Subject: [sony_apr] Re: APR-5003V stopping "spontaneously" From: "cbcbell" Date: 2012-08-22 3:19 PM To: sony_apr@yahoogroups.com X-Account-Key: account6 X-UIDL: UID195863-1151558139 X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 Return-path: Envelope-to: arclists@richardhess.com Delivery-date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:19:32 -0500 Received: from ng10-vm13.bullet.mail.gq1.yahoo.com ([98.136.219.130]:44540) by gator62.hostgator.com with esmtps (TLSv1:AES256-SHA:256) (Exim 4.77) (envelope-from ) id 1T4GSh-0002oP-N2 for arclists@richardhess.com; Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:19:32 -0500 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=yahoogroups.com; s=lima; t=1345663171; bh=qdYcNXt1LwiaQ3hrpFHTeW0IJu8SuhY3A1/jahvyVDM=; h=Received:Received:X-Yahoo-Newman-Id:X-Sender:X-Apparently-To:X-Received:X-Received:X-Received:X-Received:X-Received:To:Message-ID:In-Reply-To:User-Agent:X-Mailer:X-Originating-IP:X-eGroups-Msg-Info:X-Yahoo-Post-IP:From:X-Yahoo-Profile:Sender:MIME-Version:Mailing-List:Delivered-To:List-Id:Precedence:List-Unsubscribe:Date:Subject:Reply-To:X-Yahoo-Newman-Property:Content-Type:Content-Transfer-Encoding; b=DW96oUKkAf0iEVgpRsQ8UxabTwCfQCAh724is2wmZTBcstsaivnffCzNQOb8KRi0+N5stb0Qrs6LMhM/otW/iOgk+JmjmopHGN+uIavrEgqFaOkhU1FvKVZXmagxpfH2 DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=lima; d=yahoogroups.com; b=UJGkPZ0tmJn8ybKZUPOXJfVxnDBO/UBBUnRRgIhsC9dT1942gvHT8jlPgWR37JbcKu/cdXRSEriXhrLgTCaki6pP05cdLfubfew09L2g6PtOdrN3z+HjXaffovYvjDcu; Received: from [98.137.0.81] by ng10.bullet.mail.gq1.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 22 Aug 2012 19:19:31 -0000 Received: from [98.137.35.156] by tg10.bullet.mail.gq1.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 22 Aug 2012 19:19:31 -0000 X-Yahoo-Newman-Id: 9812153-m2537 X-Sender: cbcbell@gmail.com X-Apparently-To: sony_apr@yahoogroups.com X-Received: (qmail 96315 invoked from network); 22 Aug 2012 19:19:29 -0000 X-Received: from unknown (98.137.35.162) by m6.grp.sp2.yahoo.com with QMQP; 22 Aug 2012 19:19:29 -0000 X-Received: from unknown (HELO ng12-vm5.bullet.mail.gq1.yahoo.com) (98.136.219.148) by mta6.grp.sp2.yahoo.com with SMTP; 22 Aug 2012 19:19:29 -0000 X-Received: from [98.137.0.82] by ng12.bullet.mail.gq1.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 22 Aug 2012 19:19:29 -0000 X-Received: from [98.137.34.34] by tg2.bullet.mail.gq1.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 22 Aug 2012 19:19:29 -0000 Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <1345561531.98101.YahooMailNeo@web87102.mail.ird.yahoo.com> User-Agent: eGroups-EW/0.82 X-Mailer: Yahoo Groups Message Poster X-Originating-IP: 98.235.163.133 X-eGroups-Msg-Info: 1:12:0:0:0 X-Yahoo-Post-IP: 98.235.163.133 X-Yahoo-Profile: cbcbell Sender: sony_apr@yahoogroups.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list sony_apr@yahoogroups.com; contact sony_apr-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list sony_apr@yahoogroups.com List-Id: Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: sony_apr@yahoogroups.com X-Yahoo-Newman-Property: groups-email-tradt-m Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Spam-Status: No, score=-100.0 X-Spam-Score: -999 X-Spam-Bar: --------------------------------------------------- X-Spam-Flag: NO X-Text-Classification: normal X-POPFile-Link: http://127.0.0.1:8088/jump_to_message?view=1333661 It appears that the problem with the APR-5003V transport stopping has been solved, and many thanks to everyone for all the good thinking. The likely culprit seems to have been an EOT (end-of-tape) sensor that had drifted out of adjustment, which was Richard Hess' initial diagnosis. After working through the factory adjustment procedure (not without some difficulty, as detailed below), I have now successfully played three 1800 ft tapes that all appeared to stop spontaneously during play prior to the EOT adjustment. Scott Phillips helpfully pointed out that the EOT sensor is actually IR (and thus potentially sensitive to falsing due to outside light sources using an arc or plasma with a phosphor tube), and that it is also critical that the sensor both be clean, and the correct distance to the tape. As part of my troubleshooting, I teased out the fibers from a cotton swab and wetted them to make a small "brush" with which to clean the recesses in both sides of the sensor, followed by a puff of canned air. One small point of clarification to my prior post detailing the tests I did related to the inputs that trigger a STOP. In Test 1, stopping the take-up reel manually while tape was playing, the recorder did in fact stop, but it actually entered the "OFF" state, where there is no tension on either supply or take-up reels. I find no mention of this state anywhere in the Sony manual other than in section 6.5.14, but it's probably worth mentioning that this is actually the state in which I would find my APR when it stopped spontaneously. So, if your APR stops for no highly obvious reason, and the tape falls away slightly from the head assembly and there is no tension on the reels, suspect your EOT sensor! It's easy to see the difference between the STOP and OFF states: if your APR is in the OFF state, just hit the STOP button and tension will be restored to the tape. Now it's in STOP. Here's the Operation and Maintenance Manual procedure, very slightly edited for clarity: 6.5.14 End of Tape Sensor Adjustment The sensitivity adjustment of the End Of Tape (EOT) sensor is left to the discretion of the user. The following procedure should be performed if the transport does not become disabled when there is no tape breaking the EOT sensor beam. STEP 1. Thread a work tape onto the reels and turn the power switch ON. STEP 2. Check that the gap between the EOT sensor assembly and the tape is 1 mm. If it is, go to STEP 5. STEP 3. Loosen the EOT sensor mounting screw, referring to Figure 6-26. STEP 4. Slide the EOT sensor assembly until the gap between the sensor and the tape is 1 mm. Re-tighten the mounting screw. STEP 5. Remove the top side cosmetic cover. The EOT adjustment screws are visible from the side of the keyboard. (See Figure 6-27). STEP 6. Adjust the right side potentiometer RV4 on KBD Board. Place a piece of recording tape breaking the EOT sensor beam. Adjust RV4 to the point that the machine goes from STOP mode to OFF mode. STEP 7. Once the point at which the deck goes from STOP mode to OFF mode is found, turn the potentiometer to the left 1/8th turn to take up slack, so that the deck is in STOP mode with the tape breaking the EOT sensor. STEP 8. Remove the tape from the EOT and the deck should go to the OFF state (STOP button extinguishes). My notes and experience on adjusting the EOT sensitivity: APR set-up and preparation. To reach the EOT adustment potentiometer, tilt the meter bridge back, and remove the top rear cosmetic cover (2 screws in back, manual: 6.4.3). Then remove the two screws securing the KBD Board (the screw on the back right, which includes a star washer, also secures a grounding strap). Adjustment pot RV4 is located under the VARISPEED button, accessible from the right side of the recorder. Set-up the APR with no tape across the EOT sensor, and the APR transport in STOP. Cut a short piece of recording tape several inches long to use as a test segment, and use a Wiha ceramic antimagnetic/antistatic driver as an adjustment tool (1.8 mm tip, model 27018). RV4 adjustment. 1. Factory position. Note the factory position, and add a colored dot to the pot face for unambiguous readings, diagram the position as found. 2. Counter-clockwise test. Turn RV4 completely counter-clockwise, to its limit position. Result: no tape tension, and blocking EOT beam with tape produces no reel movement. 3. Clockwise test. Turn RV4 completely clockwise, to its limit position. Result: tape tension turns on, and blocking or unblocking the EOT beam with tape does not change the continuous reel movement. 4. Adjustment. The Sony manual suggests that one can apply tape to the EOT sensor, and then gradually adjust RV4 until the machine goes from STOP to OFF, by which I believe they mean to say, the APR goes from a position of tape tension to no tension, or reel movement to no reel movement. On my APR-5003V, this does not happen. With a short segment of tape applied to the EOT sensor, neither positional limit of RV4 ever shuts down tape tension. However, if the tape is taken away from the EOT sensor, and RV4 is adjusted to its counter-clockwise limit position, one can begin to test the sensitivity setting using the following procedure. Apply the tape segment to the EOT sensor, removing the tape and adjusting RV4 clockwise in small increments (5-10 degrees at a time), while looking for the point where moving the tape against the sensor produces a change in behavior. On my recorder, with RV4 advanced about 45 degrees from the counter-clockwise limit (with the screwdriver slot essentially horizontal) the application of tape to the sensor initiates tape tension. At any position before that point, the APR never applies tape tension. At any position beyond that point, the APR alway applies tension when tape covers the EOT sensor. Here I believe the manual is in error, as it then instructs the user to turn RV4 1/8th turn to the "left", which is effectively counter-clockwise. On my APR this would push RV4 back into the territory where no tension was triggered. If one wishes to ensure that the sensor is clearly and distinctly past the break-point between tension and no tension, then one should turn the adjustment clockwise 1/8th turn, or an additional 45 degrees. This appears to guarantee that the sensor is not hanging on a knife-edge, where its behavior is unpredictably delicate. Christopher Campbell www.cbcampbell.com ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sony_apr/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sony_apr/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: sony_apr-digest@yahoogroups.com sony_apr-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: sony_apr-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/