Fostex e-16 Sluggish Rewind & FFWD

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yetipur

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Hello,

Anybody know why the rewind and fast forward functions become sluggish on the Fostex E16 (0r any other analog tape machine)to the point of stopping after a few seconds?
Has this ever happened to anybodys machine? Any idea what this may be?
I also notice that if I use 2 of the same type of reels ie., 456's, with a full amount of tape on them, the machine will rewind better, but still very slowly. But if I use one 456 reel, and a different brand of take up reel (and vice versa) the machine will do what I mentioned before.
Are machines calibrated for not only the type of tape, but also for the weight and thickness of the reels themselves?
The only way to "help" it rewind is to manually move the tension arms .......then it rewinds fine. As soon as I let the arms go though, the reel slows down as if it has a rubber brake on it? I hope this all makes some kind of sense as it's really annoying when recording. Are you supposed to use 2 of the same exact type of reels always? Is it mandatory to let the machine heat up first? Will it run better? Sorry for so many questions. Can anyone help? Thanks
 
yetipur said:
Anybody know why the rewind and fast forward functions become sluggish on the Fostex E16 (or any other analog tape machine)to the point of stopping after a few seconds?
Click to expand...

Bad sticky-shed tape is the most common culprit. Brakes that aren't releasing are right up there too. Tape tension settings might be off as well.

You don't need the same brand of reels on both sides.


:)
 
My B77 does this. It struggles to fast wind in either direction unless you 'help' it. That and the pinch roller is not coming on at sufficient pressure anymore (hence my recent extravagance - I need a mixdown deck ASAP!).

The reason is likely to be different - the E16 almost certainly has DC motors, probably 24v or so, whereas the B77 uses AC induction motors which seem to be fed off a 110v feed from the PSU's secondary windings.
When I get around to it, I'm going to swap out the Revox' spool motors with the spares I have and see if that helps. If not, I'd suspect the power supply.
 
on the fostex it is likely to be sticky tape or dirty tape path or the tape is spooled incorrectly. The brake solenoids shouldn't get gummy like a tascam. I guess it is possible though.
 
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