[sdiy] anybody know about DAT machines?

[KA4HJH]

>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.

Unfortunately, when a DAT starts going bad it's usually going BAD. Have you
cleaned the heads? That's the first thing to try. If it hasn't been done in
a while that may be all that's wrong.

I get a very bad feeling when every someone says "DAT" and "malfunction".
I've heard too many horror stories.

-- 

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"