The Tascam 42NB LIVES!!!!!

Skywavebe said:
The unit I have on bench 2 is a SLC and max is 240 g/cm. We do not use ounces for this. I would have to look at the manual but anything below 40 g/cm is suspect of a misprint. Even the X1000R is 50g/cm with 40 on back tension. I can not see the same tape width type machine being too much different than that. Perhaps they have to compensate for heavier rollers or arms mechanics but then that would only go up.

Anyone have a good source of PR99 brake bands- the part that goes on the drum? $20 and $45 postage from Nagravox is just too much for me to spend for those. I wonder if anyone has ever put felt on the drums? Tascam has them.
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Sam, I'm looking for the hub hold down hardware with the twist thing. Got any ideas? Maybe the reel table hardware (not the 3 screws) middle post and screw will work from another deck?? Thanks I got a slightly tweeked one
 
This picture looks like a damaged reel table. Not so bad as you can't still use it. I would not worry about that level of damage but if you need a new one other than E bay, Vince at Audio Pro or Manny at Reelprosoundguys.com might have parts for you. They part out decks at an amazing pace, Want to know what deck that sold for $400 will be over $1500 next? These guys reducing the numbers by parting them out. It is easy to take units apart but to build one from just parts or from scratch it will be a lot of money. I just saw a black PR99 from Switzerland for $5900 area of cost.
 
Skywavebe said:
This picture looks like a damaged reel table. Not so bad as you can't still use it. I would not worry about that level of damage but if you need a new one other than E bay, Vince at Audio Pro or Manny at Reelprosoundguys.com might have parts for you. They part out decks at an amazing pace, Want to know what deck that sold for $400 will be over $1500 next? These guys reducing the numbers by parting them out. It is easy to take units apart but to build one from just parts or from scratch it will be a lot of money. I just saw a black PR99 from Switzerland for $5900 area of cost.
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That was an example picture... Mine is bent
 
OK, I will attach the address Vince has sent me. He is the owner. A 30 series, 40 and 50 series tables are all about the same part.
If the spindle is just bent then another will work. If the reel table itself is damaged then get a good one from these guys.
Audio Pro
779 Mt. Auburn St.
Watertown, MA 02472
Phone: (617) 926-8020 / Fax: (617) 926-8707
www.audioproz.com
Monday: Noon-6PM; Tuesday by appointment only
Wednesday - Friday: 11AM-7PM; Saturday: 11AM-3PM
 
Skywavebe said:
OK, I will attach the address Vince has sent me. He is the owner. A 30 series, 40 and 50 series tables are all about the same part.
If the spindle is just bent then another will work. If the reel table itself is damaged then get a good one from these guys.
Audio Pro
779 Mt. Auburn St.
Watertown, MA 02472
Phone: (617) 926-8020 / Fax: (617) 926-8707
www.audioproz.com
Monday: Noon-6PM; Tuesday by appointment only
Wednesday - Friday: 11AM-7PM; Saturday: 11AM-3PM
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I found it..... It is Audio Proz not Audio Pro like you wrote in the message earlier. I sent him a message earlier but have not heard back. Found a good one on the bay but $60
 
WOPL Sniffer said:
Like this

View attachment 33560
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The spindle was damaged in shipping perhaps. My other A-2340 was that way and I still have to figure out how to get it apart and not get lost in it. I do have the replacement.

Or was that a broken switch? My Sansui and Revox are still fine.
 
Skywavebe said:
I have seen reel tables go for $100 each due to the lack of supply.
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The Audio Proz guy called me... He didn't take a breath for the 10 minutes he talked to me... I didn't get a word in... Then he forgot to give me his Paypal address so I could pay him for the part.

Hmmmmmmm
 
I have also talked to Vince. He is a collection of information for sure. It might be that he doesn't have anyone there to talk to? In the end I always got the parts I was looking for so that is why he is a good source. You can look elsewhere but the parts are there, you just need to work through Vince.
Let him know he forgot the Paypal address and when he gets started- tell him to not interrupt. You could also send him an E mail and get the address that way too. Everybody has their quirks. I do too and many of you know of it- on the phone that is. Talking connects you to the outside- work in a submarine cockpit for too long and we want to talk to someone. I talk to clients for a long time too directly. Those that do not talk to clients get passed by for the repairs that the client is looking for. I often ask why a person from Boston is flying a deck to me rather than over to NJFS and I don't really get good answers- it must be the personal interface.
 
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Vince's reputation preceded him so when we first spoke I was prepared. Since he is undeniably knowledgeable and takes enough interest to actually phone prospective customers to discuss things, I just gave him free rein. Not many care to communicate directly these days.
 
Skywavebe said:
I have also talked to Vince. He is a collection of information for sure. It might be that he doesn't have anyone there to talk to? In the end I always got the parts I was looking for so that is why he is a good source. You can look elsewhere but the parts are there, you just need to work through Vince.
Let him know he forgot the Paypal address and when he gets started- tell him to not interrupt. You could also send him an E mail and get the address that way too. Everybody has their quirks.
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Thanks Sam.... By any chance do you have any decks ready??? I am in the market.... But, it has to be in near mint....... I'd like to have something with front panel Bias/EQ adjustments. It needs to be a Tascam, Otari or ???? I was looking at a 42NB like mine and a 44-OB but I haven't decided. If I have good luck with a quick bias/eq adjustments on the 42 (my first stab at it today), then I may stick with another 42 or 44-OB. I have a new set of heads for the 42 as spares since I don't know what shape the heads are on my 42. I should get them under magnification but I think they are fine, the unit just needs tweaking....
 
Most Tascam decks were designed to be adjusted by a Technician. In the different high end decks that they designed the meter panel to be swing down I found out that if you are not careful the screws for the meter lamps can contact metal and take out a fuse. I guess you need to know this before going in. After I found that out I am very careful with meter panel removal. I think this was on a 52 however. The 40 series are adjusted through the bottom as I remember so the deck needs to be on it's back. There are not a lot of decks that have front panel adjustments like the Otari MX5050. Maybe the Studer A807 which has digital controls of parameters but you need to understand how to work those numbers. I was successful after working with it a while. I was always waiting to get one from the throw it out Radio People but they never did it in front of me. I did get a 42 from Kiss FM studios I tore apart. I always ask my superior at the site what do you want to do with this "old thing" and when they say throw it out into my trunk it goes. Some people just do not know the value of some of this stuff. I got three MX5050 decks too but they are pretty rough looking. They came in the stands that roll around- they need some touch up paint. Been sitting in my basement too many years- I think it was 2006 or 2007.

The calibration does not have to change all that much and even though the Otari has front panel adjustments, it also has old age mechanical designs with tension arms and no rollers. I would prefer to stick with a 42 in that case. The heads on the Higher end Tascam decks being Wolke type do not wear out all that often and in fact I can not remember ever changing one. People that change heads too quickly often waste this limited resource.
The Wolke heads were not at all cheap like those used on the BR20 or 32.

Those people that like to fool around with all kinds of tape of greatly different bias usually buy stuff like Ampex 631 or some of that garbage in the 600 series at low cost. Why use duplicator grade tape on a machine just because you can adjust to it. I find that to be silly. Still people do strange things to machines sometimes and often times cause damage.

I do have a A2000 deck ready but that is not like an Otari and is a 1/4 track deck. Kind of like a A2300SX. I put near new heads on it as the old were shot. My units have a 6 month warranty. I think I recapped the whole thing as well. I don't like to do sloppy work. The only issue is the upper left front corner that has some damage tot he wood panel- many people that I talk to make their own. I could have some new ones made but they usually are about $70 a set as these guys don't work for free. Plus the better grade real wood is not getting any cheaper. There is a picture on my Blog.
http://s609729863.onlinehome.us/tape-decks-and-other-equipment-repair
 
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Well, I wasn't quite happy with the sound after doing some test recordings so I read the procedure about 10 times and went online and watched a few videos. When I switched between source and reproduction you could hear the difference BIG TIME. So I fired up the ATS-1 and put a test signal into it and figured out that the previous owner had set the unit up to record porno music (bow-chica-bow-bow) on masking tape, so I started playing. Hey... gotta learn sometime right? Plus, I'm using some of the new tape the French came out with (SM911) and another type (SM900) which I haven't tried yet. Anyway, now, when you switch between the source, and the reproduction head, you can't hear or tell the difference. Success..... I did have to clean the edge connectors and fix a cracked solder joint on one of the amp boards but all is good now.
I think I'll piss can it red!!!!!
 
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