[sdiy] anybody know about DAT machines?

[mark verbos]

Hi everybody,

I have had this SOny DTC-A7 consumer DAT machine since 1994 and it 
yesterday in the middle of a tape started having problems. The sample 
rate flashes like the tape is unformatted when I play a tape. It seems 
to record ok though. So it is not reading the sample rate off the tape. 
I assume, blindly, that it's a cap that has dies, since it's age is 
about right and nothing significant happened between working and not 
working. I had not used the thing in months and it worked for about 5 
minutes before it had problems. I don't want to throw it away, but it 
would be stupid to PAY someone to fix it when they go for about $100 
these days. I just need to read my old tapes.

Any tips? I see a place on the PCB labeled "PBRF" is that Playback 
Reference? Should I replace the electrolytic next to that?

thanks for ANY help.

Mark