Cassette tape end of run

[lazol]

Hi everyone, i'm a newbe in the cassette decks world, this might be a silly question...
I've got a vintage tape deck, everything works but the autostop mechanism.
When the cassette gets at the end of the tape, is there any problem if there's a delay pressing the stop button? I always try to be there fast when the tape ends because it doesn't seems right that the motor still trying to rotate but it's forced to stay stopped... or there's no problem at all?
Thanks

 

[Bob]

you may need your machine adjusted. most but not all do stop at end of tape. the mechanism
detects no motion then pulls the gears/mechanism out: auto-stop.

 

[Hajidub]

Make/model will help AK assist you.

 

[lazol]

Marantz 5220, belts driven.
I know it's missing the autostop belt.
But i'm curious about the general rule of thumb too.

 

[Hajidub]

I know it's missing the autostop belt.

Sort of answered your own question?

 

[lazol]

Sort of answered your own question?

No, it doesn't.
My question is:
is it bad using the deck without a working autostop?

 

[jlb2]

It's an easy question then. The answer is yes, eventually it will cause damage. One more thing to consider: the autostop is also a safety feature. It serves to stop a jammed / sticky tape, which is potentially harmful and not always easy to notice early enough. I would change this belt ASAP, and the others too. Belt sets for your Marantz are easy to find on e.g. ebay, the service manual is available on hifiengine, it only takes some basic skills and patience (and a very few $) to make this deck work as it should.

 

[lazol]

Thanks, that make sense, for sure i'll replace the belts.
I was just curious because not all the decks have the autostop mechanism... how come they don't get damaged?

 

[jlb2]

I've only seen one recorder that did not have autostop, and it was a handheld machine of the dictating type. I assume that the transport was designed to limit the torque on the spools to that the tape could not snap, and that it was the combination of lowish torque and simplified transport without autostop allowed keeping the size & cost down without compromizing (too much) the safety of operation, but it's only an assumption. Low torque allows to avoid pulling the tape toot much,

 

[Bob]

either the tape stretches or the motor heats up, spinning the spindle unnecessarily, etc.

just about all my (cheap/expensive) cassette portables have an auto-stop. I would not ruin
the deck. search for turntables without an auto-return and its effect on phono stylus.

 

[lazol]

Ok thanks, this answer my question.
I was assuming that the autostop was a "new" feature at the time because in my deck it's pointed out right on the faceplate (plastic door cover) "total shut off", like it's a special feature that not all other decks have... unless total shut off and autostop are not the same thing.

 

[jlb2]

According to this site, the Sony TC-152SD (1978) was one of the first cassette decks to feature autostop. Your Marantz 5220 looks earlier, so at its time it was probably a new thing, yes. According to its user manual, "The TOTAL SHUT OF F feature will automatically disengage the tape transport when the end of the tape is reached in any transport mode (play, rewind, etc.). The TOTAL SHUT OFF feature will also activate if the tape should jam." This is the exact definition of autostop, so I'd say they are one and the same.

 

[I LIKE MUSIC]

Back in the day, some of the cheaper cassette players (cheap walkman style) had auto stop that just killed the power. They had a small switch that was pulsed by the take up reel drive. When it stopped it allowed the bias on a transistor to drop, turning off the transistor and killing the power. This left the transport mechanism engaged, but it was better than nothing.

I have a cheap stereo cassette deck that has this type of auto stop.

 

[lazol]

Very fine pieces of mechanical engeneering these decks, and sounds surprisingly great too!! I hope to get to know them better in the future!
Thanks for your answers!!