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Finally scored an 8-track player. Panasonic RE-7070 w/that cool sliding door. Got a question.

Mr.White said:
Been wanting an 8-track player for the longest time just for nostalgia and yesterday I scored this Panasonic RE-7070 from circa 1969. $15 at SA. What a looker! The tape player works but I notice that I have to carefully position the tape in just the right spot for it to sound right. A little to the left or right and it loses treble or slows down. It will play fine for 10 minutes or so and might shift slightly on it's own altering SQ. What causes this and how to fix?
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8-track?!?!?!? You are really going deep in the vintage scene. I have put a cassette player in each of my stereo systems. But you have taken this to a new level. I am, and I would think a few others on this forum, suitably impressed! ;)
 
The 8 Track was the first tape system that was available for mobile environments such as car, trucks, planes [Lear Jets], etc. All of which were noisy listening environments. It initially provided a medium for the listener to play music they wanted to listen to not obnoxious DJ's/Commercials on the radio. Ford and GM offered them as expensive upgrades to the Lincoln/Cadillac top of the line early on. Later they were the available from OEM's on all models plus after market. The 8 Track system was the seminal technology for mobile environments and not particularly for HiFi. Few consumers at the time cared about specifications they only wanted to have their music in their car! Stereo before stereo FM also was a plus.

In the midst of the 8 Track era the "watt wars" were raging everyone jumped onto 8 track decks, reel to reel machines, hybrid, etc. It soon became obvious to most the 8 Track platform was not well suited for the home/office environment and the onset of the cassette decks/tape began to eat into the demand for 8 Track system. To compare the sonic capability 8 Track Systems to the more modern media to me is pointless. When the 8 Track was in it's heyday millions were sold and more millions of cartridges were sold. Tapes are of every genre and cheap! I recently got 100 tapes for 0.99 in an eBay auction!

I am also a "quad enthusiast" and there is Q8 [Q for Quad] which has an appeal to me. Most quad equipment is extensive but the Q8 media is simplistic and relatively inexpensive.

It is a fun hobby and cost of the tapes/systems/parts are affordable. There is a learning curve but the music can be very good and the 12k Hz upper limit is absolutely irrelevant to us old-timers.
 
aldena007 said:
The 8 Track was the first tape system that was available for mobile environments such as car, trucks, planes [Lear Jets], etc. All of which were noisy listening environments. It initially provided a medium for the listener to play music they wanted to listen to not obnoxious DJ's/Commercials on the radio. Ford and GM offered them as expensive upgrades to the Lincoln/Cadillac top of the line early on. Later they were the available from OEM's on all models plus after market. The 8 Track system was the seminal technology for mobile environments and not particularly for HiFi. Few consumers at the time cared about specifications they only wanted to have their music in their car! Stereo before stereo FM also was a plus.

In the midst of the 8 Track era the "watt wars" were raging everyone jumped onto 8 track decks, reel to reel machines, hybrid, etc. It soon became obvious to most the 8 Track platform was not well suited for the home/office environment and the onset of the cassette decks/tape began to eat into the demand for 8 Track system. To compare the sonic capability 8 Track Systems to the more modern media to me is pointless. When the 8 Track was in it's heyday millions were sold and more millions of cartridges were sold. Tapes are of every genre and cheap! I recently got 100 tapes for 0.99 in an eBay auction!

I am also a "quad enthusiast" and there is Q8 [Q for Quad] which has an appeal to me. Most quad equipment is extensive but the Q8 media is simplistic and relatively inexpensive.

It is a fun hobby and cost of the tapes/systems/parts are affordable. There is a learning curve but the music can be very good and the 12k Hz upper limit is absolutely irrelevant to us old-timers.
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Good response out to 12k Hz isn't bad and for good eight track decks is conservative. It was the bottom of the tape format but it had good sound and utility for the intended market which included hair salons, etc. Cassettes pushed them aside with superior fidelity, functionality and compact size.
 
$3 each all sealed.

8-track-haul-2.jpg
 
Keep in mind when it comes to 8 tracks, sealed for 40+ years is often worse than ones that have been used. The foam pressure pads are in all likelihood crumbled and the tape splice glue dried out. Both should be replaced before use.

Then there''s the problem of "print through". 8 track tapes that have sat in one position for 40+ years have a tendency to "transfer" the magnetic signal to the tape stacked above and below it. What you get is an "echo" of the other tracks in the section that is playing. Nothing you can do about that if it's happened.

But, there's some good stuff there. Here's hoping it's still good.
 
tourmax said:
Keep in mind when it comes to 8 tracks, sealed for 40+ years is often worse than ones that have been used. The foam pressure pads are in all likelihood crumbled and the tape splice glue dried out. Both should be replaced before use.

Then there''s the problem of "print through". 8 track tapes that have sat in one position for 40+ years have a tendency to "transfer" the magnetic signal to the tape stacked above and below it. What you get is an "echo" of the other tracks in the section that is playing. Nothing you can do about that if it's happened.

But, there's some good stuff there. Here's hoping it's still good.
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I already have sensing foil and replacement foam pads are on the way. I've been watching videos on the tricks to opening the various different cartridge types as well. I've already opened one successfully. And yes, the foam in that one turned to dust as soon as I touched it.
 
Mr.White said:
I already have sensing foil and replacement foam pads are on the way. I've been watching videos on the tricks to opening the various different cartridge types as well. I've already opened one successfully. And yes, the foam in that one turned to dust as soon as I touched it.
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Just out of curiosity where did you get your pads from. I'm out and my usual source, 8 track avenue shows out of stock on everything currently. Thanks.
Cheers....................................................Todd
 
So I received the new foam pads and started fixing tapes. Did three, two were successes and one was all screwed up inside from the factory so I tossed it. I tried a fourth repair and after reassembly something wasn't right. I could not move the tape manually with my finger. So I opened it up again and everything looked ok and the tape moved freely while open. When I tried to play that tape I heard a loud clunking noise and the machine stopped working. No 8 track love over Christmas.

So today I opened up the deck all the way. Evidently at some point someone changed the belt and when they removed the bracket under the flywheel they lost the ball bearing. In it's place they put a snap-type fastener that you find on clothing [instead of a button]! I know this because once I figured out a ball-bearing was missing I started looking around where the unit was and I found the snap-fastener with grease on one side. I re-greased it and put it back until I can find the right ball bearing. I also figured out that a tension arm attached to that wheel that keeps the tape in place wasn't set right so I corrected that.

The deck is playing fine again.

Later tonight I will post pictures of that 4th tape and maybe someone can advise me on what I've done wrong as far as the internal tape path?
 
The one in question looks slightly different near the pinch roller.

Not 5 minutes after I made the last post the deck stopped again. No loud noise the music just stopped. I hear the motor running so maybe the belt just broke. I turned it inside out before reassembly. No time to tear it down again right now. Urggggghhh!
 
Does this look right?

Davis-8-track-1.jpg

Davis-8-track-2.jpg

Davis-8-track-3.jpg


The center photo I'm not sure about. Should it be traveling more towards the center and around that raised ridge rather than to the extreme right side?
 
Couple of problems there.

The tape comes off the center and it should not be riding up on the center of the spool like that. It's meant to "slip" out from the center down behind the rest of the tape pack at an angle. That's why 8 track tape backing is lubricated with graphite. It's also meant to work with the inner part of the spool to smoothly feed the tape off and why the inner spool has an angle in it that matches the angled part on the shell the tape is supposed to run over. This is why the tape pack can't be too tight or to loose. If too tight, it can't slip the tape off the inner part of the spool, if too loose it can get "crossed up" in the cart itself. Compare yours to the two pics I posted and it should be evident how it needs to be routed through the shell.

The other is incorrect routing. The inside tape is supposed to run over that angled section a little closer to the center:

Davis-8-track-2 copy.jpg

This angles the tape so it can be "peeled" out of the center of the spool and then rotated to present the playing surface to the head. The bottom of the tape is meant to pull off the spool first to aid “peeling” it out without jamming up against the rest of the tape pack and the angle it runs over in the cart makes it do that. Where you have it will jam the tape and lock it up in the player because the tape won’t “peel” properly. It's also causing your "riding up" mess at the inner part of the spool.

Your cart is messed up mainly because it's not routed properly over the angle section. It will need to be "respooled". Simply take a pencil with an eraser and use it to spin the spool until the tape has corrected itself. You'll need to hold a finger just above where the tape goes back on the take up side because without the upper shell, the tape will try to "ride up" and come off the pack. You're not adding any pressure or friction to the pack, just keeping the tape from riding up.

The take up side looks fine.

If the tape won't manually turn with the pencil it's truly locked up and you'll have to do a complete respool job, which is usually a nightmare on 8 track.

I've done it with rare carts...it's not fun....

Your other alternative would be to cut the tape splice, unspool the jammed portion, respool and then redo the splice.
 
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