Arkay
05-03-2006, 06:21 AM
Since learning how long videotape is expected to last (a lot longer than today's plastic discs, if taken care of), I've been looking for a VCR that was a little better-made than the ubiquitous BPC one sees, something that was solidly-built and might have a chance to last as many more decades as the tapes themselves will (assuming proper storage).
My main motivation for this is because of some old tapes I have of now-deceased family members. I could transfer them to digital format and burn them to discs (and will, as back-up), but from what I've learned, the original tapes will probably out-last any digital storage medium.
Therefore, I wanted to keep the original tapes, too, but was concerned that there might be difficulty playing them back in the future. My regular Hitachi VCR at home has been broken down twice, and is not likely to last very long before it breaks down again. Thus, the hunt for a DURABLE, WELL-BUILT VHS deck, one with solid, machined metal parts and basic, long-lasting circuiit components (preferably not many digital computer chips that would soon become unobtanium) that could be serviced and kept running well into the future.
Well, today I think I found one. :banana: At least I hope I did. It's an Akai VS-9300EG deck, and it seems to be built like the proverbial tank. I paid US$7.50 for it, and they even threw in for free an old luggage cart so I could haul it home! Anyone else have one of these, or have any experience with it? [The deck, not the cart!]
Interestingly, the front panel ends with "EK" in an odd script where the "K" looks a bit like a distorted "H", but the back panel clearly shows "EG" instead. :wtf: . Since most online references use "EG", I'm assuming that is the correct designation.
Does anyone here know much about this machine? It's a very heavy, solid, top-loading unit. with a number of adjustments/controls one doesn't usually see on a (home) VCR. From what I've been able to learn online, it seems to have been a professional studio deck, apparently used mostly in Europe (Germany and the Netherlands) dating from 1978. One listing for it said it was the first JVC video deck ever made... strange, since I didn't know Akai made JVC stuff (???).
I found a German site that has some replacement parts for it, including the rubber capstan rollers that would deteriorate. Assuming the motor and the all-important head are OK on mine (haven't checked yet) and it works and cleans up OK, II'll stock up on some replacement parts to keep this thing going for a while. Would love to find NOS recording head(s), if possible. Also need to obtain the correct (professional-style) connectors to hook it up to my otherwise non-pro system, but these look standard (not weird or proprietary, as far as I can determine) and shouldn't be a problem.
So far the only lead on a service manual I've found is in German, OK for me since I studied in Germany, but I'd like to find an English manual, if anyone has a lead on one. I will contact the local Akai distributor, and perhaps Akai online, but I don't have too high hopes that they will still have much around for a machine this old.
One feature I'm interested in is the separate "audio" input, microphone input, and "audio dub" controls. I've heard of people using video to record high-quality audio, and am eager to try that, if this is an appropriate deck to do it with(?). I do have about a dozen top-quality "PROFESSIONAL" VHS tapes, which should be appropriate for this.
I'll post pics (including nudies :tongue: ) of mine once I get software installed that can reduce my pictures' file size (too big as-is to upload). In the meantime, there are some pics of the same unit at this link:
http://www.paudio.cz/index.php?sec=3&kat=245&lang=cz&cat_title=Prodan%C3%A9%20p%C5%99%C3%ADstroje&pos=550&id=963&item_title=Akai%20VS-9300EG
Any comments or info on this find would be very welcome.
My main motivation for this is because of some old tapes I have of now-deceased family members. I could transfer them to digital format and burn them to discs (and will, as back-up), but from what I've learned, the original tapes will probably out-last any digital storage medium.
Therefore, I wanted to keep the original tapes, too, but was concerned that there might be difficulty playing them back in the future. My regular Hitachi VCR at home has been broken down twice, and is not likely to last very long before it breaks down again. Thus, the hunt for a DURABLE, WELL-BUILT VHS deck, one with solid, machined metal parts and basic, long-lasting circuiit components (preferably not many digital computer chips that would soon become unobtanium) that could be serviced and kept running well into the future.
Well, today I think I found one. :banana: At least I hope I did. It's an Akai VS-9300EG deck, and it seems to be built like the proverbial tank. I paid US$7.50 for it, and they even threw in for free an old luggage cart so I could haul it home! Anyone else have one of these, or have any experience with it? [The deck, not the cart!]
Interestingly, the front panel ends with "EK" in an odd script where the "K" looks a bit like a distorted "H", but the back panel clearly shows "EG" instead. :wtf: . Since most online references use "EG", I'm assuming that is the correct designation.
Does anyone here know much about this machine? It's a very heavy, solid, top-loading unit. with a number of adjustments/controls one doesn't usually see on a (home) VCR. From what I've been able to learn online, it seems to have been a professional studio deck, apparently used mostly in Europe (Germany and the Netherlands) dating from 1978. One listing for it said it was the first JVC video deck ever made... strange, since I didn't know Akai made JVC stuff (???).
I found a German site that has some replacement parts for it, including the rubber capstan rollers that would deteriorate. Assuming the motor and the all-important head are OK on mine (haven't checked yet) and it works and cleans up OK, II'll stock up on some replacement parts to keep this thing going for a while. Would love to find NOS recording head(s), if possible. Also need to obtain the correct (professional-style) connectors to hook it up to my otherwise non-pro system, but these look standard (not weird or proprietary, as far as I can determine) and shouldn't be a problem.
So far the only lead on a service manual I've found is in German, OK for me since I studied in Germany, but I'd like to find an English manual, if anyone has a lead on one. I will contact the local Akai distributor, and perhaps Akai online, but I don't have too high hopes that they will still have much around for a machine this old.
One feature I'm interested in is the separate "audio" input, microphone input, and "audio dub" controls. I've heard of people using video to record high-quality audio, and am eager to try that, if this is an appropriate deck to do it with(?). I do have about a dozen top-quality "PROFESSIONAL" VHS tapes, which should be appropriate for this.
I'll post pics (including nudies :tongue: ) of mine once I get software installed that can reduce my pictures' file size (too big as-is to upload). In the meantime, there are some pics of the same unit at this link:
http://www.paudio.cz/index.php?sec=3&kat=245&lang=cz&cat_title=Prodan%C3%A9%20p%C5%99%C3%ADstroje&pos=550&id=963&item_title=Akai%20VS-9300EG
Any comments or info on this find would be very welcome.