Old Sony 250 tape recorder meets my TV

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solarblast

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My tape recorder is probably 30-40 years old. It plays 4-track tapes. Twenty or so years ago, I had it tuned up. I recently stumbled onto it in a closet and realized that I have some old tapes that I recorded family moments on, and it might be wise to convert them to digital.

I set it up a few weeks ago with a PA amp with speakers I have, and found that it more or less worked on a commercially produced tape, 7" reel. It was a bit slow, but I could tell music was there. Aside from that, when I stop the recorder it makes something of a grunt.

I did open the top and examine matters, but have no service guide to attempt some sort of repair.

Since the PA amp and speakers are hard to put up for further exploration, I thought I'd taking the audio from the recorder to a video port on a TV set. I couldn't get any sound at all. Am I missing something? Comments?
 
I musta fix a couple of these 40 years ago!

Why in all the blue blazes of H would you want to run it into your TV? Do you not have an audio system? Be that as it whatsit, running slow might be just hardened grease but DON'T grease anything! It will probably free up as it warms up and runs. After that the motor run capacitor (1.5mfd IIRC) could low, but you would need a tech' to test, source and replace that. The pinch roller might be "glazed". Clean with a barely damp cloth, spit is best! Just keep at it until the rubber gets a dull matte, almost "sticky" surface. Clean the capstan as well then the heads. Cloth but with ISOPROP Alcohol.

If you wanted to archive the tapes to PC you will need an Audio Interface. More than good enough is the Behringer UCA 202 (signals off the old warhorse might be a bit hot for it, cross that bridge if and when).

Do you perchance still have the handbook? Google did not find me one. And BTW, that machine is QUARTER TRACK, not four track. I know that's how they wrote it then but "4 track" means something different in today's parlance.

Dave.
 
arcaxis said:
Like ecc83 I couldn't find the operators manual (did come close, but was skeptical of a link possibly being malware). I did however dig up a service manual for the 250-A if that helps. I put it up on my FTP space and will leave it there a week or so. Let me know when you've grabbed it so I can delete from my FTP.
Sony TC-250-A Service Manual

I think I had one similar to that when I was in the service back in the mid 60's, but the one I had, had a sound on sound function. TC-350 I think.
Click to expand...

Thanks A, got that. Ooo! That takes me back! I was correct, the level is going to be a bit hot for the 202. The manual shows 0dB (775mV) out but the machine will hit 1 or 2 volts easily if the tapes have been recorded hot.

Jusfort: Old tape recorders that have not been used for a while often go instable on playback. This is due to the (huge!) rec/play switch contacts tarnishing. Clunk the machine a dozen times or so in and out of record mode. DO not attempt to clean the switch (in fact keep out altogether!) old kit used some suspect plastics and things could get very sticky with the wrong solvent!

Dave.
 
I don't have an audio amplifier and speakers to listen to the tapes. However,
I was plugging the audio into the wrong ports on the TV. The black raised letters around the plugs made it hard to tell what each one was against the black face plate. That plus the darkness in the working area around the TV.

There is static when I play any of the tapes. I'm not sure if that's coming from the player or the tapes. I don't have any clean tapes.

Thanks for the greasing tips, etc.

Ah, a manual. Thanks. I downloaded it.
 
Can you define "static"? Folks around the world tend to call any unwanted electrical noise static.

Is it a hum, low frequency, hiss, high frequency, like rain on a tin roof or spits and clicks?
You can simulate the passage of noise free tape by pausing the deck.

You could try plugging into your PC. You will need a stereo RCA (phone) lead to mini jack (1/8th" stereo plug). Might not sound too good mind.
Dave.
 
I would say it sounds like white noise but somewhat jittery. I suppose if I wanted to really dig into this, I could record it on a digital device and then put my Vegas movie program, where I could then apply a number of filters.

As I listened to sections what I seemed to have captured was my wife and I talking about our new born baby. It's quite possible that I used some of the audio to place on a super 8 movie I made of the event. There's a pretty fair chance of that. As it easy I've taken some of my old super 8 film to CostCo to put it on DVDs. Maybe it'll pop up there. If not, then I've gone as far as I can. I'll put this on the back burner in the even I have some grand revelation or discover a clean tape.

Oh, the two audio level indicators on the deck do not seem to work. It's probably worthwhile to put a little time in using the service manual to see if that can easily be solved.
 
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