be possible to repair if a replacement is not available. I have another video where I resurrect an old Sharp in poor condition which has more of me lubricating things. Any light oil or grease should do.
love the thorough breakdown you gave in this video! my problem is that my cassette deck wont catch the cassette to play (as if the whole deck is dead). Could that be the problem is generating from the motor controlling the gears? or could it be a disintegrated belt controlling the mechanism?
Usually if its a belt you can hear the motor whirring when you press play or rew/ff. If you dont even hear that it may be a problem with the motor or the switch that gives it power.
my tape deck is an 80s one and when I put the tape in, it plays only when I push the button down hard and in a certain spot
Excellent video, highly informative and great presentation
At Steve's Electronic repair shop, how do you fix the rewind button that won't click all the way and clicks if you hold it and stops if you don't. But only works if you press the pause button. It's a top cassette recorder on a sony boom box.
Sound like there is something faulty in the button latching, but its odd if the pause button affects it. Most of the time its easiest to replace the whole mech with those sort of problems.
This was super informative, very good to see how the mechanisms inside operate. I’ve been trying to resolve an issue with the record side of one of those double tape decks. On this one, pressing pause & record engages the record function and then you press play to record. It started not responding to pressing both and it only engages pause. I noticed if I fast forward and get the tape moving, I can sometimes get the record to engage, then I can usually rewind it and quickly hit record & pause and it’ll work. I can’t tell if it’s a mechanical issue or not, do you have any insight to what might be going on?
Thanks for reading
There were a few different ways dual decks operated. Do you normally press record and pause and it allows you to see the VU meters and set record levels, and then pressing play starts the recording process? With most decks you would press pause then play and record together to get it ready, and then hit pause to start recording. When you say the record doesnt engage, what does it normally do when it does engage? Does it have mechanical buttons or logic control? The fact it works after FF is used would suggest a mechanical issue is more likely, but that is not definitely the case.
This is a really good video and with helpful info. My problem is that my player will not start. The roller does not start at all, I press play and nothing rolls. Should I disassemble it or do something else. My player is also a stereo if that helps.
Sounds like it will need to be pulled apart. First thing to check is whether the motor runs when play or FF or Rewind are pressed. If it does, its most likely the belts
So funny for I was looking for a video like this 2 .months ago
I need help fixing the auto stop on my Yamaha mt50. I fixed it on a unit like you had that had the plastic arm, on my fostex. this seems way more complicated. a little tiny spring is loose and I dont know where it goes. im worried to fiddle with it and make the machine worse.
Nice
Great video. Where do you purchase belts and supplies for repairs?
Many thanks !
I get most of them from Wagner Electronics in Australia. I have also been using Ebay belt kits from China and they seem to work OK.
when u press stop, and the whole thing disengages, and the tape head mechanism drops back down....mine won't drop back down now. i can't figure out why...do u have any idea?
Very Informative video. Thumbs up! ;)
Hi Steve, great video! Just trying to figure out an issue meself. With my Aiwa HS-T37, the none of the buttons seem to be staying down. I can hold them down and the tape will start playing, but whatever latch is supposed to hold them down doesn't seem to be working. Where should I be looking to fix that?
There is a metal plate that slides across to lock the buttons down, and the stop button pushes it back to one side to release any that are locked down. That plate can stick due to sticky grease, or the spring that pulls it into place may break or something it is attached to may break. They are the most common problems but it might be something else.
Hey amazing video! I recently found a beautiful Technics RS271 stereo cassette recorder online, but unfortunately I'm having some trouble getting it to work properly. The record button is stuck -- I cannot press it down. Also, The motor works fine, and I cleaned the tape head with 91% alcohol, but the audio comes out extremely quiet, and only from one channel (left). With the output turned to max, I have to turn my interface gain up past 1 o'clock to just register a signal. This problem exists both in the headphones out and the line out, which leads me to believe the problem is earlier in the signal flow.
There is a lever that stops record going down if there is no tab in the top of the tape, so I would check that first. Obviously use a tape with a tab or put some sticky tape over the hole if you are using an old prerecorded tape. The lever is at the top left of the mechanism and can be pressed up with your finger through the door to see if the record button then engages. If not you would have to pull the mech out and check it. If there is a play/record switch on the main circuit board then I would clean that with switch cleaner lubricant first to see if it fixes the audio. It could also be that someone has put the head out of alignment, or there is a problem in the electronics. The line out and headphone are both connected right at the end of the audio circuits.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop Wow thank you so much for your detailed response! This is my first cassette deck, so I did not know about the tab at the top of the cassette tape. I manually pressed the lever and now the record button engages! I unscrewed the back to see if I could find a play/record switch like you show in your video, but I can't tell what's what in there. Is it possible to align the heads without an Oscilloscope, and without taking the whole thing apart? Would it be possible to arrange a short face time with you to show you? I would be happy to pay you for your time, thank you!
@@cezarjacobson927 You can align the heads by ear to get the clearest high frequency response. Hifi decks often have a removable door cover, either two round pieces that unscrew or the plastic front slides upwards and off. You can then access the head adjustment screw when its in play mode. Decks without a removable door cover often have a small cutout under the door that allows adjustment. Its usually the left screw on the play head, but either way you want to adjust the one with a spring under it, turning one way and then back until you find the point of best high frequency response.
My luxman tape deck wont actually respond to recording.Will play & idicate it recording but dosent ) what do I need to do?..any advice is appreciated mainly use for recording off Fm radio...Thanks!,,,,,,,,Should I trash it & get a nak?
What kind of a signal comes off the tape head? I'm wondering if it's possible to get a cassette mechanism working without the rest of the deck and get audio out of it.
Its a fairly low level signal and may need some equalisation to get the frequencies correct. You could wire the head from one mechanism to the head input of another cassette player and it should work fine. Its unlikely to be much good straight into a Hifi amplifier.
Dear Steve,
Greetings from India. I have battery of Technics from RS- to AZ Series and Few Sony ES and Nak tape decks with me.
I am very impressed to see your comprehensive understanding of Tape Decks. May i have the privilege of having your mail and and which country are you placed?
Thanks in Advance
Best Regards
Vikram
Your video was very informative and it helped me figure out that I may have problem with weak tension on the pinch roller on an old Panasonic tape recorder (model RQ-309AS) that my son got a charity yard sale. When we placed new cassette it played it very high pitch very fast speed. After taking it apart and then reanalyzing the issue....I noticed that the pinch roller was very loose and wasn't contacting the tape right. Once I put pressure on pinch roller it actually slowed the tape down and allowed music to play music more legible and audible. Anyway you can help me address how fix the pinch roller problem? Any help would be appreciated!
Usually the pinch roller is pushed into place by a spring on the plate that moves it and the heads into place. If you push the pinch roller away from the capstan shaft you should feel a strong spring pushing it back into place. If not the spring could be missing or bent, or whatever pushes it into place might be bent. That is the most likely area for the problem.
Thankyou. Very informative. Cheers
It seems like I have a very similar mechanism to you but when I hit play, the motor gear is not moved into place to make contact with the takeup spindle gear. It just stays in place. Any idea what could be causing this?
With that Tanashin mech the middle gear only does rewind and fast forward. The other gear under the auto stop part runs off the capstan to run the take up reel in play.
Fantastic video!!! Thank u much
amazing video. Any idea why a cassette player plays at very low volume and very bassy? It does this on all cassettes I use - the player just doesn't work like it used to. thanks man - subscribed.
Most likely cause is dirty, misaligned or worn head. Could also be that the head is not lifting high enough into the cassette but that is unlikely. If it's clean you could try adjusting the azimuth by ear to get the high frequency sounds the loudest and clearest and see if that fixes it. I forgot to mention in the video that the door cover on most component decks slides upwards and off so you access the azimuth screw while playing a tape in the door frame.
Looks like one of the bias resistors on one of the channels is probably a little low, if you could find the power transistor and the 4 bias resistors around it (class A/B) you could replace one with a pot and measure what it needs to be (or just leave the pot in the circuit forever once you get it tuned perfectly.)
Is 1 Khz the standard frequency to set azimuth? Can it be off at higher (or lower) frequencies?
Question: I have a Technics 630 and it’s in amazing shape other than the right channel drops because of that rec/play switch you mentioned. When I crack it open and hose it with Deoxit D5 it sounds good as new but it will only last a few days before it’s right back. I tried putting a blank tape in every day and just switching the record and play back and forth about a dozen or two times but it seems to never want to go back unless I hose it down again. Is this thing trash? I want to just replace it but I don’t want to spend hundreds on another deck and have the same problem 😭
Great video. It been really helpfull understanding how the mechanisms work. Good luck with the channel. Thanks
Great video, thanks for the time. Quick question, I have an old boombox and when you press play the head mechanism does not move up on its own, but will when using your finger. Any ideas on what might be causing this? Thanks!
If its a basic mechanical deck its most likely a lubrication issue like sticky grease. Some mechs have a gear to lift them like the soft touch electronically controlled decks, and it can be an issue with that gear not engaging
Play buttons are looking on my SD3030 Marantz. Help!
Hi Steve, thanks for the video, there’s a lot of useful information. I recently got a Sony TCM 200dv cassette voice recorder and am having some issues with it. The tape playback is warbling, so I’ll need to replace the belt. The other issues are the playback is very noisy, and when recording either via line in mic or the mic on the unit there seems to be a lot of noise. Am wondering if you had any ideas on the fix? Also do you take on repairs by any chance? Located in Aus
I am not familiar with those. If the noise is still there with line in it must be some sort of electronic problem. What sort of noise is it, eg static, hiss, hum etc?
Hey mate, are you located in Sydney? I have an Aiwa 600 DSL cassette doesn't play/ffw/rwd etx, fm/am and everything else works fine
No, I am near Hobart
I have a cassette player that doesnt want to fast forward. What could be the issue?
It would be something to do with the idler tyre or gear not engaging the take up reel, or not having enough torque due to slipping. There is a bit at 17:22 that gives you some idea.
Hi there great video. Just been given a Sanyo rd30 but the auto stop doesnt work. Any ideas please? Thanks in advance
Brilliant video - you really know your stuff! PLEASE help me!! Ive just changed the belts on my Sony V702 auto reverse cassette deck. Put back together again but now when you press play.... the take up reel doesn't move and the tape starts to unwind as the pinch roller etc are all turning ok. Works perfectly in autoreverse however and fast forward and rewind work ok too. Checked everything over and can't see what the issue is - was ok before apart from the belts. Going insane! Any ideas?
Its something to do with the gears or wheels that engage the take up reel, which are usually different in play to rew and ff, though in an auto reverse deck it should swing to both sides so affect both directions. Some of those later Sonys get cracked idler gears that will slip. Since its a dual deck the easiest thing is to remove both mechs from the front and observe what turns in the good one and doesnt in the bad one.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShopThank you! Will have a look tonight
sir..i hv an issue regarding the cassette tape always rolling when playing.What should i do sir?Tqvm
Very nice video man, just one question, is the king pin the cause of a tangled tape? Or faulty belts?
Its lack of take-up reel that causes a chew. That could be a belt or something else.
47:50 the radio was playing hanging by a moment by lifehouse
Hi, thanks a lot, quite interesting as many people have lots of sentiments to these players from 80s and 90s. Me also, I still love the old analog devices and just tried to revive my Sony FH-B170 fom 91-92. I changed belts, cleaned it and re-assembled. Happily it started working - both decks. But after a while, maybe 3-5 minutes a strange annoying noise appeared from some rotating part presume because after pressing stop, sound dissapears. And it is for both decks. Sound is like high pitch frequency, it is present for FF and REV and also playing. Any idea what causes it? Do i need to clean any parts or lubricate motor? Any advice will be apreciated.
Thanks and cheers. M
I personally cant see myself using Cassette ever again, but its good people are getting old machines going again. The only parts that rotate in all modes are the Motor and Capstan. I would pull the capstans back a bit or right out and put a small drop of oil where they go through the bushing, making sure to clean the part that sticks out on the tape side after so no oil gets on the tape. With the motor, a little bit of oil where the shaft goes into the body may stop it making a noise. Sit the motor with the pulley upwards and put a dab or small drop of oil on the base of the shaft, and rotate by hand and let it soak down into the bushing.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop Thanks for the advice. On your comment about using cassette player - it is just for FUN, not as needed. I really want to have it in working conditions despite the fact of not using it.
Greetings
Thanks
Thankyou for the Superchat.
You are a life saver
I have a Sharp GF 6060 and it needs new rubber belts - Could you recommend a good seller?
If you are in Australia then Wagneronline.com.au can supply them by the lengths/sizes you need
Thank you Steve
Excellent video. Is it possible to get one without a stop mechanism make it work with one? Could it be added?
Technically its possible if you can get something to push the slide plate that holds the buttons down to one side so they release. It would probably be a fair bit of work to implement mechanically on a deck not designed for it. It would also be possible to electronically detect the take up reel has stopped turning and use a solenoid to push the slide plate. I think one of the Sony or Sharp boom boxes uses a belt from the take up reel to an optical interrupter to trigger a solenoid to stop the deck.
Thanks for the video. Have you any advice for a machine that will not record on either the external or internal microphones? The playback is fine. Thanks.
Assuming it has line inputs or is part of a portable unit with inbuilt radio, and it records either of those OK, I would look for a small mic/line slide switch somewhere near the sockets. Some decks have a mic level control too that will cut them off if set to minimum, but usually its an obvious knob near the mic in sockets. If its something like a dictation recorder then its most likely a problem with the mic socket or the connections to it, since the internal mic goes via a switch inside the socket, so a broken connection or pcb track can take internal and external out together.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop Thanks for the response. This is an older show box recorder with no radio.
@@markschirripa3607 Another thing you can test is to see if it erases an old recording even if it doesnt record anything from the mic. If its not even doing that it has an electronic problem or the record playback switch may need a clean.
Very informative, thanks a lot
Thank you for this informational video. Can you do a VCR video same way of this video is ?
I will get around to looking at VCRs some time in the future.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop How do you know if something is worth fixing before you get too far into it let alone if you can find parts? I've never been able to find parts on anything cassette deck related
@@gleni8651 With the older audio cassette players its almost always something simple like belts which are still available. From the mid 80s onwards most use the same mechs so if you can salvage a couple of them you will have most parts you need. Some parts are still available new as well. VCRs are a different story as they have things like heads and capstan motors fail, as well as various plastic gears and levers that are specific to each mechanism, which is only used in a few models. It doesnt take long to diagnose most of them though. Things from the later 1990s onwards I generally dont touch because they are mostly junk and a waste of time.
Thanks for the very informative video, but I can’t still figure out how to fix my Aiwa PS002. The problem is when there is no cassette tape inserted, the mechanism works well. But then, when I insert one and press play, it runs for a second and then stops instantly. The rewind, fast forward, and stop buttons work well, but the play mechanism doesn’t. Also, the player is sometimes sensitive. It needs to be knocked or tapped hard just to keep the motor spinning. What do you think is the problem?
Slipping belts or idler tyre is the most likely cause. Have you tried putting your finger on the take up reel like I suggest to see if it has any torque or just stops easily?
I always wondered whats the name of the metal plate inside that holds the cassette
I have a walkman and the inside theres the metal plate on the bottom that broke off so i just want to replace it but i dont know the name
I have a Victoria 6 in 1 record player, one of the functions is a cassette player but when I insert a tape it is just playing static noise, I know they aren’t made the best quality but I like things working and it’s annoying not doing so. I only realised months later when I bought an old tape the player isn’t working and have tried a new tape too same again. Also tried a tape cleaner same result, any advice on possibly fixing it and being able to play a tape?
Dirty heads usually cause a muffled sound, but there is still some music there. If there is no music or whatever is recorded on the tape, and the tape is turning OK, it is often the play/record switch inside the unit needs the contacts cleaning. It could also be something simple like the wires to the head have broken off.
Hi Steve. I liked going through your repair video and your tone is good for this kind of technically challenging repair video. So, it got me reacquainted with the oscilloscope. You are going at a good pace though so one must keep up or use playback. I have a question about a JVC single cassette deck I bought used. There is one annoying issue. It will play for a while maybe 2 minutes or so but stop suddenly and start rewinding itself in the middle of each song (while in play mode). Is that something to do with the auto stop being triggered too soon(before the end)? How would I go about testing it if it is or not and what is the technical explanation in a nutshell in layman's terms? If I have to go about opening the chassis and work safely what would be the source of the issue? mechanical I hope. Could I get at easily and find the problem and change a part in side if I could tell what part I was looking for without too much damage like a belt or something easy and simple to fix without much more disassembly. That is would this be a easy fix. I am electronic / mechanically inclined and somewhat good at trying to repair electronics. I fixed an old JVC VCR once. A changed a chip by desoldering the old one and resoldering the new one into a PCB. The repairman suggested the chip to replace given the symptoms. and details of issue. I used an oscilloscope and signal generator. I remembered the usefulness of these instruments for testing the 1 khz wave signal for the head alignment in your video. I have to get an oscilloscope if I could open up this. By the way when you are checking continuity of the switch you have the power turned off the deck right? I saw when you had the power on to check the voltage at the switch and at the motor. But then you must have turned it off to check the continuity? Thanks for the clear and well explained video. Though most of the mechanical sequence of operations are faster than I can understand. There are gears idlers belts and sprockets and levers everywhere. So I ask you as the man with the experience on all these equipment. Its a JVC KD-A66stereo cassette deck( good condition except for that). Mike
An auto stop problem should just stop the tape. I have never heard of one going into rewind, though its possible decks exist with an auto rewind function at the end of a tape. The first thing to do would be to make sure the takeup reel (right hand one) is still turning when the machine stops and rewinds, and also check the counter is also turning. If either stop then its likely a belt. Also turn off the timer and memory function while testing, though I doubt they are related to the problem. Its likely that its a logic function problem , which means the deck thinks the rewind button is being pressed. It could be as simple as the switch is faulty. See if the rewind button feels the same as the others. Also try pressing gently on it and see if it operates easier than the other functions as that might indicate a mechanical problem with the switch. You could also tap on the circuit boards with a screwdriver handle or other hard insulated thing to see if you can trigger the problem, which might indicate dry solder joints. A deck like that probably isnt the easiest to work on, but shouldnt be too bad. Take photos of everything as you disassemble if you are worried you will forget where things went. You are correct that its normal to test continuity with the power off, otherwise voltages can affect your multimeter readings.
I have a 1985 Nissan 300zx and the cassette deck is having issues. Would you recommend trying to find a used deck that works? it looks like a much smaller system than what you have shown in the video.
If you dont care about having the original you could likely find another car unit to fit. If its the type with the two knobs that come through the cars panel and hold the front of the unit then you may have trouble finding one that fits exactly without having to cut the surround, but if its the DIN type rectangular opening others should fit straight in, but you might have to check the depth. Some Japanese cars also have different ways of mounting that arent standard, so more work to try and fit a different unit mechanically in place. Also there may not be a wiring harness adaptor, which means identifying each wire in the car harness and connecting to the correct ones. The main problem with a used unit is finding one that works, and preferably has been serviced and new belts fitted. The old one may only need new belts and be viable to repair, its a matter of finding someone to do the work at a reasonable price if you dont want to try yourself, and they are more difficult to work on than a Hifi deck. Nice car BTW
Have you shown a tanishin mechanism before, I would like to see them in comparison with old mechanism or is that the one that you showed last?
There were two later generic mechanisms. The one most of this video shows is actually what is shown on an archive of the Tanashin website. Tech Moan did a video on the other generic mechanism which is the one he calls a Tanashin. I didnt have one of those at the time I did this video, but now have one. Its possible they both came from Tanashin but I doubt it. You can see that mech in this video: ruclips.net/video/Urp1hoHrdlw/видео.html. Archive page showing the mechanism I used in this video: web.archive.org/web/20200221171330/www.tanashin.co.jp/english/aboutus/history.html
Hi, I've got a Pioneer ct-w502r dual cassette deck that had the belts get twisted inside of it. I put new belts in it and it played for one song, perfectly. I then tried a second tape but tried rewinding it first, the it didn't automatically stop at the break in the music on the tape and kept making a clicking noise. I had to turn the power off to get it to quit. Then it didn't want to eject the tape or open the cassette door. Do you think the auto stop has failed? Are any parts available to fix this?
Quick question. Why does auto stop active while you are testing the deck in rewind? I hear it clicking to stop, is that normal? One of my tape players does this, but not the other ones.
Auto stop is only on the take up reel and activates when that doesnt turn. In play and FF that reel is turning even without a tape in there. In rewind without a tape, only the supply reel turns, so the auto stop detects a stalled take up reel and activates like its stalled because the tape has reached its end, which is its job. Some decks use a lever under the cassette that senses a rise in tape tension and they cant be activated with no tape in the machine.
I just realized that I was testing rewind without a tape in it, I opened the cover to replace a blown speaker, and its a new deck for me. Makes sense now. Thanks!
Hello Steve, I have a stereo system that has two cassette decks and a cd player, and recently it has not worked properly. Just sounds like everything is dying - this varies from tape to tape. What could you narrow it down to do you think? What I also do is play a cd first to let the unit generate heat and thus warm the cassettes before I play them, but this sometimes doesn't work. Cool channel btw. Cheers
Do you mean the playback slows down? If it comes good once warmed up its likely the motor is faulty.
I’ve looked everywhere I got a KP 500 pioneer need a mechanism cassette mechanism according to the guy working on it he told me the wheels are too old and brittle and I need to replace it if I want to get to cassette player working any help her information would be great
I have never seen one of those in Australia but hopefully someone can help you. Getting parts for cassette players can be an issue these days and you often have to use second hand parts if you can find them.
Great video Steve. I recently purchased an Hitachi boombox. On deck one it plays perfect. But when i press forward or reverse it doesn't seem to lock on engage and the switch pops back up. And if i keep my finger on the forward or rewind to prevent it popping up its starts clicking until i release my finger. I did notice a little bit of lubricant near the mechanism. Would this be the problem why it isnt engaging properly. Thanks in advance. Rich
Sounds like something related to the auto stop mechanism. Does it actually move the tape when you press either of them?
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop Thanx for being a gentleman and getting back to me Steve. When I press either forward or rewind neither moves the reel. With out the tape in it does exactly the same. When I press the forward or rewind I can see the mechanism lifting up to engage but it returns pretty quick. If I keep my finger on forward or rewind it will do the same to keep lifting up to engage but get a clicking noise until I remove my finger which then it just shuts off Steve
@@RICHLFCFAN Its likely auto stop kicking in because the reels arent turning, which is likely a belt or rubber idler tyre that needs replacing. If the deck runs with the door open, or its got a cover on the door that slides off, you could try turning the right hand reel that goes up inside the tape with your fingers, and then hit rew or ff. If the deck tries to run rather than click off then its definitely auto stop kicking in due to an issue with it turning the reels in those modes. Often in play the decks use different things to turn the reel which is why it still works in that mode.
Appreciate you coming back to me Steve and thanx for the advice
Great video. On Auto Reverse decks, is there a sensor which senses silent gaps in the tape or tension on the tape when it reaches the end?
Usually an auto stop type mechanism that senses lack of rotation of the reel but instead of triggering a stop it triggers a direction change.
@@StevesElectronicRepairShop Thank you. I'm asking because I have a car deck (in a 1999 Mercedes) which auto-reverse ANY cassette I insert (even one without any tape) every 5 seconds or so. I'm going to pull the head and open it - probably to make it worse! - and see if anything jumps out at me. Would you suggest I first look at anything resembling the Auto-Stop arm in your diagram? Or maybe make sure the reels are spinning OK? Thanks again
@@firstlast4874 Its a common fault to have them keep reversing. Often just a slipping belt and lack of reel rotation, but can be other things too. I looked at a car cassette mech in this video and think I looked at how auto reverse is triggered. Most mechs are fairly similiar in operation, and only a few manufacturers like Tanashin make most of them anyway.
ruclips.net/video/8ay7pKVuLBQ/видео.html
Hi there. How to change the o ring inside there.
Hi. it hums during playback. Where should I look for a bug? Can I fix it as a layman? Thanks. :)
Hum is usually an earthing issue. I would try cleaning the record/playback switch first, if that doesnt fix it it might be a broken wire on the head itself. If there is no obvious wire off I would try wiggling the cable from the head to the circuit board gently to see if it comes and goes which would indicate an internal break in the cable, usually right near the head where it moves up and down. Its also possible there is a power supply issue like faulty capacitors.
i have a becker mexico 2000 and when i put in a cassette i can't get it back. The two round things just keep down there. Its like they don't respond anymore. Also when the cassette is in there i can't play it, it will go to FM instantly and will keep running the cassette every few minutes. do you know how i can fix this?
Where can i buy this deck mechanism please help! i want to repair a very valuable tape recorder.
Its best to find another tape player that uses the same mech since they were used in lots of things. You can then fit the original motor and heads to that
Great video!