Show Us Your Sonys!!!

[Stoffie]

It's mostly thanks to you Axel, with all this great info you have on TVK.

Spent most of the morning checking the massive update on TVK, wow ! Great work man, as always, great info and wonderful design, what more could a vintage lover ask for ?

 

[axel]

and thanks for the link in your signature Kristof !

 

[Yamaha B-2]

Anyone know if there are/is actually a VFET or two in the TAE-5450? I don't recall if Sony put VFETs in any preamps other than the one in TA-5650.

 

[axel]

DAT is actually getting hard to find, not that many of the big brands make them (I still see Sony tapes now and then, if the price is ok grab them).

...always had problems with Sony's own DAT tapes, in many different decks, Sony or not. The worst were the 3M and Emtec, 3M especially.
Maxell Pro, Maxell and Fuji are the goodies. JVCs are ok, too.

Since the format is rapidly dying, prepare to make a stock a blank tapes because media won't remain available as long as it used to when a format was going south !

 

[the-real-mandak]

Sorry to say but in a professional opinion; the faster DAT goes south, the better, compared to working form a hard drive it just doesn’t cut the corner and for backup the DVD-R media is faster, better, bigger and cheaper.

 

[absolon]

Glenn, thanks. The tapes arrived today and are much appreciated.

Unfortunately, it looks like we're not quite plug and play. The tapes load but I get a little flashing 'caution' icon and sometimes a bit of movement in the tape, others, no response, and others still, it spits it back out. No response from the transport controls, but that likely is a lockout in "caution' conditions.

Given the microprocessor control and the relative complexity of the unit, it looks like it will be a challenging job of troubleshooting.

Does anyone by chance have an operators manual for the Sony DTC 1000 or know of a source?

 

[the-real-mandak]

absolon unfortunately I think this is quite normal; when we pull out a DAT player from storage we almost always have to service them before they work (we have a bunch of PCM-7030 and 7040's). Often they just need a cleaning and some lube, but they tend to need service.

----EDIT----

Oh just a small thing; often when we get a caution at start up (power on), press stop as the first thing. This can often do the trick and make the machine run normally.

 

[Yamaha B-2]

Glenn, thanks. The tapes arrived today and are much appreciated.

Glad they made. Good luck getting you DAT player running. As I have no idea of the quality of those tapes, you might want to get at least one new DAT tape to check out the machine with. It could be the tapes.

 

[absolon]

Thanks Glenn, The machine ate one of the tapes so I had to figure out how to open them. Checked a few of them and they rotate manually just fine so I'm pretty sure they will be good. Looks like they have had gentle use.

TRM, your info helps and is reassuring. I may actually be able to sort it out if it isn't the electronics causing the issues.

 

[absolon]

Looks like I've tracked down the source of the problem. The spindle motors appear to be very stiff and do not respond to controls consistently. I've actually had about three seconds of legible output from a tape and several instances where cueing actually winds the tape so I know they aren't dead. Attached is a picture of the spindle motor assembly, the two cylinders between the plates are related to the two motors. Any suggestions of an appropriate lube for them?

Also included top and bottom nudies. The circuit board folded out of the way on the bottom shot is actually mounted on hinges - really good build quality.

 

[Yamaha B-2]

Damn - that's one busy sucker inside. Great looking build quality. Is that the power x-former hanging off the back?

As far as a lube, you might ask nakdoc what he uses on Nakamichi tapes decks. A tape deck is a tape deck. I'm guessing some very light machine oil with some teflon in it.

 

[mertol]

Just noticed the topic, here is a list of what I got.

TA-F7B
TAE-8450
TC-880 (Yes I do have one)
RM-16 (Yessssss, I do have the original remote)
Original sony reels (FeCr etc..)
TC-209 / 216
WM-6D
Several vintage sony walkmans including the rarest Sony walkman WM-40
ST-5950SD
A sony turntabe (PS 4300 ???)
XL33 (was nos, but I started using it last week)
XL55 (yess I have it, with original box and paper, like new but unfortunetly one channel do not work)
ECR-500
DR-5
TC-K777 (I need pinchrollers can any one help me ?)
STR 5800 NOS
TC-510 (Yes, Yes , Yes...... )
TC-378 NOS
A NOS RtR head demegnatizer
TC-165
59ES
TCD-D7 Portable Dats (around 10, anyone interested for a trade ?)
Several vintage Sony casettes including the Ceramic casette
TC-165

Noooooooooo I am not addicted to Sony, serously nooooo

 

[absolon]

Quite a collection!

How do you like the XL33 and what are you using it on?

 

[Stoffie]

Impressive indeed, we await the pics with great impatience

 

[Yamaha B-2]

Just noticed the topic, here is a list of what I got.

TA-F7B
TAE-8450
TC-880 (Yes I do have one)
RM-16 (Yessssss, I do have the original remote)
Original sony reels (FeCr etc..)
TC-209 / 216
WM-6D
Several vintage sony walkmans including the rarest Sony walkman WM-40
ST-5950SD
A sony turntabe (PS 4300 ???)
XL33 (was nos, but I started using it last week)
XL55 (yess I have it, with original box and paper, like new but unfortunetly one channel do not work)
ECR-500
DR-5
TC-K777 (I need pinchrollers can any one help me ?)
STR 5800 NOS
TC-510 (Yes, Yes , Yes...... )
TC-378 NOS
A NOS RtR head demegnatizer
TC-165
59ES
TCD-D7 Portable Dats (around 10, anyone interested for a trade ?)
Several vintage Sony casettes including the Ceramic casette
TC-165

Noooooooooo I am not addicted to Sony, serously nooooo

Nice list...........but.......I might point out, this is the "SHOW Us Your Sony'S!!" thread. :worthless

 

[the-real-mandak]

absolon I double checked with our tech; he points at the small moving plastic parts in the mechanism, they might look good but they were and then he also points at cleaning + lube.

Again remember the references here are the PCM-70xx series.

 

[Mark B]

I don't see many pictures being posted - is this just a yak fest? I might have to drag out that old Sony CD player - 707 something or other - from the back room and take a few pics.

 

[absolon]

absolon I double checked with our tech; he points at the small moving plastic parts in the mechanism, they might look good but they were and then he also points at cleaning + lube.

Again remember the references here are the PCM-70xx series.

Thanks t-r-m. Been into it a little deeper, found out how to fool it into thinking there is a tape loaded. The two reel spindle motors are running in opposite directions with a fair amount of torque; no wonder the tape appears locked. Again, it appears you are right and it is a control linkage issue.

I've set it aside for about ten days, I'm off after Kamloops rainbows and damselfly nymphs and scuds will be in the forefront of my thoughts.

 

[junkaudio]

got the same dat bought in 1987 mine has a contact problem with casette dectector switch a little deoxit and it runs again. in 1992 the whole broke down and sony changed all was not cheap but i love that machine

 

[Yamaha B-2]

I don't see many pictures being posted - is this just a yak fest? I might have to drag out that old Sony CD player - 707 something or other - from the back room and take a few pics.

Feel free to yakaway........after you've posted your pic's. Seems to be the 'main' Sony thread, so is open to any and all discussion, pic's, etc. concerning vintage Sony.

We still need our own forum for Sony/Yamaha.:yes: This and the similar "Show Us...." thread for Yamaha ~1000 posts, etc. Plus all the other Sony and Yamaha threads.