I get it now.....

[antispatula]

So two of the tracks of my reel to reel weren't working. People told me to clean the switch contacts.

I did, and nothing happend. Then I thought "well, maybe it's not that they're too dirty to conduct electricity, but the contacts aren't IN contact at all! And I was right. Even with the switch on, they weren't even touching. I found this out after pushing really hard down on the switch to get a signal. What should I do about this, what's there to do?

The only thing I can think of with my electronically illiterate mind is to tie the switches down with string or something! There HAS to be a better way to make the contacts touch though, any suggestions?

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.

 

[Beck]

They probably have a thin film of oxidation (dirt) on the contacts. Pushing them down harder overcomes the barrier enough to complete the circuit. However, it is not a good, stable contact. Worst case… you may need to have the switches replaced. Before doing that get a can of Gaig Deoxit as a last effort to save the ones you have. (It can damage some plastics -- never has hurt anything I've used it on though).

If they aren't rivited together I would take the switches apart to see what's really going on.

Another possiblity is a cold solder joint on the PC board.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=341-202

 

[antispatula]

hey, thanks, I think you're right actually! So I've cleaned the mess up contacts, and I've managed all 8 tracks to get signals, but sometimes one of two of the tracks go all crazy and shut off, so I guess it's still a little dirty, but I don't know what to do. Does the deox spray work over hours, or does it work completely in a minute or two.

Oh, and why is it that a contact from lets say track 6 is effecting track 4 or 3?!

 

[Beck]

You may have multiple issues with the machine, which makes it very hard to troubleshoot. You probably have dirty switches, but may also have dirty relay contacts... and possibly bad solder joints and/or cracked circuit board and/or misbehaving capacitors, switching transistors, etc.

Frankly it would probably be easier for us to talk you through safely landing a Cessna than to get your Otari up and running through a web forum. You should really have it looked at before you pull your hair out. (No offence to our bald members).

 

[arjoll]

I used CRC CO contact cleaner on my Akai, I don't think its a 'recommended' compound for this but really cleaned up the switches - they were mostly PCB mounted slide switches where I could drop the fluid in the end of the switch with an eye dropper. (CO is an aerosol, but I sprayed it into the cap off a small bottle first so I had a bit more direct control about how much I used).