Tascam 238 for 58 bucks

  • Thread starter Thread starter pbergo
  • Start date Start date
You could be in for a surprise!!!

The 238, with direct drive capstan motor, is known for having a problem losing all speed control & needing a new dd-capstan motor replaced.

It will turn on & spin up like a 747, and when you say too fast,... it's waaaaaaayyyyy tooooooooo faaaaaasssssssttttt!

Best of luck, though!! :eek: ;)
 
I was kind of thinking that the noise was that motor anyway. How about parts suppies? Hard to get?
 
The component that fails on the 238's DD-Capstan motor...

is only known to those who are highly trained and peaked in electronics troubleshooting & repair.

For the rest of us,... there's Tascam Service, which in certain cases is... priceless!
 
I'd like the option of taking a stab at changing out the motor.
 
The service manual is available from Tascam.

If you have the component troubleshooting skills, then go for it.;)
 
The Direct Drive capstan motor in the 238...

is constructed with the capstan as the rotor, and a circuit card as the "stator",... to relate to a traditional motor.

What seems to go wrong, is that either the the op-amp that is in charge of the capstan-drive fails, or some component in the servo/feedback loop of the motor fails,... therefore the motor drives at 110% because it can't sense any rotational feedback to regulate itself.

Tascam addresses the problem by replacing the circuit card that is the basis of the dd-capstan motor. A DIY-er would probably tend toward isolating the bad IC or components, and replace them at that level.

I had Tascam do this repair on my 238, and it came in at appx. $125, which included replacing the "motor" (circuit card), replacing the pinch wheel, head alignment, level checks & cleaning.

I don't think you have a wide base of technical expertise, when it comes to DIY repair of the DD-capstan motor on the 238. There have only been a few mentions of it on this board. One thing you might want to try, is to call Tascam Service & speak with the "analog" technician,... & ask him what he finds to be the prevalent failing component on the 238's DD-capstan motor. You might get a better clue that way.

;)
 
If I can get all of that done for around $125 I'll do that.

I would be in a little over $200 and have a pretty decent recorder. Not bad.
 
"I had Tascam do this repair on my 238, and it came in at appx. $125, which included replacing the "motor" (circuit card), replacing the pinch wheel, head alignment, level checks & cleaning."

Probably a stupid question.

Did you send it to an authorized service center?
Did you arrange this through support at the web site?

Thanks!
 
I drove it down there to Tascam/TEAC in Montebello.

........................;)
 
Thanks for the info.

I reveived my 238, and it sounds like just what you described.

I powered it up and that motor seems to be zooming quite fast.

I decided to use a cheap cassette tape for a quick test. It spun and locked the tape in about a second.

I'm glad I didn't test it with one of my recorded tapes!

I'll contact Tascam support to see what my best option will be.
 
Yeah,... been there/done that!

Unfortunately, it's a common failure for the 238,... so hopefully, in the turnaround, it won't be horrendously expensive to fix. If you don't live in the Los Angeles area, Tascam will repair your unit if you ship it to them by normal delivery methods, (UPS/Fedex). A quick call will help determine the fine details. ;)
 
This subject concerning the 238 has come up before. One thing I want to add is that manufacturers replace things in chunks, like entire control circuits and boards for economy. In the old days people would troubleshoot at the component level, and it almost always is a transistor, op-amp, or capacitor.

They throw the baby out with the bathwater these days because the cost of labor is greater than the cost or Chinese made parts (I would go off on a tangent here about the environment, conservation, recycling and reuse, but that’s for another forum).

If you’re at all handy with a solder iron, another option is to repopulate the appropriate circuit board with new components. The obvious troublemakers are switching transistors capacitors, diodes and op-amps. This may or may not be practical depending on your skills, and the number and availability of components in that circuit.

The way a service center looks at it the whole capstan motor assembly is bad, but in truth its only one or two components.

I can’t remember how the old thread turned out – if anyone was able to identify a specific component or not. You may want to search the forum and the web in general.

I still fix my equipment the old fashioned way, but I’ve been doing it since I was a teen.

:)
 
Yes, of course,... great info!

There's the modern and old school ways of troubleshooting. There are DIY'er ways and corporate ways. The circuit is small, & would take some moderate soldering skills, but I agree with what you said.

However, I don't think the likely component was ever named or specified on any previous post. Just general info, such as an op-amp in the servo failed. ;) Anyway, it still wouldn't hurt to search this forum. I'd be inclined to call Tascam & ask if there's any specific part that tends to fail on 238's capstans,... & it's at least 50/50 chance that you'll get a specific answer. Jim is the analog tech to speak with at Tascam in Montebello, CA.;)
 
Tascam Repair $225

Hi,

I just paid $225 to have my 238 repaired at the Montebello repair center. Capstan Motor Assembly needed to be replaced. I guess they have raised the price on this. This includes labor, parts, and shipping for only a few miles! We've got to figure out a DIY way to do this!
 
corganb said:
Hi,

I just paid $225 to have my 238 repaired at the Montebello repair center. Capstan Motor Assembly needed to be replaced. I guess they have raised the price on this. This includes labor, parts, and shipping for only a few miles! We've got to figure out a DIY way to do this!
Click to expand...

Yep, as I said in this thread back in '06 I would just repopulate the capstan motor assembly circuit board with all new caps, resistors, transistors, etc. I've done this many times over the years with other recording equipment. I don't even bother to find out exactly which component failed, and often many fail in a domino fashion. I just replace everything on the related PCB and Viola! I put it back together and it works like new. I’ve never worked on the 238, but someone needs to try it sometime since this motor thing is a fairly common issue on that deck.

:)
 
Just replace the SMT caps on the motor PCB...

DSCF4722.jpg


When I got my 238, the capstan motor was also spinning too fast.
I have replaced the caps and it is working perfect now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EWNe6sYLu4
 
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