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My CT-F2121 wont record. Can anyone help?

aussiedan

aussiedan

Ambition beyond ability
Hello everyone. My name is Danny. I am new here. I am trying to find some info on repairing my CT F2121 deck. I am having trouble with the unit not recording properly if at all. It will not show any signal on UV meter until you turn input level up, then you get is a squeel and needle max's out.
I believe its about 1976 vintage. I have issuses with the rubbers- all need replacing, including transport tyres but I dont want to bother with this until I have this recording problem solved.
I was told that the 2 long switches that control the recording function is responsible for 90% of problems. With this unit, there is one very long switch. I cleaned switch with crc brand "CO contact cleaner". I thought it might still be leaving a residue. I rang local audio tech shop and asked for somthing better. Bloke there said they have been using that cleaner with good results for 20 years.
I'm not sure if I'm trying to fix the wrong thing. I only have a basic knowedge of electronics and basic repair equipment (no scopes, etc). I have found a shop that stocks crc "NP contact cleaner" for electronics but it costs heaps.
I would like to hear from anyone that can give me a suggestion or solution thanks...
 
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that was my first cassette deck for the house, after a year the record head just wore out. sounded like a towel was over the mic but the tapes it had previously recorded were fine. i would take a good look at the heads.
 
aussiedan said:
Hello everyone. My name is Danny. I am new here. I am trying to find some info on repairing my CT F2121 deck. I am having trouble with the unit not recording properly if at all. It will not show any signal on UV meter until you turn input level up, then you get is a squeel and needle max's out.
I believe its about 1976 vintage. I have issuses with the rubbers- all need replacing, including transport tyres but I dont want to bother with this until I have this recording problem solved.
I was told that the 2 long switches that control the recording function is responsible for 90% of problems. With this unit, there is one very long switch. I cleaned switch with crc brand "CO contact cleaner". I thought it might still be leaving a residue. I rang local audio tech shop and asked for somthing better. Bloke there said they have been using that cleaner with good results for 20 years.
I'm not sure if I'm trying to fix the wrong thing. I only have a basic knowedge of electronics and basic repair equipment (no scopes, etc). I have found a shop that stocks crc "NP contact cleaner" for electronics but it costs heaps.
I would like to hear from anyone that can give me a suggestion or solution thanks...
Click to expand...

Deoxit - there IS no substitute. Get Caig's deoxit d5 (D5S-6). Available (still?) at Guitar center. Also several mail order places. It's not cheap but 1 can goes a long way.

It has a unique chemistry that breaks the bonds between the corroded material (sulphates from atmospheric corrosion) and the good metal, then repeated (50+) actuations scrubs the contact faces clean, I'm NOT kidding, I have taken apart switches that have been treated and found a nice clean stripe down the middle of a blackened area.

Contact cleaner just dissolves the stuff that gets in, and the petrified and contaminated grease, not the corrosion.

Also if you treat potentiometers (volume control etc) you also need to follow up with Caig's Faderlube (F5S-H6) as the old lube is washed away, and deoxit doesn't lubricate.. thus your pots will wear out a lot quicker if not followed up with faderlube.

Pots DO need to be deoxited because of the contact strip between the moving wiper and the stationary wiper contact.

I was about to give up on vintage equipment because of the contact corrosion problem, and unavailability of new, clean replacements, until I ran into deoxit... problem SOLVED.....

It is now STEP ONE in evaluating and repairing just about all gear.
 
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Thanks guys. Ill try again with better cleaner. Do you think I should lube the long switch? I cleaned the pot while I was there- this improved the feel of the pot but did nothing for the symptoms. I thought the pot might need some lube, but I wasn't sure if I should do the long switch. The heads are good from what I can see. I think its only played a dozen tapes, came from a Grannys house. All the lube has done that dry out thing, but thats all fixed. Does anyone have any suggestion as to where i can get a belt "kit" for it? I am in Australia.
 
aussiedan said:
Thanks guys. Ill try again with better cleaner. Do you think I should lube the long switch? I cleaned the pot while I was there- this improved the feel of the pot but did nothing for the symptoms. I thought the pot might need some lube, but I wasn't sure if I should do the long switch. The heads are good from what I can see. I think its only played a dozen tapes, came from a Grannys house. All the lube has done that dry out thing, but thats all fixed. Does anyone have any suggestion as to where i can get a belt "kit" for it? I am in Australia.
Click to expand...

The ebay sellers of the belts will probably ship internationally.


Deoxiting the long switch is the KEY to the problem. On the two head decks (erase head, rec/play head) the electronic circuits are radically switched around by it. It usually switches the head leads from the rec high power output signal (including the "bias" signal) to the playback's extremely sensitive input. The most sensitive signal in the unit.....


The pot definitely needs faderlubing as the cleaner removed the old gummed up lube - improving the "feel".

As for where to get it, Caig has a website that has an international dealers list, and as the word spreads, it has been increasing in size and scope.


Looks like 2 Distributors down under, in NSW, Alexandria and Silverwater
http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.15/category.112/ctype.SS/SS.112/.f

Alexandria: no online ordering http://www.caprina.com.au
Silverwater: yes online ordering http://www1.electusdistribution.com.au

good luck...
 
Thanks again. I found a brand called "Electrolube". It is an electronic cleaning solvent (arent they all?) but is better than crc, so the honest salesman said. I also got some contact cleaner lubricant (same brand). Ill give them a try.
It seems the moral of the story is to get this switch clean.
Most internet sites i have found so far dont seem to stock a kit for this model. Belts are not too much of a worry, as i can measure them but I need to find some tyres for the transport drive wheel. Ever used square section "O" rings?
Shoud i blow switch with compressed air (maybe 50 psi?). Not sure about static. Its a no-no for pc's.
 
I'll make one last prediction, that until you use deoxit on the switch, or remove the switch, take the switch apart and clean the switch manually, it will continue to give you problems.

There's an old saying "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink".

You're at the water..... when you drink, then I will resume answering queries should a deoxit application and one follow up fail to achieve results....

:lurk:
 
markthefixer said:
I'll make one last prediction, that until you use deoxit on the switch, or remove the switch, take the switch apart and clean the switch manually, it will continue to give you problems.

There's an old saying "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink".

You're at the water..... when you drink, then I will resume answering queries should a deoxit application and one follow up fail to achieve results....




:lurk:
Click to expand...

Nice try Mark, What a waste of your time huh?
 
speakerfreak said:
Nice try Mark, What a waste of your time huh?
Click to expand...

Markthefixer
Mate, your point is not lost. You can find anything in Australia, just not today (or tomorrow...) I have found a supplier of caigs products and ordered some Deoxit. Other stuff was all I could get in Ballarat on a friday arvo. I dont doubt it is inferior. Trying to drink, just fumbling.

Your advice will be used. Thanks for helping a newbee:thmbsp:

As for speakerfreak
your advice on the problem was very, very helpful. Obviosly a seasoned tech. You should be running a high end audio shop. Then you could send me some Caigs Deoxit. Thanks for your help.
Is this what AK is all about? I thought this was where the smart people were.
 
speakerfreak said:
Nice try Mark, What a waste of your time huh?
Click to expand...

Absolutely NOT.... plus, I was worried about balancing potential "attitude" versus emphasizing the lack of known effective chemical substitutes WITHOUT making this new member who came for help feel unwelcome. I should have ended before the drink analogy... and I did explain a reasonable alternate course of action - but I guess I could have phrased it differently as to not tempt comments like that.


I appreciate the "make it work" ethic - especially when one doesn't have the materials readily at hand to "get it done". I've just learned a few of the exceptions where it won't work.
 
Assumption is a shortcut to disaster. I would rather ask a simple question than make a simple mistake. I'll get it fixed, even if it drives me to drink.
I say no more about this till my Deoxit gets here (about 5 days).
 
markthefixer said:
Absolutely NOT.... plus, I was worried about balancing potential "attitude" versus emphasizing the lack of known effective chemical substitutes WITHOUT making this new member who came for help feel unwelcome. I should have ended before the drink analogy... and I did explain a reasonable alternate course of action - but I guess I could have phrased it differently as to not tempt comments like that.


I appreciate the "make it work" ethic - especially when one doesn't have the materials readily at hand to "get it done". I've just learned a few of the exceptions where it won't work.
Click to expand...

Shame on you for getting me in trouble hehehehe :yes:
 
aussiedan said:
Markthefixer
Mate, your point is not lost. You can find anything in Australia, just not today (or tomorrow...) I have found a supplier of caigs products and ordered some Deoxit. Other stuff was all I could get in Ballarat on a friday arvo. I dont doubt it is inferior. Trying to drink, just fumbling.

Your advice will be used. Thanks for helping a newbee:thmbsp:

As for speakerfreak
your advice on the problem was very, very helpful. Obviosly a seasoned tech. You should be running a high end audio shop. Then you could send me some Caigs Deoxit. Thanks for your help.
Is this what AK is all about? I thought this was where the smart people were.
Click to expand...

I never claimed to be smart, Mark has learned me what ever I know about audio. :banana:
 
G,day speaker freak
I wasn't sure if I was wasting my time replying to this, but I couldnt resist.
I was not implying that you were inteligent, just smart. :scratch2:

Mark knows what he is talking about.:beerchug: Sorry I got you into strife with him. What sort of gear do you have? Whats the weather like where you are? Bloody freezing here.

Best stereos, Japan. Best beer, Australia. Best burbon, USA.
USA wins.
 
aussiedan said:
After some good American burbon, I nearly forgot to ask, Any advice on my CT-F2121?
Click to expand...

I'm hoping you will be pleasantly surprised once the the deoxiting takes. Otherwise the next step is replacing the electrolytic capacitors. They dry out.
 
I'm hoping so too. I have confidance that it will work, its just a case of waiting for it. A bit like watching paint dry.
Just out of curiosity, have you ever removed one of these switches? I imagine it would be a reasonable job. I dont tink I'll have to go there, but while I was looking at it I pondered the idea. I wondered weather this would have to be done before looking at cap's? Again, Ill wait for the deoxit to arrive. Thanks, Danny.
 
aussiedan said:
G,day speaker freak
I wasn't sure if I was wasting my time replying to this, but I couldnt resist.
I was not implying that you were inteligent, just smart. :scratch2:

Mark knows what he is talking about.:beerchug: Sorry I got you into strife with him. What sort of gear do you have? Whats the weather like where you are? Bloody freezing here.

Best stereos, Japan. Best beer, Australia. Best burbon, USA.
USA wins.
Click to expand...

What sort of gear do you have?

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