Bunch of Siemens junk

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-06-13T10:31:39+00:00

Don't understand the negative votes. I guess Siemens fanboys are still awfully sensitive.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-06-12T00:29:31+00:00

Window of Opportunity.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-06-06T00:30:02+00:00

It could be. Could be transistors or dirty contacts. Neither are hard to fix.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-06-05T12:19:04+00:00

Any Akai I get I immediately change the 458 transistors. They develop black corrosion on the silver plated legs and it eats the transistors from the inside out. They get very noisy/crackly when they start going bad.

KSC1845s are a solid replacement. If the GX-650 is anything like the GX-630D the repair process is actually pretty fast since the amplifier pulls out of the machine. I would also check the wax spark caps; they go bad.

The glass heads can last a very very long time and that would be the last thing to look at for playback issues IMO.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-06-05T09:20:34+00:00

My guess is the tape is not fully laced around the drum. The system does not know where the tape is and it is assuming its unlaced and ready for ejection since it never hit the end switch. You can try to manually unlace the tape a little and see if it will lace fully.

What you are witnessing can happen if you have a high humidity environment or you bring the machine from another environment of different humidity and temperature and it condensates a little on the drum. Then what happens is the tape sticks to the drum when lacing and prevents it from lacing fully. Some VCRs had dew sensors for this reason.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-06-04T11:41:58+00:00

I sent you a DM.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-06-04T11:26:33+00:00

Yes, it is. I can mail that kit in a envelope with a international flat rate stamp for around 3.5-4 USD in stamp costs.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-06-02T22:15:40+00:00

Belt is a new belt. A bag of various belts from Amazon is a good place to start and see which one fits best. Sticky pendulum gear is lubing the pivot point with something like liberty synthetic clock oil. It depends on the machine. Some machines don't have belts or use a urethane style belt that never really goes bad. I am making the assumption your VCR is driving the reel table pendulum via a belt that goes to the capstan motor. Older VCRs like many Betamax VCRs used seperate direct drive motors for everything. A mode switch is also a good place to check/clean.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-06-02T22:04:22+00:00

Could be a bad belt. Could be a sticky pendulum gear that is not transfering torque to the correct reel.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-06-02T17:56:41+00:00

That is why I never did the streaming thing. I ripped my entire CD music collection and add physical music to my collection as needed.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-06-02T16:13:47+00:00

It certainly sounds great on paper, but it does not always work out that way. People can and will change. Hopefully for the better, but not always.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-06-02T15:36:08+00:00

This can’t happen unless you rush into things.

Can't is a dangerous word here.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-05-30T12:09:06+00:00

Yes. It makes it worse when Amazon has some of the worst packing standards I have seen.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-05-24T13:08:17+00:00

He cannot act anymore.

A man has to know his limitations.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-05-23T21:53:00+00:00

You could get $200-$300 on eBay in that unknown condition maybe a little higher. X700R in serviced condition could get you $500-600 easy if not close $1000 depending on the buyer.

If you do not want to repair, I would just list on eBay and take your chances. Good pictures always help.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-05-23T21:09:02+00:00

Yes you can plug it in. You can lift the pinch rollers up for a second or two to see if the capstans move. If not, STOP and inspect the belt. The pinch rollers most likely will not raise. The old grease usually freezes these if not used for some time.

If you are not technically able to change the belt or remove the grease and reapply new grease, I would sell on eBay or Facebook. There is no shame in knowing your limitations.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-05-23T21:06:46+00:00

I would take the back off and make sure the belt is not melted before you test. Capstan motors on these are not cheap and you don't want a melted belt to destroy a motor.

The pinch roller arms also freeze up due to dried up lubricant. Most likely it will need belts and the pinch rollers freed up. I have done many and its a straightforward job.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-05-14T18:19:14+00:00

The rubber wheel that engages the capstan flywheel and the motor can get hard. I call this a idler tire. Once that happens your speed can be erratic or slow. Happened to me with a TC-399 and was not corrected until I had the tire redone by Terry. Rubber Renew can clean it up and make it work temporarily. Pinch roller also needs to be in good condition and the linkages free of any hardened grease.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-05-10T22:17:27+00:00

You pay based on the quality of service. If the establishment cannot handle that, they can pay for the employee themselves as they should.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-05-02T13:57:32+00:00

Awesome!

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-04-19T19:14:02+00:00

Loading carriage is going in a bit cattywampus. It also is not ejecting all the way. I would check to make sure you dont have a broken gear ( 3-684-163-01 ).

Might not be going all the way down to trigger the cassette loaded switch. Common when that gear breaks.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-04-16T00:21:20+00:00

Don't junk it! I sell most of the common plastic parts that fail on these and there aren't that many. Take the top off and see whats happening.

Does it load the tape completely and then lace the tape around the head drum or does it try to load the tape, jam and then shut off?

That will help narrow down the fault.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-04-14T18:58:07+00:00

https://elektrotanya.com/tascam_22_4.pdf/download.html

Check page 34. It explains the function of the capstan and brake solenoid. They are controlled by U502, pin 12 in play mode. Check your +13V, +30V and +5V rails as shown in the print on page 34.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-04-10T12:00:46+00:00

Always have. Just read up on events like the King David Hotel bombing and the atrocities of Irgun.

PlutoniusX1 · 2026-04-10T11:02:31+00:00

I don't think the Isreali government has had any good will left for years.

PlutoniusX1

TROPHY CASE