Fostex R8 counter no counting??

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recall

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Hi Guys,

This is my first post, hope its ok to jump in and ask a question straight off.

I have been given an R8 by a friend to see if I can get it up and running.
Well it seems in pretty good health. Every track is recording properly and playing back well.

Trouble is the counter on the right channel just isn't advancing (or rewinding) at all. Is there some way to remedy this?

Its just maknig it quite difficult to navigat around the tape without the "count" guide.

Thanks in advance. I've already found some great threads just looking around.

Iwan
 
hi, welcome to the forum.

I'm assuming the lights on the counter are on but are simply showing 00:00 and not moving...

If this is the case, the first thing i would check is the left roller tape guide (the tape guide closest to the left tension guide). Simply remove this (pull it off, shouldn't be too difficult) and look inside the roller, there should be a trippy silver/black patterned plastic on the inside of it... you should also see a sensor now that you have taken off the roller. These two things are pretty much whats in charge of 'counting'. If you take off the right tape guide roller (the one on the otherside) you will see that it doesn't have this.

Now if your silver/black patterned plastic inside the roller is dirty, mishaped/warped or simply missing... you will need to fix/replace it and your machine should be counting like normal.

Also check to make sure that when you have a tape playing that the plastic roller guide with the sensor is actually spinning, if it isn't then the counter will not count.

If everything is as i described (as it should be) however, then i would say the sensor is probably stuffed, unless it's a universal generic sort of part made by another company (don't know), i highly doubt you will be able to buy a new one or NOS from fostex or anywhere else for that matter unless you salvage another fostex deck.

If it's any scenario apart from the last one i mentioned, be happy cos it should be a relatively quick fix...

Edit:

Just checked my machine, the light sensor behind the roller guide is indeed a unique fostex part. If worst comes to worst you can check the wiring of it make sure everything looks right and if your a bit more inclined, try to repair it. If it was me however.... i would hope that the silver/black patterned plastic is just dirty.
 
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Hi ChilliJam,
Thanks for your reply. I just checked now, it appears the "wheel plastic" is a little tight in the recess, when I try and help it along the counter works. So at least the mechanism is working, I'm gonna try and loosen it somehow.

Thanks for the help, at least I know now its not completely dead. Could I use a file to try and ease the wheel to turn a bit more? The problem is the casing is flush to the roller at the moment and preventing it from rolling unless I help it along.

Cheers,

Iwan
 
It wasn't that way from the factory. See if you can loosen the screws that hold the casing to adjust its position so that the roller spins free.
 
Hi Sweetbeats,

I did exactly what you said and somehow it works now. Thanks to you and chillijam for helping out.

Iwan
 
Welcome to the forum. You will find a lot of knowledge in here posted by some good people.
 
glad it was only a simple fix, sounds like something must have hit the roller to get it stuck... anyway good work on fixing it.
 
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