Fundamentals of using your tape deck! Good and bad..

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baddboybill

Boomus Fidelis
I know this has been brought up in a few posts before about playing your radio especially tape deck often and not allowing it to just sit on shelf. It has been my experience that letting it sit and not using it can cause issues especially in tape decks, pots and switches. The more you use it will really help to alleviate any issues especially with most units being 30 something years old. I also know technicians that will tell you after repairing decks to use them and not allow them to sit for any length of time. Now the bad news...

It has also been brought to our attention that many of the components in the units should not have lasted 30 something years. So therefore playing them can cause components to burn out. So what are we to do? Well in my opinion many of these units that we have probably were only used for a short period of time when new. You know a person bought the unit and maybe used it for a year then stuffed it in a closet or attic until just recently. Some may have put in a garage and used for short periods of time. The downfall is we really don't know unless we owned unit from new.

So in closing its a "damn if we do, damn if we don't" situation. If we use the units often, yeah the tape decks and pots/switches will work better and not break down but we may also be setting the components up to burn out. But if we don't use it, more than likely after sitting the unit may have deck or pot issues. So therefore what I have been doing, and I'm not even sure it will work, is just playing my units once a week or so for a short period to make sure everything stays working. And playing my new units for more often and longer times because the components are newer.

This is just my own personal opinion and so far I've had good luck with it lately but remember, these are 30+ years old and anything can happen at any given time. So be ready to have to open up every once in a while to make some sort of adjustment or to clean a pot/switch that is starting to sound scratchy :thumbsup:
 

AE_Stereo

Member (SA)
:agree: and have been doing this with all my boxes - to run cassette decks for few minutes every week. Prolonged listening is done always with Line-In MP3s. I even do occasional function checks with my VHS VCR and DVD players!
 

redbenjoe

I Am Legend
agree --
except i have soooooooooooooooooooo many freekin boxes --- :thumbsdown: :dunce: :judge: :-P
it would take several hours --just to use my boxes for a few minutes each
 

Lasonic TRC-920

Moderator
Yeah, I have had the same dilemma going on in my mind, But I firmly believe that using them is better than not using them. I will take my chances with something burning out then I will letting it sit to "Save It".

Cars are the same way, if you don't use them they go right down the toilet!
 

Ken

Member (SA)
:agree: Well put, Chris. The car analogy is right on.

When you get more than 40 boxes, some just are not going to get played very often. I dare you to tell Shawn he needs to play more of his - that shed of his is just full of tape decks that need work, I bet. Heck, you can't even get in there. :w00t:

You can downsize any time, Ira. I'm making lots of room at my house currently, I could watch some for you... ;-)
 

baddboybill

Boomus Fidelis
Yeah, I have had the same dilemma going on in my mind, But I firmly believe that using them is better than not using them. I will take my chances with something burning out then I will letting it sit to "Save It".

Cars are the same way, if you don't use them they go right down the toilet!


I definitely agree too with the car analogy. And I believe the Boomboxes should be used as often too. But with your statement about burning out components I would think about more if I were you Chris. I only say this because as in the case of Lasonics, which you own quite a few, there is no service manuals so trying to locate a burned out component will be very very difficult. And in some units you cant even find new replaceable parts, like amp chips for the conion C100 :-( But cleaning pots and switches and repairing mechanical parts that may get stuck in decks are usually much easier to do.

But like I originally said this is one of those situations where "Damn if you and Damn if you don't" come in to play. :hmmm:
 
I agree with your theory Bill. I recently rebelted the deck on my GF-9292 and got it working 100%. After a week of no use, I couldn't get rewind to lock down and AMSS wouldn't stay down on fast forward search. After a couple minutes of use, all issues were resolved. I let it sit another week and the same issues reappeared. I then deliberately used the unit for a few hours per day on tape mode for a full week and it operated perfectly. I let is sit for a few days and then fired it up and it worked fine so regular use is the key.

All my 100% working boxes get regular use now.

I don't baby my boxes. I crank them up and enjoy the experience. Although most of my boxes were relatively cheap buys, I still don't think I'm getting my monies worth if I don't use them.

James...
 

baddboybill

Boomus Fidelis
I really think alot of the the issues has to do with how much the unit was used back in the day and how it was taken care of. For example: My Lasonic TRC931 2nd edition which I've owned since new was never abused and was used some of the time. When I got it back from my friends basement almost 5 years ago it was super dirty. All I did was clean it up inside and out and spray the switches and pots. I didn't have to replace belts or nothing else. I've let this one sit for months and months without playing it and every time I pulled from shelf to play it works fantastic plus I still have original belts. So I think that kind of shows us that when a box was used modestly back when new that the chances of issues happening now are pretty much slim to none ;-). In my opinion!!!
 

blu_fuz

Well-Known Member
Staff member
baddboybill said:
And in some units you cant even find new replaceable parts, like amp chips for the conion C100 :-(
Actually these you can ;). You just have to find original Hitachi components or ICs removed from old electronics. I just bought 3 chips this morning :cool:.
 

Sazeus

Member (SA)
I think the electrolytic capacitors drying up after a 30 years happens a lot and can really degrade the sound. I have had some really good success with improving sound on a few boxes (RX-5350, and RC-550 namely) by replacing caps on the amp board.

I found the right hitachi IC chips for my SK-900 I blew up are still sold new, but it turned out that they weren't the problem. :thumbsdown:
 

baddboybill

Boomus Fidelis
Actually these you can ;). You just have to find original Hitachi components or ICs removed from old electronics. I just bought 3 chips this morning :cool:.


So there used or new chips?


Bad Boy Bill
 

blu_fuz

Well-Known Member
Staff member
baddboybill said:
So there used or new chips?


Bad Boy Bill
They are pulled used units. I figured that was my best shot at getting an original. If not, I think there is a few "original" new ones on epay.... hopefully these pulled units are good to go.
 

oldskool69

Moderator
Staff member
Lasonic TRC-920 said:
Yeah, I have had the same dilemma going on in my mind, But I firmly believe that using them is better than not using them. I will take my chances with something burning out then I will letting it sit to "Save It".

Cars are the same way, if you don't use them they go right down the toilet!
Cars, radios, people...if you don't use what you got it will rot. :-D
 
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