Help with vintage JVC equipment.

[David Sayloe]

Hello, I just joined this after discovering it trying to find out answers to some problems. Totally new to the obsession (don't think hobby is strong enough) but am eager to learn. Being disabled I have lots of time so I pillage local antique malls, thrift stores etc. And sorry if I'm long winded. Anyway, every week our local Goodwill sells certain items half off based on the color of their price tags. And on Sunday and Monday those items are 99 cents. I usually pick up something like a Kenwood 6 disc changer or even a Denon 90's A/V receiver. Yesterday they had some 70's vintage JVC equipment. A JA-S77 AMP, a JT-V77 Tuner, a QL-F4 Turntable and a KD-85 tape deck. Along with a Technics model M215 tape deck. I grabbed them for $5.30 with tax. The Amp and tuner are perfect. All lights work, needles on the guages move, no scratches and it sounds awesome from some Bose 301's I picked up at half off at $10 each a couple of months ago. The turntable though I can't figure. The needle keeps wanting to drift to the center. And the sound is way off. I'm not familiar with the adjustment for the arm. In addition to the weight there is a dial for some adjustment. The KD-85 deck will rewind and fast forward, and the guages work but when I put a tape in I hear a loud click and again after a few seconds and no movement. I took the top off and can see the arm moving to pull up the heads but after a few seconds it releases. When I trigger the deck with the door open to think there is a tape inside by pushing in the safety switch the mechanism actually does turn and would move the tape. Just not with a tape in. Love this thing, it was one of my high school dreams but was way too much for my poor butt. Now I'm lost. I know it's worth fixing just hate to pay someone if it's something I can do or something stupid. The Technics tape deck power meter goes all the way to the end when I push pkay and i hear this extremely loud hum. That one I don't know if it's worth fixing. Thanks for any help.

 

[mark warren]

Welcome to AK! Take a blank piece of paper from your copier or notebook and trim the corners off put a hole in the middle of the paper place the paper on the turn table and place the arm on the paper just like an album while the paper is turning adjust your tracking until the arm barley moves inward slowly. your tape deck may still need a new belt sometimes when they are badly worn they wont turn when you put a tape in to play but will turn without one in the deck. Good look I hope this will help you out some these are quick fixes.

 

[Rome]

Greetings to ya & nice JVC pieces!
Had a R-S33 receiver & QL-A5 TT back in the 80s, loved 'em!

Rome

 

[Drugolf]

Good score, especially the turntable.
Take that on over to the turntable forum and post specific questions there. Folks will get you set up on it correctly. There also several great youtube videos on turntable set-up that describes what all the adjustments are etc and how to go about it. You may need some set-up tools.
Also, you might not want to trust the stylus that is on there so be careful with good records until you know better.

 

[David Sayloe]

Good score, especially the turntable.
Take that on over to the turntable forum and post specific questions there. Folks will get you set up on it correctly. There also several great youtube videos on turntable set-up that describes what all the adjustments are etc and how to go about it. You may need some set-up tools.
Also, you might not want to trust the stylus that is on there so be careful with good records until you know better.

Thanks for the help. The stylus and cartridge are brand new. They were attached in a plastic bag and I put them in. Same model number as whats on there. I'll ask in the the table forum.