Panasonic NV-SD260B VHS recorder won't load tapes anymore?

M.Joshi

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Sep 5, 2015, 10:14:04 AM9/5/15

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I dusted off a Panasonic NV-SD260B VHS recorder yeterday to archive some
old tapes. It worked for a while, but no longer loads any tapes? No matter
how far I push the tape in, it won't load it into the mechanism.

I have taken the cover of the unit off but can't see anything obvious?

N_Cook

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Sep 5, 2015, 10:20:02 AM9/5/15

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perished rubber drive band

Dave M

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Sep 5, 2015, 10:48:04 AM9/5/15

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Your VCR needs a belt job. When these things sit idle for long period of
time, the belts that drive the loading deck and tape transport mechanism
stretch and become too loose to make the mechanical stuff work.

Don't know how much a belt job would cost now, but when my daughter ran a TV
repair shop (90s era), they charged about $50 plus the cost of the belt kit.
If you're mechanically inclined, you can do it yourself if you can find the
proper belt kit. Here are some links to vendors that I have bought TV, VCR,
and other A/V parts from:
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/
http://www.matelectronics.com/
http://www.smcelectronics.com/
http://www.parts-express.com/
http://www.electronix.com/
http://www.elexp.com/
http://www.studiosoundelectronics.com/

You sould also search Google for VCR Belt Kit NV-SD260B and see what turns
up. Good luck with the repair. VCRs are long obsolete and parts are
getting scarce.

Dave M

Ian Field

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Sep 5, 2015, 2:01:03 PM9/5/15

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"M.Joshi" <M.J...@eternal-september.org> wrote in message
news:4f7214e111488...@news.eternal-september.org...

The old favourite was the sensor bulb blown - its a thin vertical post in
the middle of the deck that pokes up a hole in the bottom of the cassette.

Later models used an IR LED - AFAIK: these never caused problems, so might
be a belt job as others have suggested.

M.Joshi

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Sep 5, 2015, 2:05:24 PM9/5/15

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Thanks for the replies.

Is there anywhere online I can download a service manual for this? Haven't
managed to find a belt/kit yet.

M.Joshi

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Sep 5, 2015, 2:09:08 PM9/5/15

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Hello Ian,

I did wonder if it was the tape sensor post - I have had to change the lamps
in the past on another unit.

However, I thought that was just to sense tape end? They appear to be the
IR type. The tape isn't being lowered into the mechanism so I guess it probably
is a snapped belt?

Ian Field

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Sep 5, 2015, 2:20:49 PM9/5/15

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"M.Joshi" <M.J...@eternal-september.org> wrote in message

news:4f7214e111528...@news.eternal-september.org...

> Hello Ian,
>
> I did wonder if it was the tape sensor post - I have had to change the
> lamps in the past on another unit.
>
> However, I thought that was just to sense tape end? They appear to be the
> IR type. The tape isn't being lowered into the mechanism so I guess it
> probably is a snapped belt?

Can't remember ever seeing a snapped belt - they do go limp and floppy
sometimes.

The synthetic rubber ones firm up with a short squirt in the microwave - the
natural rubber ones blister and shrivel up!

Bruce Esquibel

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Sep 6, 2015, 8:18:37 AM9/6/15

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Ian Field <gangprob...@ntlworld.com> wrote:

> The old favourite was the sensor bulb blown - its a thin vertical post in
> the middle of the deck that pokes up a hole in the bottom of the cassette.

> Later models used an IR LED - AFAIK: these never caused problems, so might
> be a belt job as others have suggested.

Yeah but realistically, only the 1st/2nd generations of vhs decks used those
incandescent light bulbs, the machine would have to be from the late 70's,
early 80's.

I always figured it was a safety feature, a stupid one, where if the bulb
burned out, the machine wouldn't power on. The only logic behind it was if
the bulb did fail, there would be a possibility of snapping the tape on ff
or rew when it hit the end and threw the machine in the stop mode. No bulb,
no stop at the end of the tape.

Remember the dew sensor?

The early machines had some kind of peice of ceramic with a coil like thing
on it. If it thought there was too much humidity around the video head area,
it wouldn't let the machine power up either, but at least there was a "dew"
light, usually yellow saying why.

But I always though those lamps should of had a "lamp out" indicator too.

-bruce
b...@ripco.com

Mark Zacharias

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Sep 6, 2015, 9:28:00 AM9/6/15

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"M.Joshi" <M.J...@eternal-september.org> wrote in message

news:4f7214e111528...@news.eternal-september.org...

Do you hear a motor run when you try to insert the tape? If not - possibly
the loading motor is open-circuit (or even shorted).

Locate the motor and try rotating it by hand at the moent it should run.
Does it take off and start to work?

Pretty common for PM motors which have not been used in a long time.

Mark Z.

Dave M

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Sep 6, 2015, 12:43:18 PM9/6/15

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Download a copy of the service manual at
http://diagramas.diagramasde.com/otros/NV-Sd260_410.pdf.

Hope that helps,
Dave M

Ian Field

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Sep 6, 2015, 12:52:42 PM9/6/15

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"Bruce Esquibel" <b...@ripco.com> wrote in message
news:mshauo$k4q$1...@remote5bge0.ripco.com...

Last VCR I returned either didn't have a dew sensor, or it didn't work.

It was a sony and the LP function didn't work on the longer tapes, just as I
returned it to the store I remembered I'd left a tape in it. The suggestion
to plug it in and hit eject resulted in a tightly bound head drum.

Having been carried outdoors then taken into a busy store with lots of
humidity, it developed an abundance of condensation.

On the bright side - I didn't have any difficulty persuading the store it
was defective.

M.Joshi

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Sep 8, 2015, 6:22:31 PM9/8/15

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Hello Dave,

Thanks so much for the link.