<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Interesting problem. </div><div> Did you demagnetize the control track head after checking continuity? </div><div><br></div><div>Is there edge damage on the problem tape?</div><div> Fugi tape uses a stiffer base layer and is renown for being easy to damage. If there is a little scalloping on the lower edge, that would be an issue. </div><div><br></div><div>What does the control track playback waveform and level look like? I see that you tell us the level changes a couple of minutes into the program. But does the control track show the saturation bump?</div><div><br></div><div>Comments. Using capstan speed override shows that all other parts of the machine are working. The unlock every few seconds is normal since there is no control of the capstan. </div><div><br></div><div>This may be a tape for an AVR-1. The machine that can play anything.<br><br>Chris Hill</div><div><br>On Nov 10, 2013, at 9:38 PM, "Fred Kovach" <<a href="mailto:fkovach@sbcglobal.net">fkovach@sbcglobal.net</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><span></span><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City">
<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place">
<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName">
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Gautami;
panose-1:2 11 5 2 4 2 4 2 2 3;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Brush Script MT";
panose-1:3 6 8 2 4 4 6 7 3 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAutoSig, li.MsoAutoSig, div.MsoAutoSig
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
span.brightblue1
{color:#00ADEF;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:1739665606;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-1123672626 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:1827473743;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-1124835682 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l1:level2
{mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l1:level3
{mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l1:level4
{mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l1:level5
{mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l1:level6
{mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l1:level7
{mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l1:level8
{mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l1:level9
{mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
<div class="Section1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold">Note:</span></font></b><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"> I sent this
originally on October 31, and it apparently never posted (I wondered why I
never received any replies!!!) </span></font><font size="2" face="Wingdings"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings">J</span></font><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">I have since added a couple of notes of what I’ve
done. Any advice that you can give me would be greatly appreciated.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border:none;padding:0in"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">I am working on a RCA TR-600A that’s having a tracking
issue. This has been an ongoing problem for about three months; and my
usual source of information is at a loss. He’s been very helpful
and gone out of the way to help me; but I think it is time for me to check with
you guys on this.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">It is not locking up to control track on what was our most
reliable playback tape (<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">FUJI</st1:city></st1:place>
tape stock). After some amount of troubleshooting on the C18 CT Amp card,
I found two bad chips: U1 and U7 that was basically switching between the pb
and rec CTL heads. So the machine was in PB mode, but half the card
thought it was in record! I also replaced some capacitors on that card,
After that, it would still not lock up on the FUJI tape, but would lock up to a
VTC tape stock that had a higher level CT track on it. Actually, it
wouldn’t lock at the beginning of the tape where the CT was lower level,
but apparently whoever recorded in, turned up the record current about 2 or 3
minutes in!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">I have done the following:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Checked continuity from the CTL
head to the C18 card. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Checked grounds/shields on the
same path. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Checked power supply voltages
at the power supply and the card. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Replaced a flaky R307 on the
power supply, which was throwing the +12 VDC supply all over the place
whenever I even thought of touching it! <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Cleaned the power supply
interface molex connectors with contact cleaner. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Checked grounds on the back
plane. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Checked wirewrap connections on
the back plane. Especially those that I re-did in Summer 2012 when I
took out the Auto Editor (AE600) on the advice of my friend. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Thoroughly cleaned the path and
checked out the problem with two other spare headwheel ass’ys we
have on hand. However, the HW ass’y that I had in there has
the best performance. My friend found that it had less than 1 micron
wear; so I put it back in. Also adjusted tip penetration and
scalloping. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Checked the inputs from our
sync generator. </span></font> <font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Varying the capstan speed from
the control panel, will bring it pretty close to locking up, but of
course, you have an “occasional” skip every two or three
seconds. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Had my friend check a boatload
of cards in his machine, all of which worked, except the aforementioned
C18 card, which in spite of my best efforts apparently still had issues
(see below). <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Swapped C18 cards with another
known to be good after my friend found that my C18 card didn’t work
in his machine. After the new card, the VTC tape would lock up a
little earlier in the program. So that was progress. J
But still no lock on Old Reliable Fuji tape. Also, I’ve had to
abandon the VTC tape, as it was clogging up the heads a lot; even after
baking it. Don’t want any more trouble than I have
already! ;) <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Varied the three pots on the
C19 card (capstan balance, symmetry and level, I think) and one on the C20
card. All on the advice of my friend, to see if they helped.
We got perhaps marginal improvement. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">There’s probably a few
other things that I’ve forgotten. If necessary, I’ll
post them as I remember them. But I did write my work down, so this
ought to be most of them. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">I went through the capstan
servo alignment section of the manual (ecept for the record functions,
since this machine’s record doesn’t work), and found it needed
some minor adjustments. However, nothing major. I did find
that the Color Framer card was missing and in it’s place was the
Guide PA card!! However, I’m told that the Color Framer is
only used for editing and is not necessary for playback. The Guide
PA card works just fine in its proper place. But it didn’t
solve the problem. And I should note that since apparently these two
cards have been out of place for some time, that the machine would have
been working fine with them out of place. If this makes
sense….</span></font> <font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">I am thinking of doing the following the next time I’m
there, which might be tomorrow (Monday):<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Digging into the backplane a
little deeper and confirming all the mods I did when I removed the
AE600. I’ve already done this thoroughly once, but my friend
thinks the problem might be there; so I’ll do it again. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Checking the levels coming off
the CT heads of the three different headwheel ass’ys to see if I can
find any kind of pattern for this.</span></font> <font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Checking the circuitry
surrounding the CT Phase adjustment because when it does playback the VTC
tape properly, I have to turn it fully clockwise for it to lock up. <b><span style="font-weight:bold">Is there a way to get it so that this control
works closer to the center of the pot?</span></b></span></font> <b><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
font-weight:bold"><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></li>
</ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">I appreciate any help you can give me on this. I may
be able to take some pics or video of waveforms if it would help.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">Thanks so much!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">Fred<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><st1:personname w:st="on"><font size="3" color="gray" face="Brush Script MT"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Brush Script MT";
color:gray">Fred Kovach</span></font></st1:personname><font color="gray" face="Brush Script MT"><span style="font-family:"Brush Script MT";color:gray"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="blue" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:blue">Broadcast Technician<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="blue" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:blue"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="blue" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:blue">417-848-8381<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:
12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:
12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:
12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>______________________________________________</span><br><span>Please trim posts to relevant info when replying.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Change subject to reflect thread direction. Thanks.</span><br><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span></span><br><span>Send QuadList list posts to <a href="mailto:QuadList@quadvideotapegroup.com">QuadList@quadvideotapegroup.com</a></span><br><span>Your subscribe, unsubscribe and digest options are here:</span><br><span><a href="http://mail.quadvideotapegroup.com/mailman/listinfo/quadlist_quadvideotapegroup.com">http://mail.quadvideotapegroup.com/mailman/listinfo/quadlist_quadvideotapegroup.com</a></span></div></blockquote></body></html>