How can I fix this VCR? Getting a bad picture

[JDarvall]

Everytime we play a tape in the VCR the pictures bad. Flicking type lines that run accross the screen that hurt your eyes.

Its definetly the player cause it happens with every tape we have. And the pictures just fine from normal reception.

I've run a tape cleaner through it and no improvement (That was a waste of money )

Yeh, I know,,,,,,'chuck it out and get a DVD '.....but, we've got all these tapes the kids like to watch.... etc. And I know there's a few clever blokes out there. Any ideas I could try for a quick fix ? ..... Or should I just chuck it out.

Things like. Can I pull the VCR apart and clean a head or something like to fix. I just know, there are many electrical appliances out there with common problems that are easily fixed if your in the know. I figured the same would be true with the VCR.

Appreciate any ideas.

Thanks.

[ozwinner]

The wood splitter has more than one use.



Al

[Eddie Jones]

Take the top off (the VCR). You will see a drum about 2" daiameter, on an angle. That carries the the read/write heads, which are very small thingoes set around the middle of the drum. There may be 2, 4 or more of them.

With a cotton tip (like what you squiz yer ears out with), or preferably the leather variety, sold by Tricky-Dicky and others, soak it in Isopropyl Alcohol (NOTHING ELSE! - Also from Dicky), carefully wipe each of the heads in turn - ONLY IN THE DIRECTION OF THE DRUM MOVEMENT! - then check with a tape. Also, wait a minute or two before loading a tape to let the alcohol evaporate.

This should do the trick. If not, into the repairers. They will do a better cleaning job than you can.

Best of luck. It's not too hard really.

Eddie

[Auld Bassoon]

As Eddie said about cleaning - but really it looks like a tracking error has crept in, which can happen over time. Is there a small screw visible from the outside of the VCR case on the rear panel (usually inset by a few mms) and marked "tracking"? - if so, try 1/8 of a turn either way with the machine off, and have a look to see if there's an improvement.

Other than that, it may be a case of read-wrire head replacement - but at the now so very low cost of VCRs it may just be cheaper and easier to get a new one...

[Ashore]

If the cleaning and alignment won't work , get a new one BUT don't buy a VCR get a combo VCR & DVD
Cause they don't make stand alone VCR"S anymore so a single unit it old stock & the cost of a combo is only $ 125 or so
Got A LG unit ( not 6 head stereo ) for around that price for the MIL, simple to use and works well
Rgds
Russell

[Caveman]

Like Eddie said - should hopefully just be in need of a better clean than the tape head cleaner can provide.
For some reason fax paper also cleans the head very well - just gently rub and one normally sees a lot of black deposits being wiped off.
HTH

[scooter]

Wot Eddie said re cleaning, the heads are fairly easily damaged if you are not careful, so IMO best to avoid cotton buds, in case one snags on the corner of one of the heads. The proper cleaning sticks have chamois leather instead, you can get them at electronic shops or hifi shops, I have made do with a small square of chamois held in those 4" forceps you see at the market, works well.

Best IMO to hold the alcohol soaked swab stationary and rotate the drum against it, this ensures that you do not subject the heads to any up-down stresses.

Good luck mate


Cheers..............Sean, clean, leathery, alcohol soaked head

[Gumby]

Has this just started to happened on this unit or has it always happened?

I had an older style Phillips TV which had wavey lines on the top of the screen when playing a video. It turned out that only one channel on the TV was compatible with the video signal. It was channel 1 from memory.

When i tuned that channel to the video, it was fine. All the others were a problem. It might not be your problem here but changing the channel is worth a try.

[China]

Don't use cotton buds my late brother use to have a tv vcr repair shop use a square of clean hankerchief material over the tip of your index finger, as per the other sugestions if it doesn't work throw it out it will cost much more to repair than replace

[Harry72]

China is right, replace it with a cheapy... find a way to connect to you computer and burn baby burn.

[JDarvall]

Thats just great guys. Thanks. I'll get some of that Alcohol from dicksmiths and see how I go.

Thanks Gumby for the check. Nice to cover all the bases. But, no, its just happened recently.

[black1]

The wood splitter has more than one use.



Al

i with you al.
1. use axe
2. go to hardly normal and buy dvd player
3. problem solved (havnt watched a video for 5 years)

oops didnt read all of your post sorry.
have done what was said on old vcr (cleaning) and it worked. dont forget oll the other rollers and pins in there

[JDarvall]

Ta black ! ..... Sounds like a lot of fun smashing it up the axe.

BUT....if I bought a DVD player, that means I'll be pressured to by new DVD's, which means more excuses to take trips to town shopping, which means walking around the shops all day with a screeming kid on my back, (who has this bloody annoying habbit of grabbing my hat and throwing it to the ground) trying to keep up with a shopaholic wife on some kind of mission, and energetic toddlers that seem to just 'disappear' all of a sudden......which ultimately means I gotta work more to pay for the purchases, which means less shed time, which means less one on one time with her, which means sexual frustation, which means having yelling matches over stupid things, which means........

AND ALL CAUSE I BOUGHT A DVD PLAYER !....... a bit of a winge, sorry. Everythings connected ! definetly....prefer to get sore eyes watching tomas the tank engine than go through all that ####....

[black1]

i had a THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE nut for a kid (still is although is now 8). he used to count thomas, james, gorden, duck, etc (cant rember what no train is which) up to ten, instead of useing numbers.
we had to buy kids dvds (have 4 kids) and still do, ya can useually get them at local vid store when they have a sale (sorrry i live in city). we are slowly getting what kid vids we had in dvd format.
i still have a vcr . it is the clock in the lounge room. i know its a pain but if ya get one of them combo thingys (dvd and VCR) ya can have the best of both worlds.
alterativly ya could always send ya war office shopping and you stay in the shed

[Iain]

If you really want to bugger the heads right up keep using that head cleaning tape, abrasive as buggery.
I use alcohol swabs from the chemist, the ones the Drs use before giving you an injection.
Come in a box of 100 and have a multitude of uses including cleaning printer cartridge jets.