Just got Tascam 246. It worked but now will not turn on

Yeah i figured it might. But would it still work even though it is not chrome tape?
I want the $65 tape that has all the test but it is a lot of money for a test tape, at least for me lol.

He also has a very cheap tape that is the same as the $30 tape but it only has the frequency test, and testing the azimuth does sound over my head at the moment. I have an analog oscilloscope but I am not sure if it works properly or if it is callibrated, or how to use it fully. And I dont have any test leads because im not sure which to get.
Heres the cheap one:
TEST TAPE FOR SPEED CALIBRATION BOOMBOX CASSETTE DECK WALKMAN 3 KHz 3000 HZ 0 dB | eBay

Expensive one:
TEST TAPE UNIVERSAL 400Hz 10kHz 400Hz 3000Hz CALIBRATION BOOMBOX CASSETTE DECK | eBay

I did just notice also that I could get any of them for slightly cheaper because they are best offer.

I just would want to make sure I have all the mechanical and tuning issues sorted out before I spent more money like that on a chrome test tape.
 
Also, i could play a pre recorded tape in a different deck before i make the test tape, or the tascam just having that alone be the test, and compare to the same song playing from my phone, and see if they go out of synch.
 
Mstone said:
Yeah i figured it might. But would it still work even though it is not chrome tape?
I want the $65 tape that has all the test but it is a lot of money for a test tape, at least for me lol.

He also has a very cheap tape that is the same as the $30 tape but it only has the frequency test, and testing the azimuth does sound over my head at the moment. I have an analog oscilloscope but I am not sure if it works properly or if it is callibrated, or how to use it fully. And I dont have any test leads because im not sure which to get.
Heres the cheap one:
TEST TAPE FOR SPEED CALIBRATION BOOMBOX CASSETTE DECK WALKMAN 3 KHz 3000 HZ 0 dB | eBay

Expensive one:
TEST TAPE UNIVERSAL 400Hz 10kHz 400Hz 3000Hz CALIBRATION BOOMBOX CASSETTE DECK | eBay

I did just notice also that I could get any of them for slightly cheaper because they are best offer.

I just would want to make sure I have all the mechanical and tuning issues sorted out before I spent more money like that on a chrome test tape.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter if it is chrome or normal or whatever...this is a speed test tape not a frequency response tape. Don't worry about the tape type.
 
Mstone said:
Also, i could play a pre recorded tape in a different deck before i make the test tape, or the tascam just having that alone be the test, and compare to the same song playing from my phone, and see if they go out of synch.
Click to expand...

Speed can vary of music streamed from the web or played from a digital media player...that's no better a reference than a pre-recorded tape played from a consumer deck in an unknown state as far as the transport speed goes.

If you want to dial in the 246 to spec to probably as close as you ever care to get, get the cheap test tape.

If you are comfortable just getting the 246 speed spec close enough and better than where it is at currently, record tone on another tape deck you think is pretty close, and then use that on the 246.

If you want the 246 to be dead-nuts on spec, get a Genn Labs tape and be done with it.
 
Really!? I would not have thought that. I would have thought computers are exact. And it is music stored on my phone, not streamed, but you said its the same so it doesnt really matter then lol.
And hmm... I have some things to consider then. I am definitely open to getting a cheap test tape. The speed definitely needs adjustment. Now will the azimuth need adjustment? If it ever does then I would a)Need a tape that has that test, and B) have it be on track 1 and 4, according to the repair manual. The test tapes that the wbay seller has seem to be on one side only, or one test on each side. Maybe they have one that is on all tracks, didnt look enough yet. And Jenn labs has some that are all tracks. Also, I may want to callibrate my other tape decks in these ways in the future or do another one of these if this ends well, so these are things I must consider. But for now...
I got the correct washers and sanded them down so that they now fit well, and I tried them out and they work great! They do have a little bit noticeable more grip than the other o-rings I had put in, and I suspect these would last longer because of more grip area. So that is solved at least. Now it still has the tape heads in the wrong places sometimes problem, and it plays way too fast, and too quiet. It also has a warble from the pinch roller. I can see the roller arm moving back and forth from my sanding job on the ends of that roller. I will have to either replace it or sand it more. But the main thing is the assembly placement in different modes. I think its possible that the tape heads and pinch roller maybe arent pushed up against the tape just enough during play mode and so it is too fast and too quiet as well. It could be other things too but thats why I need to fix this first. So I will be looking at these pdfs and trying some things.
 
Okay I tried every possible position of R552 and the best I got was maybe 2 mm away from play position and the pinch roller back about 1 mm from the capstan.
 
Mstone said:
Okay I tried every possible position of R552 and the best I got was maybe 2 mm away from play position and the pinch roller back about 1 mm from the capstan.
Click to expand...

You...sanded the pinch roller? If I understand that correctly then the pinch roller is ruined. The condition of the pinch roller can effect wow and flutter performance, tape speed, etc. And sanding the rubber destroys any hope of assurance it is as perfectly round as possible. Plus sanding it can leave small abrasive particles embedded in the rubber making it abrasive to the tape, capstan shaft and anything else in the tape path if those abrasives shed. Your pinch roller needs replaced.

And I’m not quite following your last post. Understand that R552 has *nothing* to do with your pinch roller pressure, and nothing to do with how FAR the headblock assembly extends. It *only* adjusts where the assembly sits at rest in STOP mode, which does determine where it sits in all other modes, but the adjust meant is referenced to STOP, and you do not use R552 to adjust your pinch roller pressure. Pinch roller pressure is a mechanical adjustment while the headblock position adjustment is electronic (unless it is really out of whack from inappropriate reassembly and you need to adjust gear positions). So...

1. Get the headblock position correct
2. Adjust pinch roller pressure
3. Adjust tape speed

You need a test tape that is full track, not halftrack. The material on the tape must span the width of the tape if you’re going to use it to make adjustments on your 246. Yes Genn Labs offers full track tapes equivalent to the factory Teac test tapes. Look in your service manual...it gives you the Teac test tape part numbers, then look at the Genn Labs website and you’ll find their tapes equivalent to the Teac part numbers.

As far as azimuth, do you need to adjust it? Your guess is as good as mine, but you can’t check/adjust it without a full track test tape with the proper tones on it.

You should just get your headblock position thing figure out and find a correct pinch roller and then proceed to the next step.
 
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I just had a breakthrough! The seller did indeed not put it back together properly after changing the belts! When he lifted the metal bar holding everything down, he forgot to put the fork shaped piece of plastic that is attached to a variable resistor back onto a ridge on the black plastic control wheel! My tape heads now go in the correct places in all modes! And I adjusted R552 so the head assembly sits as far back as possible while in stop mode! It pulls the pinch roller with it.
And I should have clarified; I sanded the ends of the pinch roller, not the round surface. Only because it was so barely too tall. By like .5 mm.
I also heard the flywheel clacking just slightly when I had the machine standing up so I could run it and look under it, so i tightened the little plastic screw to tighten the wheel, to see if I could fix the speed issue, but it only worked when it was almost too tight to move. It made the tape sound very jumpy so i dont think that is what was wrong for the most part.
Also the volume is still much too quiet. Maybe I am doing something wrong. Track 1 and 2 faders and gain are all the way up, set to tape, and assign to 1 and 2. Phones set to PGM and turned all the way up. And left and right faders are both all the way up. Either Im wrong or the machine has an issue with that.
 
Nice job with the headblock position fix!

And thanks for the clarification on the pinch roller. You still want to make sure it is super clean before putting it back in the machine. I’m going to assume you sanded it outside the machine.

Regarding the clacking flywheel, the machine is meant to be operated with the flywheel horizontal. Right? There is a capstan thrust adjustment. Look in your service manual. There is supposed to be some wiggle room in between the flywheel and the nylon thrust bearing. You measure it with a feeler gauge. If you tightened the thrust adjustment screw to the point the flywheel was sticking and dragging down the tape speed, well...that makes me feel a little sick. I really, really want you to stop just cranking on things to see what happens. You may have damaged the capstan sleeve bearing or flywheel thrust bearing with your experiment. At the very least you now need to check/adjust your flywheel thrust bearing gap.
 
Thank you!
And sure thing! I did indeed sand it outside of the machine haha!
And not to worry. I put it back where it was and its fine.
Okay I will look for the thrust adjustment in the manual. Will this change the speed of the capstan or just the torque or something?
And I am sorry! I will not do anymore experiments. That is just how I learn haha.
 
The adjustment of the thrust bearing...the flywheel and capstan shaft (they are one piece) are floating. There needs to a little wiggle room between the thrust bearing at the bottom of the flywheel in the center, and the top of the flywheel at the back of the sleeve bearing for the capstan shaft...a little wiggle in the amount specified in the service manual, but not too much. There should be as little drag on the flywheel/capstan shaft as possible. The flywheel and capstan thrust adjustment shouldn’t be a factor in the tape speed issue if it’s asjusted correctly. Does that make sense?
 
Is the thrust the amount that the flywheel can move up and down? As referred to in the manual as being proper when within .1 to .2mm. That is where I have it now set.
 
Also do you know any possible reasons why my volume is quiet on all tracks? I get the feeling there is a control I am overlooking
 
Oop! I just got blasted in the ears! It was the dbx switches! They had no contact. Ill be cleaning them up so another problem solved! Now it is just the speed issue!
 
Okay. So it just has enough wiggle room to noticably move when i move it. That is roughly .1 to .2 mm. Thats good. Volume is fixed! So now just the speed. Now that it plays at full volume, I was able to test out the speed a little better just comparing to the same song on my phone. I do not have to compare it because it is so obviously fast with the pitch set to normal. But when it is set all the way low, and I compare it, it is still faster than from my phone, and noticeably so. Also I noticed that the speed and pitch dip randomly for about 1/4 of a second at random times. I would be confident in saying it was the pinch roller if it was in a pattern, but its not. And i heard it before, but now playing it, I dont hear it doing that. Strange.
 
Yeah it is still doing it. It sounds like when a tape player gets hit while it is playing. Sometimes it is very subtle and sometimes not as much. Maybe that still is the pinch roller. Any idea as to where I can find the exact one?
 
Ah it is from the pinch roller. The tape slips under it when it is at the certain uneven point. I think it angles itself sometimes from the bottom and top of it being sanded. Im going to try flattening it to see if that helps any.
 
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