HISTORY:
Sustainability is the name of the game! Anything (that has been tested and still functioning properly) should be repurposed creating saving in wasted Ee and reducing the poisoning our environment when items are buried in the earth at the local tip needlessly.
Never heard of Ee? It is a concept that creates a measurement of ALL things (not just electronics) that humans have made and the energy used in obtaining the raw material, processing the materials right through to a finished product and even should include the shipping of the item to the distributors/retailers.
If you would like to know more about Ee values, please take a look HERE
This advertisement is for a spare part extracted from the lovely "antique" JVC BR 6400TR VHS workhorse (mid 1980's) - ex our audio production "video sideline" of the same era. To undertake the work we were involved with, we had a number of U Matics, Betacam, Beta and VHS machines (we even had a very early SONY tape machine, something like a reel to reel - very very early video recording technology)
About the only piece of equipment left from those heady days was the JVC BR 6400TR - we used it as part of an editing source machine. Built like a battleship (almost 20kg carry weight!) direct drive, nice analog side lit meters and best of all (for us) is that it was a triple standard playback machine, PAL - NTSC -SECAM no conversion between standards but it allowed us to play most client source tapes from the domestic or semi-pro market. Since about 1995 it was then sitting unused, alone, in the dark and looking to be fed with a tape or two but the age of VHS had passed it by and we no longer had any need for it.
Don't remember this machine? You would if you had dropped one on your foot!
Only today, 30 years later, have I removed this from the 'storage vaults' and after careful consideration I have decided to part this machine out. Why? ... The demand for VHS equipment (especially since it isn't SVHS capable) just isn't there any more although the major consideration was the weight, it gets VERY expensive shipping a 20Kg machine around the country or even worse internationally! I am offering just the most basic of parts i.e not the many boards inside but I have salvaged items that may be of interest to a collector of such things OR components that could be repurposed.
This is the front panel, side illuminated (normally!) twin level meter assembly that sits over on the right hand side, near the top of the panel.
This analog meter is suitable for either a) an existing BR 6400TR where the meter movement has failed OR b) inclusion into a custom project not related to the world of VHS tape machines although there may be a need to change the scale, which probably is not an easy task (see my notes below).
Read on for a detailed description of what I am offering ...
JVC - Multistandard VHS Video Machine
SPARE PART ONLY - NOT THE COMPLETE MACHINE
Made in Japan
Model: BR 6400TR
Year of release 1984 (ish)
Component(s) offered:
Twin analog side lit audio meter assembly, plus all intact interconnecting wiring and plug.
Identification: a bit sparse here, one meter has JAPAN stamped into it and the other 84-4 which I strongly suspect is the year-month of manufacture ... no other markings or stamps
The meter scales are identical for the most part EXCEPT the right hand side meter does have additional indications of TRACKING
Scales are marked as CH-1 & CH-2 at the top, below this is the arc scale running from -20(dB) to +3(dB) - the dB text isn't actually printed, JVC just assumed that the user would know that it is dB
DIMENSIONS:
Plastic "block" measuring 100mm x 50mm x 11.5mm thickness or 21.5mm if you add in the depth of the meter movement at the rear
Between the two meters is mounted (using a rubber grommet) an incandescent lilliput lamp
Wiring is by flying leads, each terminal is accessible (no common wiring) of 70mm length each and these are terminated onto a 6 way female miniature connector.
TESTING:
First up, as is very common with older equipment, the incandescent lamp is open circuit. This really isn't a big deal as I know some Australian retailers who still maintain stock of these. The lamp does not use a socket, just flying leads and the lilliput glass envelope (to fit into the rubber grommet) measures 4mm diameter. It's a good idea to under-rate the replacement lamp (higher voltage working than the source) so that the light emitted leans towards Yellow (not White) and less heat is generated inside the meter enclosure.
Not a great idea to try and replace this with a LED because the visual system relies upon a lamp with good side emission of light (both sides) not forward.
Next, I took a look at the meters to determine some basic information which could be useful if using these in a custom project.
Each meter coil is electrically identical
DC coil resistance is 660 Ohm
FSD of the pointer is achieved with a current of 300uA DC flowing through the coil
The pointer moves smoothly and appears to be dampened as it "glides" across the scale and does not have "jerky" movement.
There is a physical "zero adjustment" but it is BEHIND the clear front panel which looks to be easy enough to remove - I have not attempted this as neither meter needed adjustment.
COSMETIC CONDITION:
All components are undamaged, no wiring has been cut or damaged.
NO separation of the snap click fit of the meter front and rear assemblies, solid.
Face of the meter(s) is clean and unscratched
SPECIAL NOTE: Although I mentioned above the possibility of changing the scale plate, this would not be an easy task. There are no side screws so I am guessing that the plate has an adhesive backing, meaning it could be difficult or messy to remove and replace with a more suitable scale.
As this description is now complete, I have packed the meter movement into a sealed protective packet, awaiting another 6400TR to live in or have another purpose in life created for it
