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MANY - Drive belts for Record Decks, Cassette Decks, Tape recorders and Keyboards

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2021 2:13 pm
by parametric
There are PAGES of them here . . . . .

ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?item=292206903823&_ssn=dappletoft&rt=nc

Chris

Re: MANY - Drive belts for Record Decks, Cassette Decks, Tape recorders and Keyboards

Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2021 3:30 pm
by puremusic
Thanks Chris.

My cassette deck is broke, I think it's a belt that went loose. I will look through what they have, see if they've got what I'm looking for.

I really should've bought a serviced one. These days, it's a real risk buying one that hasn't been professionally serviced. That is if you buy used, and it's only good sense to get a used one -- that actually works well.

Re: MANY - Drive belts for Record Decks, Cassette Decks, Tape recorders and Keyboards

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2021 12:41 am
by parametric
Yeah . . .

We tend to forget that Cassette DID achieve astounding levels of quality - as the Majors poured money into it in the 70s in an attempt

to achieve "HiFi credibility" back then . . .

Cassette was never envisaged as a HiFi proposition. Philips eventually allowed a +/- 6% speed variation on some, and DID allow

3.75 i.p.s. on the cassette multitrackers - but NEVER on the Stereo Machines (AFAIK) - THAT would really have raised the bar . . . . :o

These decks are now showing their age, and the rubber belts are starting to stretch and perish . . . .

Replacement is not difficult, though you DO NEED details of how to access the mechanism to make life easier.

Service manuals are sometimes hard to find - as the user manuals seldom cover belt renewals IME.

I have a fairly tasty Yamaha "Natural Sound" twin cassette deck - the counter no longer works, but otherwise is superb . . .

AVOID the £30 eBay players that record to usb stick. The mechanisms are CRAP - only good for chewing tapes - as

we fondly remember from our car players
:roll:

I know - I tried . . . . .

Chris

Re: MANY - Drive belts for Record Decks, Cassette Decks, Tape recorders and Keyboards

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:59 am
by puremusic
Yes it's one of those if only things with cassette decks. I'm not paying 4 thousand dollars plus for a used Nakamichi to try to get something somewhat higher fi on something that just is too small to manage it.

Going to sell the old Onkyo cassette deck for parts. They're just too fiddly and delicate to get right fixing for me right now. Not my sort of thing, when I've been elbows and thumbs all the time lately.

I'll look for a replacement now. Still, it's nostalgia and my old cassette tapes I want to listen to, not the sound quality itself. If I wanted high fi analog from the old days I'd go reel to reel. It can sound really really good, but it's a difficult and expensive investment. I want to dip my toe into that but it never is the right time and right device whenever I look.

Re: MANY - Drive belts for Record Decks, Cassette Decks, Tape recorders and Keyboards

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:39 am
by parametric
Still possible to buy a new Cassette deck . . . . not cheap, but should have a long life for your needs . . .

richersounds.com/cd-player-cassette-deck.html

Reel to Reel IS superb, but are also getting old . . .

I have a 1/4 track Revox A77 (3.75 & 7.5 i.p.s.) and a 1/2 track HS Revox A77 (7.5 & 15 i.p.s.)

Both now have issues and need servicing . . . .

Servicing IS available @ ~ £120 per machine . . . . Here: taperecorder.co.uk/

Chris

Re: MANY - Drive belts for Record Decks, Cassette Decks, Tape recorders and Keyboards

Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2021 8:49 pm
by puremusic
Well I got persuaded to take another try at fixing the one I have.

Cassette deck prices sure have risen.

In any case, I ordered some replacement belts after finding I could in fact get the three of the belts I could see off and on again, though one with difficulty. If the belt replacements don't fix it, don't know what else to do, that'll likely be it for it for good then.

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The last belt deepest in I nearly didn't think could be taken out without taking apart the whole mechanism, but I managed to get it out through the hub's hole in the front plate. The front two were easy enough.

Re: MANY - Drive belts for Record Decks, Cassette Decks, Tape recorders and Keyboards

Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2021 3:03 am
by parametric
Sound good <PM> . . . .

Last thing to do is to clean the heads, and demagnetise them if possible . . . . .

This item says it will do both . . . .amazon.co.uk/CASSETTE-CLEANER-DEMAGNETIZER-WET-TYPE-PORTABLE/dp/B07B7RMJ2W/ref=asc_df_B07B7RMJ2W/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=500772317277&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4950334174368950017&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007204&hvtargid=pla-851463939987&psc=1

Many cassette decks have the ability to unlock and remove the opening "cover" to make cleaning easier . . . . might help?

With the new belts and clean heads - it should perform like new . . . . . :pray:

Chris

Re: MANY - Drive belts for Record Decks, Cassette Decks, Tape recorders and Keyboards

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:28 pm
by puremusic
Many cassette decks have the ability to unlock and remove the opening "cover" to make cleaning easier . . . . might help?
That helped!

Still a fiddling pain in the neck to work on this. I ordered local for faster/cheaper shipping since I'm USA.. but of course actual source is all China. . and a lot of rejects in these cheap mixed packs of belts. Put on two new ones, hopefully not too tight. Couldn't find a replacement for the third one, so I put it back together -- first improperly, then properly -- would ff and rev, but no play. So I think the third belt might be the problem as it's fairly loose feeling. The belts I got were 1mm and 3mm, I need .5mm or less for the last belt, so will wait a week or so for that pack of belts to come in and we'll see.

If it isn't the third belt then I'd guess it's either gummed up somehow or the motor has lost its strength.

If this works and doesn't eat tapes anymore, I'll not regret bothering with this, but it's hard not to at this stage, took a lot of fiddling to reach around all those parts and get those belts back in. I had to invest in a multipack of tweezers as well as the belts.

My patience level is lower than usual right now due to a lot of difficulties in real life. If the part comes in so the plumber can fix the shower next week that'll help a bit. Lots of bigger problems, but the smaller stuff matters too. Middle of a hot summer here and I'm taking baths by pumping the tub full of water, rather a production.

Re: MANY - Drive belts for Record Decks, Cassette Decks, Tape recorders and Keyboards

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2021 3:43 am
by puremusic
Fixed. The last cassette belts arrived in the mail the other day and tonight I had the patience to do it.

It was that third last belt that was the problem, the only one I didn't have a belt for. It was too loose to turn the knob with a cassette in the deck.

My Onkyo sounds great again.

I stuck in some Motzart to test as I don't care for him, and wouldn't be much bothered if the tape was ate, but actually looks like I got one of Motzart's better pieces.. a gradual piece not quick plinkity plinkity plink.

I did not expect it would be fixed in the end.