Need VCR repair!!

[Sideshow Spock]

Ok, not really.. but have a VCR related question. I had a fairly "new" VCR.. one of the last ones offered at retail before being they disappeared. It worked well, no problems.

It sat unplugged for a couple years, and then I hooked it up again to check some old tapes. BANG! Immediately started eating tapes. This was surprising to me, since I had never had an issue with it.

Okay, chalk it up to age and sitting for a couple years.. maybe got some dust and pet hair in it. Shrug.

So my wife brings home one we'd bought for her classroom years ago. I use it to do what I needed, still works great.

And then that one sits for a year. I hooked it up last nite to do something.. BANG! Now this one is immediately eating tapes too.

It's just frustrating that two different units that were working normally the last time I used them, suddenly decide to go kablooey after sitting idle for a time.

I suppose there's no explanation other than the mechanisms just don't like to sit for long periods..

Anyone experience similar issues? I assume there are quite a few people here still using them..

[Mikey]

Could be the belts are going -- after a while of non usage the rubber belts start to dry --- like a fan belt in an idle car

[Allie Fox]

I have the same problem.

When going through some old boxes recently and found a tape of the original airing of the Shatner SNL. I want to transfer it to digital but since the VCR eats tapes I don't want to risk putting in any "precious cargo."

[drquest]

My bet is on the belts, they just dry out.

[HardyGirl]

Too bad you don't live here on Oakland, There is still a VCR repair place here. And I need to get 2 of mine fixed!

[Sideshow Spock]

My bet is on the belts, they just dry out.

I opened it up, it's the type of deck that uses plastic ribbon belts. More gear driven than belt driven, I think. Two geared "grabbers" bring the tape up to the take-up reel, but instead of staying put and keeping the tape on it, they "let go" of the tape and retract back to their initial position, and the machine shuts down. The tape is just left laying there all pulled out in the machine. I think it's getting a bad signal.

[toys2cool]

my thrift shops have them for $5-$10 every day , probably cheaper then fixing it

[Sideshow Spock]

my thrift shops have them for $5-$10 every day , probably cheaper then fixing it

Definitely. I actually stopped in a couple local thrifts today, just to see what they had. Nothing. Of course any other time they always seem to have some..

My father in law still has a couple put away at his house. I may liberate one.