Sony VX9000E DV Camera with Audio Drop Outs - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

hillsrob · 6th Mar 2024, 9:46 pm

I've owned a Sony VX9000E for nearly 30 years. I have lots of family, wedding and dancing show tapes that I started transferring to hard drives using Firewire.

On playback I'm seeing regular audio dropouts and when I look closely this coincides with one or more lost frames.

Cleaning the heads and tape path results in no improvement but what I have noticed is that the fast forward and rewind is quite noisy. Even in play mode there is a regular ticking sound.

A Youtube search suggests that the take up or possibly the supply table on some Sony DV and DVCAM machines start to develop splits in the nylon toothed perimeter of the table.

I wonder if any members have any experience with servicing these machines and if they know of a UK source for the parts which now appear to be obsolete? The Sony part number of the take up 'table' is X-3946-686-1.

TIMTAPE · 6th Mar 2024, 10:18 pm

No experience with Sony DV reel tables cracking but I saw that problem on older Sony 8mm decks. Without a spare part you may be shot. The cameras aren't worth much now. If the recordings are valuable to you I'd be acquiring a fully working DV player/camera for transfer before it too fails. As it's digital, a much less pro player in good condition should transfer the data just as well, unless your tapes were recorded in a special format.

TIMTAPE · 6th Mar 2024, 10:21 pm

No experience with Sony DV reel tables cracking but I saw that problem on older Sony 8mm decks. Without a spare part you may be out of luck.. The cameras aren't worth much now. If the recordings are valuable to you I'd be acquiring a fully working DV player/camera for transfer before it too fails. A much less pro
and more available player in good condition should transfer the data just as well, unless your tapes were recorded in a special format.

hillsrob · 7th Mar 2024, 12:07 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by TIMTAPE

No experience with Sony DV reel tables cracking but I saw that problem on older Sony 8mm decks. Without a spare part you may be shot. The cameras aren't worth much now. If the recordings are valuable to you I'd be acquiring a fully working DV player/camera for transfer before it too fails. As it's digital, a much less pro player in good condition should transfer the data just as well, unless your tapes were recorded in a special format.

Thank you for your reply. The problem I had was finding a machine that plays the quite unusual full size DV tapes. Most DV camcorders sold were for miniDV. The VX9000E was the prosumer DV sibling of the DVCAM DSR200.

I recent bought 2 player machines. One HDV machine (Sony HVR-M15A) for £250 and a DVCAM (Sony DSR-11) for £190.

The HDV machine is playing back faultlessly but has a few minor issues for example it sometimes fails to eject the tape. Fortunately, I can recover it by recycling the power and helping it out with a finger.

The DSR-11 is on it's way from and a bit of an unknown quantity.

I also bought a VX9000E sold for parts only at £45. The viewfinder is missing and the lens section is coming detached from the main body. The tape deck is intact though so it might be interesting to see if it powers up and if it has the same problems as my old unit. It would be nice to get one working reliably out of the two.

TIMTAPE · 7th Mar 2024, 12:54 pm

Ah, the larger sized cassette. That does limit player availability.

I've looked at a few HVR-M15A's and interestingly one had a problem with either the large or the small cassette format jamming in the cassette carriage. Not sure if it was in load or unload mode.

In the end I think a metal part at the top of the carriage had bent and by simply straightening the part, the cassette now loaded and unloaded correctly. I think there was a lack of symmetry between two metal "fingers" on the left and right sides of the carriage, so I just bent (I guess "formed" would be the polite technical term) the finger on the side which was jamming to match the finger on the side which wasnt jamming. Definitely not rocket science, but cant be sure this is the problem with your unit of course. All the best with it.

Mods, apologies for the double post earlier today.

hillsrob · 7th Mar 2024, 10:07 pm

That's useful info thank you. I will keep an eye on the HVR-M15E and see if the failure to unload has the same cause that you describe.

I recently watched a Youtube video on a DSR-11 that had a similar problem but in this case during loading. It was found to be overloading the PSU and then cutting out. The solution in this case was careful cleaning and very light greasing with Molykote of a plastic slider/cam guide and follower at the back. It's function seems to be to move the pinch roller out of the way to allow the cassette to drop down.

hillsrob · 15th Mar 2024, 11:12 am

Just an update on the fate of the VX9000E.

I found another one advertised as 'Part Only' as it had severe mechanical damage to the lens CCD assembly.

In the end I decided to make the old camera, that I had paid £3400 for in 1996, the donor and with little effort now have one in perfect working order.

Nickthedentist · 15th Mar 2024, 12:05 pm

Well done, that's impressive!

Get those transfers done quick!

Nick (ex-Ernle Road SW20).

hillsrob · 15th Mar 2024, 2:53 pm

I will. I'm a belt and braces kind of guy so now have the HVR-M15E and DSR-11 also working for back up.

Yes I know Ernie Road well.

6th Mar 2024, 9:46 pm	#1
hillsrob Tetrode Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Wimbledon, London, UK. Posts: 56	Sony VX9000E DV Camera with Audio Drop Outs I've owned a Sony VX9000E for nearly 30 years. I have lots of family, wedding and dancing show tapes that I started transferring to hard drives using Firewire. On playback I'm seeing regular audio dropouts and when I look closely this coincides with one or more lost frames. Cleaning the heads and tape path results in no improvement but what I have noticed is that the fast forward and rewind is quite noisy. Even in play mode there is a regular ticking sound. A Youtube search suggests that the take up or possibly the supply table on some Sony DV and DVCAM machines start to develop splits in the nylon toothed perimeter of the table. I wonder if any members have any experience with servicing these machines and if they know of a UK source for the parts which now appear to be obsolete? The Sony part number of the take up 'table' is X-3946-686-1. Attached Thumbnails

6th Mar 2024, 10:18 pm	#2
TIMTAPE Octode Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 1,971	Re: Sony VX9000E DV Camera with Audio Drop Outs No experience with Sony DV reel tables cracking but I saw that problem on older Sony 8mm decks. Without a spare part you may be shot. The cameras aren't worth much now. If the recordings are valuable to you I'd be acquiring a fully working DV player/camera for transfer before it too fails. As it's digital, a much less pro player in good condition should transfer the data just as well, unless your tapes were recorded in a special format.

6th Mar 2024, 10:21 pm	#3
TIMTAPE Octode Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 1,971	Re: Sony VX9000E DV Camera with Audio Drop Outs No experience with Sony DV reel tables cracking but I saw that problem on older Sony 8mm decks. Without a spare part you may be out of luck.. The cameras aren't worth much now. If the recordings are valuable to you I'd be acquiring a fully working DV player/camera for transfer before it too fails. A much less pro and more available player in good condition should transfer the data just as well, unless your tapes were recorded in a special format. Last edited by TIMTAPE; 6th Mar 2024 at 10:30 pm.

7th Mar 2024, 12:54 pm	#5
TIMTAPE Octode Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 1,971	Re: Sony VX9000E DV Camera with Audio Drop Outs Ah, the larger sized cassette. That does limit player availability. I've looked at a few HVR-M15A's and interestingly one had a problem with either the large or the small cassette format jamming in the cassette carriage. Not sure if it was in load or unload mode. In the end I think a metal part at the top of the carriage had bent and by simply straightening the part, the cassette now loaded and unloaded correctly. I think there was a lack of symmetry between two metal "fingers" on the left and right sides of the carriage, so I just bent (I guess "formed" would be the polite technical term) the finger on the side which was jamming to match the finger on the side which wasnt jamming. Definitely not rocket science, but cant be sure this is the problem with your unit of course. All the best with it. Mods, apologies for the double post earlier today.

7th Mar 2024, 10:07 pm	#6
hillsrob Tetrode Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Wimbledon, London, UK. Posts: 56	Re: Sony VX9000E DV Camera with Audio Drop Outs That's useful info thank you. I will keep an eye on the HVR-M15E and see if the failure to unload has the same cause that you describe. I recently watched a Youtube video on a DSR-11 that had a similar problem but in this case during loading. It was found to be overloading the PSU and then cutting out. The solution in this case was careful cleaning and very light greasing with Molykote of a plastic slider/cam guide and follower at the back. It's function seems to be to move the pinch roller out of the way to allow the cassette to drop down.

15th Mar 2024, 11:12 am	#7
hillsrob Tetrode Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Wimbledon, London, UK. Posts: 56	Re: Sony VX9000E DV Camera with Audio Drop Outs Just an update on the fate of the VX9000E. I found another one advertised as 'Part Only' as it had severe mechanical damage to the lens CCD assembly. In the end I decided to make the old camera, that I had paid £3400 for in 1996, the donor and with little effort now have one in perfect working order. Attached Thumbnails

15th Mar 2024, 12:05 pm	#8
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,870	Re: Sony VX9000E DV Camera with Audio Drop Outs Well done, that's impressive! Get those transfers done quick! Nick (ex-Ernle Road SW20).

15th Mar 2024, 2:53 pm	#9
hillsrob Tetrode Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Wimbledon, London, UK. Posts: 56	Re: Sony VX9000E DV Camera with Audio Drop Outs I will. I'm a belt and braces kind of guy so now have the HVR-M15E and DSR-11 also working for back up. Yes I know Ernie Road well.