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Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc. |
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5th Oct 2020, 10:24 pm | #1 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
One deck I have always been curious about is the Alba 2200 series. Won the bid on one for £21 a short while ago this evening. They were made by a Japanese OEM as far as I can tell for the British Hifi brand Alba. It seems to be a pretty unusual deck, full logic control, despite it being budget oriented from the late 1970s and made from plastic rather than metal.
It should be a decent little restoration project and at £21 the cheapest cassette deck I’ve ever bought. I’m sure it won’t be anything special soundwise, but always nice to add another deck to my hifi setup. What I wanted to know was does anyone know what belts it uses and where to get a suitable replacement? Annoyingly with it being a relatively unusual model there isn’t tons of information about it online. However those in the know I’m sure it was sold as other models in other regions. Last edited by Ryan_1993; 5th Oct 2020 at 10:41 pm. |
6th Oct 2020, 8:32 am | #2 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
From another forum I found out this Alba is actually a clone of the Benytone MCD-3000
From this I have been able to find a Service Manual and Belt Kit. You can see how similar it is externally. The Alba seems to have a plastic front panel whereas the Benytone has brushed metal, all the button/switches are identical in layout. From photos online of their cassette transports they also seems to be indentical and a match too. |
6th Oct 2020, 8:49 am | #3 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,037
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
An unusual find. Both decks certainly look nice, let's hope yours performs well when you've done it up.
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Andy G1HBE. |
6th Oct 2020, 8:58 am | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
A good looking deck.
I see there is one for sale on eBay where the seller says recently fitted new belts, so I was going to say you could try messaging the seller to ask about his source of belts. David |
6th Oct 2020, 9:32 am | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK.
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
Finding a service manual and a belt kit ,now that is what I call lucky, well done and good luck with the repairs. Mick.
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6th Oct 2020, 9:47 am | #6 |
Moderator
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
I actually used to own one of these decks, bought new in 1979. It was an excellent performer, and the full solenoid control made it very pleasant to use. A college friend at the time was so impressed by mine that he went out and bought one too.
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9th Oct 2020, 7:15 pm | #7 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
Hi all,
The unit arrived today. Initially my example was sold as spares and in the listing photos on ebay didn’t even have a plug attached. Wired it all up and it works. The only thing is it’s struggling to rewind and fast forward, just seems like the belts are shot. Sure enough this was the case (belts all loose and floppy) and ordered a new belt set for then. Heads seem to be in very decent shape so I don’t think this unit has had much use. Very pleased that the belts haven’t turned to go. Overall not bad for £21 |
9th Oct 2020, 8:40 pm | #8 |
Hexode
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK.
Posts: 469
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
Thats a smart looking machine Ryan.
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If smoking is so bad for you, how come it cures kippers? |
12th Oct 2020, 1:47 am | #9 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
Thanks it has cleaned up very well and now sits below my Pioneer CT-F750 in my HiFi.
Unfortunately it’s going to be 3 weeks at least for the replacement belt kit to arrive from Germany slow due to COVID the seller has said. |
14th Oct 2020, 5:54 pm | #10 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
Well,
My belts arrived and swapped them over easy enough to do, but discovered a few issues. Before swapping belts playback seemed to work, just no rewind or fast forward ability. However, now the motor seems to be suffering from some kind of issue. It randomly slows down and grinds to a halt and I also keep hearing awful distortion in the background when a tape is playing. The audio sounds like when you speak into an electric desk fan and your voice sounds all distorted and choppy. Its not wow and fllutter though more like some kind of electrical interfrence. When I put in my MP3 Cassette car adapter in the deck (which doesn't really matter about the motor) the buzzing and interference is not present and the audio is nice and clear. Adjusting the motor speed pot on the back of the motor just stops the motor dead in its tracks and there is very little control of the speed. As soon as I pull the screwdriver out of the adjustment pot the motor starts running again. Never head any issue like this before, but it seems like the fault lies with the motor somewhere? I was going to take the capstan motor out of an old broken Nakamichi BX-1 I have lying around (missing a few parts) but I am not sure if that would be compatible. It looks similar bit smaller just appears like the brass section to drive the Belts in the alba would need swapping over onto the Nak's motor spindle. |
14th Oct 2020, 6:05 pm | #11 |
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
It sounds as if something is applying excess torque to the motor. Does it run normally if you take the capstan belt off the motor pulley?
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14th Oct 2020, 6:13 pm | #12 | |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
Quote:
the motor cutting out happens even with belts removed Last edited by Ryan_1993; 14th Oct 2020 at 6:22 pm. |
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14th Oct 2020, 6:39 pm | #13 |
Dekatron
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Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
Have you tried several different tapes?
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Regards, Ben. |
14th Oct 2020, 6:42 pm | #14 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
same on all tapes. It doesn't even move right if you run it qithout tape in it just slows down and stops, the MP3 cassette adapter plays fine though so nothing wrong with the amp stage of it or the heads either.
Swapping the motors over as we speak. |
14th Oct 2020, 7:11 pm | #15 |
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
Is the capstan belt tight? If shouldn't be slack but it shouldn't be to tight either as that puts a strain on the motor bearings.
the reason the motor stops is probably because its shorting the pot to the case. Use a plastic adjuster or put some insulation on the driver. |
14th Oct 2020, 7:14 pm | #16 |
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
If the motor is in distress it may be generating RFI, and also pulling down the power rail.
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14th Oct 2020, 9:21 pm | #17 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
The Nak motor solved the rewind and fast forward issues, but the distortion still persits. It's really weird it only started occuring after I swapped the belts.
My assumption is something must be shorting or not grounded properly somewhere? Last edited by Ryan_1993; 14th Oct 2020 at 9:28 pm. |
15th Oct 2020, 10:41 am | #18 |
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
Did you disturb something while changing the belt? Easily done.
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16th Oct 2020, 4:42 pm | #19 | |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
Quote:
Given that when using one of those tape to MP3 player adapter the problem goes away, it must be something the motor is doing interfering with the signal on the tape itself. I'm going to have a good look when I get some further time check out all the wiring and we will go from there. Probably something as simple as wiring causing a grounding fault |
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16th Oct 2020, 8:19 pm | #20 |
Dekatron
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Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK.
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Re: 1978 Alba 2200 Cassette deck
It could be a cracked core in one of the head carraige cables - these flex every time play is engaged, and cab fatigue over time. The adaptor may not allow the head to penetrate quite as far as into a cassette.
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