Nak tape deck

H

HiFi

Active Member
Stopped by a Goodwill today, and picked up a Nakamichi 480 two head cassette deck for $13. It has a playback problem, but I couldn't pass it up.

It will play a tape, but it will fast forward the tape for a second after you push play, then begin playing it at normal speed. Does this sound like a belt issue? I've pulled the cover and watched all this take place, but I can't tell if the belt is slipping or the motor is acting up. I suspect the motor is going bad, because it will continue to make a noise after you push stop. It's not turning when making this noise, but it sounds like it's trying to. It stops a few seconds later. Any thoughts?

Right now it is playing fine. I don't remember tapes sounding that good! The next few days will be fun, as I delve into the tape collection I haven't touched in ages:cool:
 
This happens only after pressing play ?

When you first load a tape into a Nak it will spool up a little to take up any slack.

Could be belt or motor(s).

Belts are relatively easy and cheap to fix.

If it's motor it could get expensive as the 480 series uses a sophisticated 3 motor drive system. With Naks they spent the money on the insides not the cosmetics.



cheers
 
Well, it looks like this thing just needed to be played! After shuffling through several tapes, the repeated starting and stopping has cleared most of the noise up. The fast forward symptom is gone, and it now just takes up the slack like you said. The only problem now is a low pitched, real quick squeal when you stop the tape. I think a new belt is in order.

If I order a belt, can I tell them the make and model of the deck, or do I need to pull the old belt and measure it or find a number on it?

Thanks for the responses guys!
 
Almost forgot: The right channel dB meter is noticeably stronger than the left. What might this indicate?

Also, there is a button labeled MPX that makes no audible difference when engaged. What does MPX do?
 
A squeal could be a worn idler, these were made of rubber and wore out and /or hardened over time.

Best to check with a Nakamichi specialist on parts availability and servicing.

Re: meter imbalance

If you can hear the imbalance then either the recording balance was askew when you made the recording or the playback levels are out of whack, they should be adjustable internally but you will need a test tone generator. Best left to experts.

If you don't hear any difference then it's the meters that needs fixing. One could be reading low or one could be reading high.


Re: MPX

This is to filter out the 19kHz pilot tone that's on FM broadcasts.
It only works when recording. No effect on playback.
If you aren't taping off FM then leave it off as it can reduce the high frequencies.


For more Nak facts may I direct you to...

http://www.sonicsense.com/nakfaq42.html


cheers,
 
Michael w, thanks much for the link you provided. It answered a few questions I had about some features of this deck.

Whatever the problem is, it appears to come and go. When I got home from work, the fast playback problem was there again, yet seems to have calmed down again after playing for a while. I removed the bottom cover this time, and watched and listened. The smallest of the three motors looks like it is the culprit. It has a small belt connected to a larger wheel. When you push 'Play', this motor speeds up for a second at the same time you hear the squeal of the tape being played real fast. It looks like it's purpose is raising and lowering the heads, not tape speed, so I'm not sure why it causes it.:dunno:

I'm sure repairs could get pricy, so I'll probably live with it for the time being. About how much would a local shop charge for a simple tune-up? (bias and azimuth adjustment, maybe new heads)

Thanks for your patience with my noob self:D
 
This is only a guess because without seing it in person that's all I can do. I am not even familiar with the workings of that NAK.

If the purpose of the motor you are talking about is to raise the heads it is probably also meant to raise the pinch roller. Should the pinch roller not reach the right possition it won't be setting the speed of the tape as it should and it could cause it to go faster.

It sounds to me that the belt attached to that motor could have streched a bit and it is not raising the heads/roller up to the right position but sometimes may just manage to raise the mechanism to the right position and that's what makes it work from time to time.
 
Well that sounds like a good guess to me. It's hard to tell what every little gear and mechanism does in there, but I'm almost certain the small motor raises and lowers the heads. Is the pinchroller the small rubber wheels on either side of the heads?

Quote from the Nak FAQ michael posted:
Q: Are the dual capstans supposed to spin all the time while the unit is on but stopped?
A: Yes. This assures tape speed will be accurate open hitting play

The capstans do NOT spin continuously on mine. I didn't make the connection before, but the capstan drive belt is always turning when the unit is turned on, but the capstans themselves don't. Perhaps that belt is stretched as well?
 
Yep, those are the pinchrollers.

As long as they spin when the tape runs I would not worry too much about them not spining all the time, it all depends on how the deck was designed. There are many single capstan decks that will start turning as soon as you switch them on too.

Another guess is that there could be a switch (in the cassette compartment) that activates the capstans once you put a tape inside the compartment (try it) but if the belt is turning the capstans should turn (may be they are but you don't see them??? No matter how much care you take if all rubber belts are original by now (24 years after? ) ALL of them would be at least in less than ideal condition and they would need replacement.

Replacing just the belts should not be impossible without knowledge but it can still be arisky business. If you don't know much about electronics I warn you that is terribly easy to make things worse (even when you know) so if you plan to do the job yourself be prepared because you may end up with something worse than before.:dunno:
 
OK, I'm gonna order a new belt. I'll attempt to replace it myself. Hopefully I can do it without messing anything up. Thanks for the help visitor.

BTW, can you buy both belts together in a kit? (the large flat belt and the smaller thin belt)
 
BTW, can you buy both belts together in a kit? (the large flat belt and the smaller thin belt)
Click to expand...

I doubt it. However, I have seen on ebay a few times full kits for some Pioneer and Nakamichi decks so you may get lucky and find the one for your model.
 
I found a kit with both belts here for anyone else that may be interested. I don't e-bay, so I'll order these from him, and see how it goes.
 
Originally posted by HiFi
I found a kit with both belts here for anyone else that may be interested. I don't e-bay, so I'll order these from him, and see how it goes.
Click to expand...

I have a 20 year-old BX-2. The FF & rewind no longer work. I tried your link, but it didn't work. Could you provide athe actual address? Thanks.
 
For Nakamichi parts, contact Patty Beretta at pberetta@nakusa.com
She is very helpful, and all you need to tell her is the model number and what you need. For the BX-2 there is a kit available to convert it from idler wheel to gear drive, but it is supposed to require some good assembly skills. Patty probably has the kit, and I know she has the idler wheel and belts.

Warren
 
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