Fostex E-16 Sluggish rewind function

[yetipur]

Hello,
I have a fostex e-16. All the functions work well, except the rewind is sluggish. The ffwd works perfectly, which is really baffling. Anybody out there having the same problem? Also, when I put it in rewind mode, and it is attempting to rewind, if I manually move the tension arms it seems to rewind better.
I also noticed that if I have quantegy reels on, it rewinds better than if I have some other type of reel on it, like 3m, or even the small alignment tape reel. Any ideas why? Maybe it needs a new motor? Thanks in advance for any and all help.
Kev

 

[sweetbeats]

If you move the tension arm and it performs better then I'm thinking its not the motor.

With tape unloaded, and while manually loading the tension arms and then trying the rew and fwd functions, do both reel motors spin up and perform essentially the same when you activate the respective transport function?

Not real familiar with the E-16, but if the tape tension is out of wack and the tension arms are not adjusted right on my Tascam 58 it can ultimately mess with the fast wind or fwd functions because the tension arms tell the reel motors to speed up or slow down depending on the slack/tension. If they are out of adjustment then the reel motor will rotate slower or faster than it should with respect to the load on the tension arm.

Do you have a manual, and if so does it talk about tension arm adjustments?

another thought: if the E-16 has an EDIT mode (for rocking the reels while the lifters are retracted), again, with tape unloaded manually load the tension arms, engage edit mode and check to make sure both reel platters spin freely. if not (and they should), then you've got a brake dragging. time to adjust the brakes.

The deck may perform differently depending on the mass loaded on the reel (i.e. less inertia with the 8" calibration tape reel).

That's all I can think of at the moment.

try those suggestions and post back.

 

[Beck]

I also noticed that if I have quantegy reels on, it rewinds better than if I have some other type of reel on it, like 3m, or even the small alignment tape reel. Any ideas why? Maybe it needs a new motor? Thanks in advance for any and all help.
Kev

Is this the same E16 you've always had and it just started doing this, or are you working with a new (old) one of unknown condition? What kind of tape have you been using and did you try a different kind of tape right before this started happening?

I'm interested to know what brands of tape you have, if you buy your tape new or used and what type of calibration tape is on the small reel, MRL, TEAC, etc.

 

[yetipur]

Fostex E-16 sluggish rewind function

Hi,
It is the same E-16 iv'e always had. It used to rewind fine. Then as our band was recording it's ep, throughout the continuous use of rewind and ffwd during mixing it became worn out? I guess?? I took it in for repair, and 300 bucks later it's a little better, but not optimum. I've been doing alot of reading online about this particular problem with the e-16, and have read that it could be the drive belt that is worn. Or (what most people mentioned) the "motor drive transistor", which is mounted on the top heatsink.
Other probs could be a bad idler wheel or worse a bad motor. I do not know what the prob is exactly, and the repair tech who worked on it said he adjusted the tension arms, the brake torque, and the mechanical tape torque as well as the electrical tape torques. The tech had my machine for 9..yes that's 9 months!! It works better than before(it would not rewind at all before) but the problem is still persists. Maybe he's just not a very good tech??
Does anyone know of a "reliable analog repair person"?? Are these old machines even repairable at all?? I know that the parts are not made anymore for them, but thers gotta be someone on planet earth who is a specialist of Fostex E16! Please help!!

 

[yetipur]

E-16 rewind sluggish

hi again,
The type of tape is ampex 456, which is old tape. I know of all the horrors of old tape.....sticky tape syndrome, shedding, etc.. But the tape I use is OK, it does not shed much at all. Also I notice that the machine responds differently to different metal reels. If I use a 3M reel as take-up, and 456 as feed the machine does not rewind as well as if I use both 456 metal reels. Bizzare!! Is it supposed to act this way? Is it because the machine is calibrated to 456 tape that it acts this way? How can the machine sense a different type of reel? Thanks

 

[Beck]

If it’s Ampex branded 456 the chances are high that it’s bad. Is there a date on the Ampex box… do you know where to look for it?

Sticky-Shed Syndrome is a complex problem that manifests itself in many ways. One of the earliest stages of SSS is higher friction, which will cause tape to slow down or stop in REW and/or FFWD and/or Play mode.

It can be hard to diagnose by those without experience with it. Sometimes it will leave a gooey substance on the tape path and sometimes not. Sometimes it shows no apparent signs, but your high frequency response will be significantly down by several dB. Some that are happily using old tape think they have dodged a bullet because it seems to work. However, sonic performance suffers and the tape will continue to breakdown until symptoms are more and more obvious.

SSS is one of the most common issues misdiagnosed as more serious mechanical problems.

Before proceeding I would try new tape after thoroughly cleaning the tape path with Q-tips and 90% or higher alcohol. Check the tape path very carefully with a light and magnifying glass for a clear residue. Any SSS tape, including your calibration tape, could be leaving an invisible sticky trail.

Here’s what the date sticker looks like. The first two digits in the number on the right indicate the year. This tape was made in 1992. If your tape is 94 or older you very likely have a bad tape issue. If your regular tape is newer you may still have residue problems from your calibration tape… if it’s old.

It could be something else like tension problems as Sweetbeats said or a brake that won't fully release, but check the easy things first. I know of too many people that have torn their machines apart only to find in the end it was bad tape.