National NV-850-A Hi-Fi Stereo VCR (1984 Model)

[derek92994]

That is the same one I have on my computer system.

What do you have the sensitivity set to? (the button at the back with LED that glow Low/Med/High)

I had to put mine on high for a while as the power grid was experiencing issues, they were bolting on generators from time to time to keep up with demand.

 

[derek92994]

I'm happy with it now. Circuit board looks much better. Also added some cooling, fan sucks hot air away from transformer.

 

[Master Tasuke]

that sucker is in gorgeous condition, Congrats. too bad you were forced to mod it with that externally-mounted cooling fan, but better safe than sorry.

my own JVC HR-S8000U and MITSUBISHI HS-U80 S-VHS decks run quite hot indeed, but they do enjoy ample ventilation space, so i haven't been too concerned,
especially since the JVC has seen heavy use since i acquired it in 2008ish, and have often run it through multiple consecutive two-hour films, without even a hint of an overheating issue yet...

 

[derek92994]

that sucker is in gorgeous condition, Congrats. too bad you were forced to mod it with that externally-mounted cooling fan, but better safe than sorry.

my own JVC HR-S8000U and MITSUBISHI HS-U80 S-VHS decks run quite hot indeed, but they do enjoy ample ventilation space, so i haven't been too concerned,
especially since the JVC has seen heavy use since i acquired it in 2008ish, and have often run it through multiple consecutive two-hour films, without even a hint of an overheating issue yet...

Nice machines you have there.

Who knows, the national NV-850a could have run that hot as stock, its my intention to preserve the machine and make it last as long as possible, adding cooling will help this and the fan can be adjusted to near silent. Previous experience tells me these machines did not have enough ventilation which contributed to the failure rate of the power supply sections. I will be buying some backup parts when I get a job, like a head cylinder and some idler/belt kits.

I'm not too picky about keeping machines 'original' as this is a machine I intend to hold onto for life. Very much regret throwing out my previous NV-850a but it was very worn in multiple sections. Although I should have removed some parts from it beforehand. This current machine out performs the old one as it doesn't have too many hours on it, the displays are bright and not faded, and the buttons are responsive to a very light push, unlike the older machine. Also the tracking has great range, the Hi-Fi does not drop out until almost a full half turn either side of the dial which is a sign of strong heads and stable tracking.

I have a friend who has many National/Panasonic VCRs, he may have a NV-870, NV-H70, or even an AG Series that he will be willing to part with down the track.

 

[Master Tasuke]

i'm heartened to see that you got hold of, and so successfully restored, such an utterly well preserved example of a treasure of your youth.

myself, i grew up around a pair of decidedly so-so (IMHO) no-frills VHS VCRs, a Linear Stereo HITACHI from like 1986 and an entry level S-VHS RCA from about 1987/1988;

those two decks were my mother's. ever since each of them had gone bonkers in their turn, she had intended to get them professionally serviced.
she had eventually gave up and let them go when she had decided to do a major downsizing of excess stuff around the house just a few years back.
i was going to rescue them and attempt service myself, but after an initial testing of their issues, i felt they just weren't worth it,
and that the RCA's problems, possibly even the HITACHI's as well, were simply beyond my limited expertise, so away they went.

indeed, i was a fair bit upset about that, but i had quickly assuaged myself with my vastly superior JVC. that HR-S8000U,
and the MITSUBISHI HS-U80 i much more recently came into acquisition of, i had known about, -and drooled over- for many years before i was ever able to finally obtain even one of them.
as such, i consider both my true dream VCRs, the very apex of what i could have ever wished to own in a VCR.
i figure they will be the last two VHS workhorses that i'm likely to ever own, and the decks that i hope will carry me
right through the final twilight years of the VHS format's decidedly overextended lifespan in my household...

 

[laatsch55]

D2, that connection right below D1109 looks like the solder has backed away from the component lead. Resolder that so it wicks up the lead a little. When you pre heat the lead put a wee bit of solder on the iron tip so it will transfer heat, then lay some solder in the joint...

 

[derek92994]

D2, that connection right below D1109 looks like the solder has backed away from the component lead. Resolder that so it wicks up the lead a little. When you pre heat the lead put a wee bit of solder on the iron tip so it will transfer heat, then lay some solder in the joint...

I re-did it, here's pics.

 

[derek92994]

i'm heartened to see that you got hold of, and so successfully restored, such an utterly well preserved example of a treasure of your youth.

myself, i grew up around a pair of decidedly so-so (IMHO) no-frills VHS VCRs, a Linear Stereo HITACHI from like 1986 and an entry level S-VHS RCA from about 1987/1988;

They are a great format. I always wondered what linear stereo was. I found this out when I acquired a video jukebox with a National AG series machine which is playback only. Linear stereo reads from the stationary audio/control head. Sounds quite good considering the slow tape speed. The jukebox tapes may have been slightly EQed upon recording, as some of them sound outstanding. The tapes also have a Hi-Fi audio signal recorded so Hi-Fi machines can produce even better sound from the same tapes. I'd imagine that the next model up from this jukebox would have been a Hi-Fi stereo model, as well as dual VCR models which gave near gapless playback between selections as they both had the same tracks on both tapes in both machines. This jukebox was worth $10,000 in 1991, I have the receipt and original lease papers for it.

 

[Gepetto]

What do you have the sensitivity set to? (the button at the back with LED that glow Low/Med/High)

I had to put mine on high for a while as the power grid was experiencing issues, they were bolting on generators from time to time to keep up with demand.

High as well, it kicks in when I switch on other lab gear.

 

[derek92994]

Lee, are those solder joints I touched up ok?

 

[laatsch55]

Yes D2 looking better....and your soldering has come a long way....

 

[derek92994]

Yes D2 looking better....and your soldering has come a long way....

Thank you kindly Sir, anything for the love and restoration of old gear. That 44 solder flows brilliantly. I'm out the door for this interview, been up since midnight and dead tired, but it has to be done.

 

[Elite-ist]

Good luck, Derek.

Nando.

 

[derek92994]

Not really an interview. More like, fill in this and that form, sign here here and here, blah blah blah. Can you start now? yes. I sent 90% of that info to them already but they wanted it all filled in manually anyway. So I did it, pretty much in a coma, just functioning barely. As I don't have a choice when I sleep, been up for 20 hours. 2 responses out of applying for nearly 80 jobs, half assed responses at that. So yeah, whatever. Will see if the phone rings in the next week or so. Give me work and I will do it, no complaints, as in the last job. Do you have to be some sort of super hero or jack ass willing to lie, and cheat their way to get a job these days? wtf.

 

[laatsch55]

Not here Bud...

 

[derek92994]

Not here Bud...

I'd come and work for you if I didn't have family and friends here to care for. I'm also a very home bound person. Can't be away too long, makes me uncomfortable. This is my domain here in the lounge, call it a safe zone.

 

[laatsch55]

I hear ya...I like my little corner of the world too...

 

[derek92994]

Need a job so I can get some structure in life again. Sometimes I only get 8 hour days of awake time, its a random pattern. Yeah its great having all this time to do the audio hobby and other stuff, it never gets boring and there is always something to do, and never enough done no matter how much is done (media/recording/sorting/fixing/tweaking) the list goes on. But there is no structure.....big gap there.

Can't survive without a job, and can't get enough done with the hobby whether working or not, such is life.

 

[laatsch55]

I understand the structure....

 

[derek92994]

There's never enough done, because the hobby is endless, just have to keep telling myself that as I get cranky all the time thinking not enough has been done, no matter how much time I have. Get totally absorbed in audio/computers to block the bad thoughts out, and there is a lot of them, so I just keep turning the dial up to drown it all out, which means getting even more absorbed and exhausted. Sometimes not leaving the house for days until all the food is gone. call it a defence mechanism. But it can get self destructive, especially when there is no structure. Was weird being in the sun stuck in a traffic jam with no a/c, it was almost too much, but being so tired nothing really mattered, only the fact that I got home in one piece to eat some peanuts before collapsing in bed, which I'm about to do.