Appliances Renovation

Video and audio equipment part 1

Most households have at least one item of video and audio equipment: television, video, sound system, CD player and so on. As a rule, it is not wise for the amateur to attempt to repair such high tech equipment, as this requires expert knowledge, expensive equipment and detailed service manuals. The intricate nature of internal mechanical and electronic components and the high voltages make it inadvisable to remove panels or outer covers. It is more sensible to leave this to the skills of the trained specialist.

However, there is much the user can do to prevent problems occurring and to extend the life of the product and keep it in peak condition. In addition, do not jump to the conclusion that all faults on electronic equipment have complex causes. Poor connections, lack of care and maintenance and misunderstanding the correct way to operate the appliance account for a very large proportion of faults. With a little thought and the correct safe approach, they are also the easiest to overcome — often at little or no cost.

Videos

The number of households with video cassette recorders (VCRs) has increased enormously in recent years. Product reliability has improved along with this increased popularity. This is excellent news for owners but may be bad news for the equipment! More reliability has resulted in fewer visits from the service engineer. As a result, apathy on the part of the owner is common, often proved by the lack of maintenance.

Dirt from the atmosphere, dust from carpets and oxide dust from tape wear build up within and upon the components of the machine. As a result, picture and sound quality will drop but, because this is a gradual process, it tends to be disregarded until the build-up of deposits begins to damage the video tapes. Serious damage to the video head and other parts of the mechanism can also result from lack of cleaning. A very expensive repair requiring several new parts will then be necessary. All this can be avoided quite simply by regular use of a high-quality cleaning system like the one shown here. Frequency depends on how often the video is used.

Thorough cleaning of internal electronic components cannot be achieved with a cassette-based system. It is better carried out by a qualified engineer at a time when internal adjustments or parts renewal is required.

Avoid standing video recorders directly on the carpet beneath the television set. Fluff and dust are more readily drawn in by cooling fans within the unit. The air intake vents on some machines are underneath, in which case they would be completely blocked. Use a proper video stand.

Video cleaning systems

When a video tape is inserted into the video and set to play or record it is drawn into the tape mechanism. A large rotating head scans the tape during record and playback; two static heads are used for erase and audio respectively. The rotating video head is easily damaged. Dirt and oxide shed from the tape are unwelcome at any point along the tape path, but the video head is most at risk from even the smallest particles. If this head becomes scratched, dirt will adhere more readily to it.

Poor quality tape cleaning systems can add to the problem. A poor dry system may be too abrasive and shed fibres during the cleaning process and a poor wet system may leave a residue of cleaning fluid. Use only a high-quality kit that protects as well as cleans.

The kit illustrated mimics the original tape path and uses a wet system (liquid solvent) that is fibre-free, with pads that also clean the pinch roller. The system is automatic and extremely easy to use. The main cassette can perform 50 cleaning cycles; a fresh section of cleaning tape is used each time. Another good feature is that after the 50 cycles have been used, a refill kit is available for replenishing the cassette with pads, tape and fluid. A further bonus is that the cleaning solution no longer contains Freon, which is a CFC, and the removal of this from the product is most welcome in environmental terms.

Make sure you buy a cleaning system that suits the format of your machine (VHS, BETA, UMATIC, etc.). Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and do not be tempted to use more than the specified amount of cleaning fluid per cycle, as an excess could create further problems.

Avoiding problems

Not all problems are a result of dirty video heads, so if there is no improvement after three cleaning cycles, try another tape on playback; perhaps a fault exists on the original tape. If the fault persists, check all connections to and from the video as detailed below. If the fault still remains, then an internal mechanical or electrical fault is likely and this will require the expertise of a video engineer.

When purchasing tapes, select a high-quality named brand. Beware of cheap tapes of dubious origin as these are more likely to break and get trapped in the tape run. They may also shed the oxide coating causing wear of the heads and, if excessive, on the pinch roller too, causing the video to ‘eat’ a tape.

A sure way to increase the chances of tape or video head wear is to over-use the pause facility. This is due to the tape’s being held in one position while the head constantly scans (rotates) across it. Also avoid excessive use of the stop-start control because this can stretch the tape and cause picture quality problems.

Remember, to get the best from your video recorder (or any appliance for that matter) it is an advantage if you fully understand the way in which your particular machine should be used. Take time to read the manufacturer’s instruction booklet thoroughly. It is the only way to get the most from your machine and it will help you to understand problems that may occur. Sometimes the apparent problem is nothing more than an obscure but perfectly correct function of the unit.

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