Pinch roller came back last week...looks awesome as always. Haven't reassembled with the new bearings yet.
Also got the RC-50 remote last week, but didn't have a chance to open the box until a couple nights ago. So now its time for an RC-50 exposé!
Out of the box it came...its in pretty good shape! Needs a little spit-shine to it and the ELCO connector housing needs some old adhesive removed...and I'd forgotten how BIG the RC-50 remote is for a basic function remote...I had it in my head it was, like, RC-71 size but nooooo...I put a cassette in the picture below so you can see how big it is:
So I thought "cool...its all here, looks to be in good shape...I should hook it up to the 58 really quick and just make sure it works...nope...I couldn't help myself but to start cleaning it. There's something wrong with me. I'm more interested typically in cleaning and cosmetically refurbishing something before even trying it out. Is that weird? Anyway, got the goo off the connector housing...this thing really is in good shape! The ELCO pins are intact, no oxidation visible...just nice and clean. I love these more pro elements of the 50-series machines...now that's a proper connector!
And look at the cable...its massive...and I totally expected to see "Belden" or something screened on the cable...nope, Tascam put their name on it. The cable is about 26 to 27 feet long...like 8 meters. With all that fat cable and the large bulky size of the remote its got some heft to it.
So I got the remote itself wiped down...expect for a scuff on the tape counter screen and several small chips in the paint, its in great shape.
And I had to do this...this is part of why I'm excited to have a 58 again...I like sets of things that go together; things that match up. The 50-series machines were produced at about the same time as my prototype Tascam 12 x 8 inline console; the 50 series were developed as a frontal attack on the pro market targeted at the video production industry, and the M-__ console certainly presents as a product design of the same mindset...they have the same color scheme right down to the orange accents. I had always pictured a 58 with the M-__ console, but then I fried my first 58, got burned out on the M-__...went in a different direction with Ampex/MCI equipment...I'm coming full-circle I guess. Anyway, look at the RC-50 remote color with the M-__ console...sweet!
Ohhhhkayyyyy yeah-yeah-yeah I finally took it out to the shop to test and see if it actually works, and it does...every function. Cool!
So, with that, its time to tuck it away safely in a labeled double-wall box until needed...need to work on the 58 next.