more tascam 388 help!

  • Thread starter Thread starter font
  • Start date Start date
F

font

New member
anyone out there know anything about the brake solenoid on the tascam 388 machine? mine doesn't seem to be working properly. i cannot play, ff, or rw. i opened up the machine and can see that the plunger (not sure if that's what it's called) doesn't "stick." it just catches for a second. the spring hangers seem to be fine. it looks in good condition. i managed to get a copy of the manual, but unfortunately it is missing this page. is this just an adjustment i can make? it is difficult and expensive to take these machines in. if anyone with any advice could help, i'd be grateful. thanks.
 
I've seen a similar problem, as you've described,...

and it was a fuse. Check the fuses in the fuse section, before proceeding any further. ;)
 
fuses

Thanks for your advice, but I changed all of the fuses in my eight track and still it isn't working.

:confused:
 
Check the voltages, on the motherboard, by referencing the manual.

You'll have to become adept at reading the manual and diagram nomenclature, and tracing pins on the mother board. Checking voltages on the fuse section would be an easy way to verify voltages, too.

Or, reseat the cards in the top section. Sometimes a loose card can cause a voltage to drop out.

That's the only thing I can think of, based on your description. It still sounds like a voltage problem, based on what I've seen previously. I'm making a few assumptions, of course.

You could always test the voltage across the two leads on the solenoid, itself. It should have two states, zero (open solenoid), and charged (closed solenoid). The voltage should hold steady, when energized. If it pops to a voltage, momentarily, and immediately drops out, it still sounds like a fuse, voltage or power supply issue.

I hate to beg the question, but you replaced the fuses. Were any of the original fuses actually tested? It seems like an obvious dumbass question, but I had to ask. An actual test of the fuses would at least tell you the state of the fuses, themselves, and the effectiveness of your troubleshooting and repair, so far. There's nothing say that if a fuse blew, that it could not blow again, but unless you test the fuses, it may be hard to tell. Some fuses are opaque, and some are glass, so testing by visual inspection is only half effective as you think it would be.

There's always the option of seeking a service technician to do the job, if DIY isn't getting you anywhere.
 
Back
Top