Ideas!!! Tape starts with highs then goes low...

Status
Not open for further replies.
baddboybill

baddboybill

Member (SA)
Jul 14, 2009
11,092
91
48
55
Hudson Florida
So when I hit play for a few seconds the highs are nice then they just plop and all you hear are lows.. Any ideas :hmmm: I'm thinking maybe a bad cap :-(. I've already cleaned and demagnetized head plus my second deck sounds perfect :confused:
 
BoomboxLover48

BoomboxLover48

Member (SA)
Dec 3, 2010
5,763
276
83
Chicago, IL
It looks like the motor is hesitating to take load.
It could be due to problem with the commutator/brush or there is a wheel or bearing in the transport giving some frictional resistance.
 
baddboybill

baddboybill

Member (SA)
Jul 14, 2009
11,092
91
48
55
Hudson Florida
BoomboxLover48 said:
It looks like the motor is hesitating to take load.
It could be due to problem with the commutator/brush or there is a wheel or bearing in the transport giving some frictional resisatnce.
Click to expand...
Royce it plays proper speed, its sound, just no highs only lows. It starts off playing highs then drops and only plays lows. Motor at proper speed :hmmm:
 
Cpl-Chronic

Cpl-Chronic

Member (SA)
May 14, 2012
2,033
39
48
Windsor, Ontario, CANADA
Have you played around with the alignment screw for the tape head yet? My 8989 I sold to Jorge89 did the same thing & I adjusted the alignment screw until it sounded right & after that all was good & sounding great. Too bad I borked the cassette trying to fix the record feature.
 
baddboybill

baddboybill

Member (SA)
Jul 14, 2009
11,092
91
48
55
Hudson Florida
Cpl-Chronic said:
Have you played around with the alignment screw for the tape head yet? My 8989 I sold to Jorge89 did the same thing & I adjusted the alignment screw until it sounded right & after that all was good & sounding great. Too bad I borked the cassette trying to fix the record feature.
Click to expand...
Usually that is for left/right adjustment not high/low. But I can try and turn to see if there's a difference. But like I said when tape first starts to play you can hear both highs and lows both channels then after a second or two highs drop down :confused:
 
Ken

Ken

Member (SA)
Aug 30, 2009
2,327
2
0
63
Bremerton, WA, USA
Yeah, sounds like an azimuth adjustment screw. Or a tape transport problem of some kind. :hmmm:

'What brings up the tape head? Is there something preventing it from getting into position? Sounds like you're really up to the elbows in one tonight. :-/
 
Cpl-Chronic

Cpl-Chronic

Member (SA)
May 14, 2012
2,033
39
48
Windsor, Ontario, CANADA
baddboybill said:
Ok it was Azimuth. Usually this only causes problems on one channel but I'm back in business. Thanks guys :smooch:
Click to expand...
I figured it would be. It was the same on my 8989. It would start out sounding normal but after 2 seconds of play the tape would shift off center & sound muffled with no mids or highs. Glad it worked out ok.

Cheers!! :-D
 
Cpl-Chronic

Cpl-Chronic

Member (SA)
May 14, 2012
2,033
39
48
Windsor, Ontario, CANADA
no problem. Keep us posted as to whether it was a permanent fix or not. After playing with mine, tapes worked great for good after that & mine had the same behavior before I played with it so hopefully, it solves it for good. nice CEC btw. I saw 1 with both decks working sell for almost 200 on the bay, just recently.

Keep it boomin'
Cpl
 
BoomboxLover48

BoomboxLover48

Member (SA)
Dec 3, 2010
5,763
276
83
Chicago, IL
Bill, Do you see any depression from wear If you look on the head surface where the tape glides?

Try another tape. Sometimes the pressure pad under the tape goes bad and don't give a good contact.
 
baddboybill

baddboybill

Member (SA)
Jul 14, 2009
11,092
91
48
55
Hudson Florida
BoomboxLover48 said:
Bill, Do you see any depression from wear If you look on the head surface where the tape glides?

Try another tape. Sometimes the pressure pad under the tape goes bad and don't give a good contact.
Click to expand...
Head is clean, actually super clean especially since its cheaper unit but it is up top which is better than at bottom. Could be tapes too but I just played one side and no issues. So hopefully she's ok :-)
 
baddboybill

baddboybill

Member (SA)
Jul 14, 2009
11,092
91
48
55
Hudson Florida
Cpl-Chronic said:
no problem. Keep us posted as to whether it was a permanent fix or not. After playing with mine, tapes worked great for good after that & mine had the same behavior before I played with it so hopefully, it solves it for good. nice CEC btw. I saw 1 with both decks working sell for almost 200 on the bay, just recently.

Keep it boomin'
Cpl
Click to expand...
Yeah I almost bought a unit last week because it had original manual but didn't have funds. Luckily guy who sold it made copies of manual for me and I just had it printed at office max :thumbsup: I also tried to buy a NIB unit 4 years ago but it went for over $400. Man I wish I had funds :thumbsdown: this was the box I had as teen a walked the streets jamming to Def Leppard, Ozzy, AC/DC and many more :-)
 
Cpl-Chronic

Cpl-Chronic

Member (SA)
May 14, 2012
2,033
39
48
Windsor, Ontario, CANADA
baddboybill said:
BoomboxLover48 said:
Bill, Do you see any depression from wear If you look on the head surface where the tape glides?

Try another tape. Sometimes the pressure pad under the tape goes bad and don't give a good contact.
Click to expand...
Head is clean, actually super clean especially since its cheaper unit but it is up top which is better than at bottom. Could be tapes too but I just played one side and no issues. So hopefully she's ok :-)
Click to expand...
Well, if you got through an entire side of a tape & no issues, then you're good to go. If you pop another tape in & the problem comes back then the deck isn't keeping the tapes from shifting around when you engage the play mach. & you need to look further for physicial causes for the tape shifting around, not electrical.
 
Cpl-Chronic

Cpl-Chronic

Member (SA)
May 14, 2012
2,033
39
48
Windsor, Ontario, CANADA
baddboybill said:
Nope tried 3 tapes and plays fine now ;-)
Click to expand...
Cool...don't forget to test record out too. Make sure you can record from radio or line-in & it sounds the same on playback, for speed, sound quality, etc.

BTW, I hear AIWA decks are the best for sound & stability. Is that the case or can you even hear the difference. I have little experience with collecting & just starting out.

:afro:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom