REPOST [Please Help]: VHS Camcorder seems to work but erase

[Stellijer]

More information about this:

It won't PLAY tapes, either. No static, nothing. Just black.

Please help. I only got one response thus far and it wasn't enough information
to help me.



Stellijer wrote ...

A group I'm in just got a used full sized VHS camcorder.

It cosmetically looks great and seems to generally function (image in
viewfinder, tape moves as it should, seems to be working 100%) BUT when
viewing
the tape it supposedly recorded on, there's nothing on the tape. Not static
or
a black screen with an apparent tracking signal but NOTHING. It would appear
as
if the tape was erased but nothing recorded. It was a used tape and indeed
the
original signal had been wiped clean.

If I may assume for a moment that the camera WAS, indeed, in working condition
when it was shipped, what is likely wrong with it? Has anyone encountered a
problem similar to this before? Also importantly, can it be fixed reasonably
easily or should the group try to get its money back?

Please advise.

 

[Stellijer]

Nigel <Nigel@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:IriYa.9671$9f7.1150540@news02.tsnz.net...

My car won't work, what's wrong with it ?

You have no idea - and we have the same problem with your post.

You want information, yet you haven't provided anything useful, not even a
make and model number. There could be many reasons for the symptoms you
describe, but unless you can detail the tests done thus far, you give little
to go on.

If you have no experience of camcorder repair, then your options for
rectifying this problem are very limited, and you will need to take it to an
authorised service centre for a repair estimate.

How much will the repair cost ? Only when the fault is diagnosed, will
anyone be able to tell you that, and at this stage you may as well ask 'how
long is a piece of string ?'

Hello.

Actually, it was my hope that if people had read this post and found the
information lacking, that they would have extended the courtesy you did and tell
me that I needed to supply more information (and what KIND of information).

As for the car analogy, it's more akin to "my car won't go; the engine starts,
the lights come on but when I put it into gear it won't go anywhere".

It was my impression that at the very least, the fact that all seems to be well
EXCEPT that no signal is recorded on the tape should at least give an
knowledgable person some clue what was going on. I didn't need an exact
diagnosis, but to be steered in the general direction would be quite helpful.

Anyway, as for more information, here it is:

It's a Sharp SlimCam VL-L62U.

Tests are that I've operated most of the normal functions, from zoom to
autofocus to attempting to record and play. When recording, the tape starts
moving and the counter advances as one would expect. Attempting to play the
tape shows the tape has been erased but no signal has been recorded. Naturally
I've tried different tapes, a cleaning cassette, removing the power and trying
again, etc. Attempting to play likewise yields no picture in the viewfinder,
even if it's a tape with a known SP signal.

As for other tests, I have only observed it visually and noted the tape loads
and moves properly. I have not the equipment nor specific knowledge to test the
components themselves. You say my only recourse is to take it to a shop; MAYBE,
I reply. There are certain problems I could envision repairing and some not.
The fact is sometimes it's an easy fix. Also, if I walk into a shop, I'd prefer
to know as much abou the prblem as possible.

So, hopefully this fills in some of the gaps. It may not be an expert diagnosis
but then I *DO* know enough to know that this behaviour should give some people
general IDEAS what could cuase it, provided they've seen it before. No, it's
not a professional diagnosis but then it's not exactly as naive as saying merely
"it doesn't work; what's wrong?"...

Maybe if some helpful souls have seen a similar problem, they'll share with me
what turned out to be wrong.

 

[Nigel]

My car won't work, what's wrong with it ?

You have no idea - and we have the same problem with your post.

You want information, yet you haven't provided anything useful, not even a
make and model number. There could be many reasons for the symptoms you
describe, but unless you can detail the tests done thus far, you give little
to go on.

If you have no experience of camcorder repair, then your options for
rectifying this problem are very limited, and you will need to take it to an
authorised service centre for a repair estimate.

How much will the repair cost ? Only when the fault is diagnosed, will
anyone be able to tell you that, and at this stage you may as well ask 'how
long is a piece of string ?'


"Stellijer" <howapropos@hotmail.nospam.com> wrote in message
news:3AgYa.5994$8n2.1400@fe03.atl2.webusenet.com...
More information about this:

It won't PLAY tapes, either. No static, nothing. Just black.

Please help. I only got one response thus far and it wasn't enough
information
to help me.



Stellijer wrote ...

A group I'm in just got a used full sized VHS camcorder.

It cosmetically looks great and seems to generally function (image in
viewfinder, tape moves as it should, seems to be working 100%) BUT when
viewing
the tape it supposedly recorded on, there's nothing on the tape. Not
static

or

a black screen with an apparent tracking signal but NOTHING. It would
appear

as

if the tape was erased but nothing recorded. It was a used tape and
indeed

the

original signal had been wiped clean.

If I may assume for a moment that the camera WAS, indeed, in working
condition
when it was shipped, what is likely wrong with it? Has anyone encountered
a
problem similar to this before? Also importantly, can it be fixed
reasonably
easily or should the group try to get its money back?

Please advise.

 

[Nigel]

What happens if you record on this camcorder and then play the tape back on
another machine that you know to be working ?

Unless you have done this test, you cannot conclusively say that it doesn't
record, it may simply not playback, and this would affect its own recordings
and other known good recordings equally.

Also, does the playback problem affect both viewfinder and audio/video (or
RF) output ?



"Stellijer" <howapropos@hotmail.nospam.com> wrote in message
news:nDiYa.3532$ta2.1329@fe05.atl2.webusenet.com...

Nigel <Nigel@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:IriYa.9671$9f7.1150540@news02.tsnz.net...

My car won't work, what's wrong with it ?

You have no idea - and we have the same problem with your post.

You want information, yet you haven't provided anything useful, not even a
make and model number. There could be many reasons for the symptoms you
describe, but unless you can detail the tests done thus far, you give
little
to go on.

If you have no experience of camcorder repair, then your options for
rectifying this problem are very limited, and you will need to take it to
an
authorised service centre for a repair estimate.

How much will the repair cost ? Only when the fault is diagnosed, will
anyone be able to tell you that, and at this stage you may as well ask
'how
long is a piece of string ?'

Hello.

Actually, it was my hope that if people had read this post and found the
information lacking, that they would have extended the courtesy you did and
tell
me that I needed to supply more information (and what KIND of information).

As for the car analogy, it's more akin to "my car won't go; the engine
starts,
the lights come on but when I put it into gear it won't go anywhere".

It was my impression that at the very least, the fact that all seems to be
well
EXCEPT that no signal is recorded on the tape should at least give an
knowledgable person some clue what was going on. I didn't need an exact
diagnosis, but to be steered in the general direction would be quite
helpful.

Anyway, as for more information, here it is:

It's a Sharp SlimCam VL-L62U.

Tests are that I've operated most of the normal functions, from zoom to
autofocus to attempting to record and play. When recording, the tape starts
moving and the counter advances as one would expect. Attempting to play the
tape shows the tape has been erased but no signal has been recorded.
Naturally
I've tried different tapes, a cleaning cassette, removing the power and
trying
again, etc. Attempting to play likewise yields no picture in the
viewfinder,
even if it's a tape with a known SP signal.

As for other tests, I have only observed it visually and noted the tape
loads
and moves properly. I have not the equipment nor specific knowledge to test
the
components themselves. You say my only recourse is to take it to a shop;
MAYBE,
I reply. There are certain problems I could envision repairing and some
not.
The fact is sometimes it's an easy fix. Also, if I walk into a shop, I'd
prefer
to know as much abou the prblem as possible.

So, hopefully this fills in some of the gaps. It may not be an expert
diagnosis
but then I *DO* know enough to know that this behaviour should give some
people
general IDEAS what could cuase it, provided they've seen it before. No,
it's
not a professional diagnosis but then it's not exactly as naive as saying
merely
"it doesn't work; what's wrong?"...

Maybe if some helpful souls have seen a similar problem, they'll share with
me
what turned out to be wrong.

 

[Stellijer]

HMMM.

For some reason I don't believe this reply made it, though I posted it.

Being still in my sent box, here it is again

------------------------
Nigel <Nigel@nospam.com> wrote

What happens if you record on this camcorder and then play the tape back on
another machine that you know to be working ?

Sorry if I was unclear about this; but trying it in another machine was one of
the first things I did. Naturally I would not assume the machine was not
recording unless I had tried playing the tape in another machine. Indeed, when
I put it in the VCR is when I noticed that the original signal on the tape had
been erased but no new signal had been laid down.

I add it wasn't just that BLACK had been recorded, but it's as if the tape had
been wiped completely. If black had been recorded, at least a timecode would
have been present; but the VCR couldn't tell what speed it should be nor could
it tell if it was even SVHS or VHS.

Unless you have done this test, you cannot conclusively say that it doesn't
record, it may simply not playback, and this would affect its own recordings
and other known good recordings equally.

Indeed

Also, does the playback problem affect both viewfinder and audio/video (or
RF) output ?

No video output, either.

Well, there's an OUTPUT, as in the tape counter and play/stop icons will appear
but no video playback. When fast forwarding you can even see little faint lines
on the screen similar to when you fast forward normally, only no video signal is
displayed.