Even though I don't know the people, there's something delightful to me about listening to an old recording like this one @32:33 It's a time capsule made just a few months before I was born and reminded me of the first time I ever played with a tape recorder, recording my own voice and recording songs from the radio.

Chuck, unless I missed it. I was waiting for you to remove and lube the shafts of the tape-up and supply spindles. A stuck Take-up results is tape spaghetti-spew inside the machine 🤦🏻‍♂️

Did you use a metal washer on the screw that holds the circuit board to the chassis? If the circuit board ground is not connected to the chassis via the screw, you get the interference from the motor. By the way, there are 3 din plugs: one for an external speaker. If I remember correctly you can plug it in two ways: one way turns the internal speaker off, the other way leaves it on. The second is a DIN 180º connected in the old way: 2 (center) is ground, 3 is line level recording and playback, and 1 is microphone recording. The 240º DIN socket can be used for an external 9V power supply (I don't remember the current), or for an external pause switch. The original optional power supply obviously had a short between 2 pins to disengage the pause mode. I don't remember anymorehow it was wired but it should be easy to reverse-engineer. My first cassette recorder was a Philips N2205 with "piano keys". My brother's first recorder was an EL3302. I took them both apart many times and noticed right away that the mechanisms were almost completely the same; the piano keys on my recorder even move the control arm inside the recorder in the same way as the knob on the 3302. Philips used the same mechanism for many years, at least until the early 1980s when they still made top loader cassette decks with basically the same mechanism in there. Our recorders were made in the Netherlands or Belgium but Philips moved their tape and cassette recorder production to Vienna Austria in the early 1970s.

very nice!! i like these!

Wow! I had a Craig. Liked the stick shifter :) Remember buying it at Comusmers Distribing. Thanks for the memories and for sharing

@HutchCA

2 жыл бұрын

I have a large collection of these kinds of recorders. Someday I may do a video showing more of them.

thank you ❤

Buenos dias, de que ciudad es usted?, le pregunto ésto porque tengo un EL3302 igual y me gustaria volverlo a oir. Gracias.

Sehr gut!

Being a lazy person I just use a rubber sanding drum without a sanding belt on it, chucked up in a pillar drill. Just push the wheel you want to clean up against it and it'll spin it for you

I wonder about the chemistry in those original drive belts. I had assumed that the old belts made in the 60's were just vulcanized rubber but the rubber wheels and tires don't turn to goo so there must be some unique chemistry in the drive belts that breaks down the polymers over time. Regular rubber bands from that era dry out and crumble instead and I have seen many drive belts crumble as well.

@8-bitbitsa821

Жыл бұрын

I’ve been wondering about the chemistry of the “recent” replacement belts we’re all using. How long they may last ? 😉

Funny how the idler tyre is made of a different rubber, and so didn't suffer. I had to deal with a Hitachi boombox which fell foul of the same problem, but the goo had worked its way into a motor bearing which had to be flushed out with acetone.

@HutchCA

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I've never seen any of the tyres turn to goo. I have had a few that were stored on their side so the goo dripped sideways instead of down to the bottom of the case. Those are even more messy to clean up.

@RoughJustice2k18

2 жыл бұрын

I've come across many National RX model boomboxes from the mid-to-late 1980's which would by now have soft / melted belts - occasionally because the idler belt goes under the capstan flywheel in some National decks, once it turns to goo it binds the flywheel solid like glue; it means the capstan has to be removed and the mess cleaned up, followed by light lubrication of the bushing. Done properly, and in accordance with the service data, the deck sounds pretty stable after new belts (of the correct size and type) are fitted. Idler tyres and pinch rollers are made of a different rubber compound, hence why they don't deteriorate as rapidly as drive belts. The mistake some people make when changing a belt in their little tape player is using ordinary household rubber bands as a "quick fix". I can understand how frustrating it is to clean up all the goo and crap the old belt left behind.

@cprossu

2 жыл бұрын

That black gunk is just the worst. I don't know what rhyme or reason it has as far as application, but I've seen it in everything from the tension roller on a tape drive attached to a piece of HP test gear, to (INSIDE!) the quantum prodrive hard drives (generally less than 1GB) generally in the form of the bumper rubbers on either side of the hard drive head's voicecoil assembly, any many record player and tape drive belts. I really hate and dread it when I have to deal with it, and always double glove and make sure I am not wearing anything I don't mind throwing away afterwards. It gets everywhere!

Gooey belts are the worst. I much prefer the once that get crusty and brittle. Interesting so see a different type of mechanism. The one with the 'gear shift' was sort of steam punk before there was such a thing :) It just occurred to me that a length of cotton thread soaked in alcohol might be a good way of getting the goo out of the root of the pulley groove.

@HutchCA

2 жыл бұрын

Good idea. I should try that next time. Even sewing thread might be useful for the last little bits.

@HeyBirt

2 жыл бұрын

@@HutchCA That is what I was meaning, cotton sewing thread rather than nylon, polyester, etc. I was thinking cotton would be more absorbent (just a hunch.)

@HutchCA

2 жыл бұрын

@@HeyBirt My first thought was that sewing thread would be too thin, but of course thin is exactly what you need to get into the very bottom of the groove. I will try that next time.

I felt the pain and agony in cleaning off the rubber belt that has melted. I generally use acetone, which also seems to clean it off.

@HutchCA

2 жыл бұрын

I'd wager acetone is more effective but the fumes would be way worse and acetone is not safe on plastic.

@8-bitbitsa821

Жыл бұрын

I use acetone on all the metal parts… works like a charm. Just use a Q-tip and avoid plastics. 👍🏻

Where were you able to find the belts?

@HutchCA

10 ай бұрын

From turntableneedles dot com

What size are the drive belts?

@HutchCA

Жыл бұрын

I show the sizes @23:10 SBS 8.6 and SBO 2.6 (~8.6 Inch / 21.8cm square ~0.046"/ 1.2mm and 2.6inch / 6.6cm, square ~0.039"/ 1mm)

@kyrios1982

Ай бұрын

@@HutchCA it's 8.6cm and 2.6cm not inches, excellent work!!!

I feel guilty, more and more. I have some things that are 70's and 80's. Need new belts for sure. They worked when I last used them (Decades ago).

@HutchCA

2 жыл бұрын

Best to remove the belts if they aren't being used. Even if you don't have time to clean and restore, removing the belts is quick.

@NickNorton

2 жыл бұрын

@@HutchCA As you say in your video. This is good advice for sure.