[sdiy] anybody know about DAT machines?

[CCartCat at aol.com]

original message:

<< 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>>
In a message dated 9/26/05 5:43:07 AM, seb at burnit.co.uk writes:


> Richard Wentk wrote:
> 
> >
> > You can sort of clean the heads with a cleaner tape
> 
> 
> or, better use a cotton bud and some isopropyl alcohol, but for this you
> need to get inside the machine
> 
> 
FWIW--nothing about caps, but useful if your old tapes are cherished 
recordings worth your trouble . . .

Here's just one link happened onto via Google:
DAT Repair Tips
http://www.tangible-technology.com/machines/repair_tips.html

I'm no kind of expert (use following info with a large grain of salt), but 
have limited home studio experience with a Panasonic (SV-3700, IIRC--whichever 
is one you see everywhere) owned since circa 1993.   It's been 
repaired/maintained twice over that time--the last time about a year or so ago.   Both times 
I'm pretty sure involved some replacement and adjustment of tape transport 
parts.   Nothing a cleaning would properly address, tho' cleaning is damn sure 
worth a try.

If it were my DAT recordings and cleaning didn't work, I'd either get the 
machine looked at (rather than take my chances with another used model that due 
to age if not wear may require the same service) or see if the same or 
compatible machine could used at/rented from a pro studio nearby.   Depends on how 
many tapes you want to transfer to another digital/analog medium, the cost of the 
studio or machine rental.  If time intensive, a properly serviced machine 
(yours or another of the same model maybe--no personal exper. here but talk of 
incompatiblities between Sony and Panasonic units etc. etc.) may be your 
cheaper, more convenient option.

I can't recommend any repair place offhand.   While happy with the job done 
both times by the same outfit, the turnaround time on the second repair was 
several months and entirely due to some organizational transition that may or may 
not be settled.   Whoever works on Sony DATs these days I guess . . .

Please note that DAT tapes themselves have been supposedly judged more or 
less reliable for 7 years (after recording, I'd guess) and beyond that time less 
so.   The playback quality of any tapes rec. prior to 1998 may be suspect <
insert sad faced emoticon here>.   And there's no guarantee in any case.   Tho' I 
can say I've transfered about 50 or so DATs, say 90 to 120 min each, to CD-R 
and had only a few bad dropouts that I couldn't get better in a second take or 
somehow edit around.   But all my transfers happened on the same machine and 
within 7 years of recording.   And I often recorded multiple takes to DAT, and 
later on (as I became more wary of DAT as a medium) even redundant identical 
takes.   Your mileage may vary.

Hope you can get your DAT rolling,
Kevin Seward

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