Philips VR2023 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

rbm1973 · 11th Feb 2016, 10:20 pm

just bought a Philips Vr2023, bought as untested.
It arrived today and all top covers off damaged in transit

having never had any dealings with V2000 machines have come stuck
i only ever worked on N15/1700 Beta and Vhs machines

anyhow powered up removed broken cassette that was stuck in there and cleaned drum up as parts of tape stuck to it

so after cleaning up i powered up again but it just clicks 3 times or so the stop light comes on you can eject the cassette but no functions if you try anything including tuning tape transport or even resetting the tapa counter the machine freezes wont do anything unless you unplug it or leave it for 20 minutes or so and it goes back to standby then you can power on again and the cycle repeats

Any ideas folks ?

or does anyone have a service manual

thanks in advance Simon

dj_fivos_sak · 11th Feb 2016, 10:56 pm

Hello. Check for bad capacitors in the power supply. Here's the service manual:
http://freeservicemanuals.info/en/se...SETTERECORDER/

Fivos

Sideband · 11th Feb 2016, 10:59 pm

Need more info...

Tape in... does it thread up? Does the head rotate?

If it's had a bang during transit, it could be anything. Suggest remove casing and examine all plug-in modules, plugs and sockets. The main 'motherboard' that everything plugs in to was prone to damage if the machine was dropped or damaged in transit. The power supply used to suffer from dry joints.

julie_m · 11th Feb 2016, 11:36 pm

What Sideband said. Get a powerful magnifying glass and search for cracked solder joints and PCB traces. Start with connectors, relays, power resistors and big electrolytic capaciiors, then look at the smaller, lighhter compoments. Meter from pin to ostensibly-connected pin, if you have to. Vibration could have disturbed a marginal connection somewhere.

rbm1973 · 12th Feb 2016, 5:18 am

well got it running of sorts it had a crack in print on psu which took out the 12v protection thyristor 7004 TAG661-100X and blew the fuse 1006 4A i repaired the tracks 3 of them and seeing that the thyristor is used as a crowbar circuit across the supply to the 12v rail as i could find no other faults i replaced the fuse and powered up with thyristor 7004 out of circuit the machine only clicked once at switch on tried a tape but nothing so applied pressure to the daughter boards on power up and noticed the head drum spin but still no functions
so turned my attention to the underside and found in the corner 2 broken tracks due to small crack in pcb repaired these and finally it plays

but it looks like the heads may be defective just a picture full of snow as if one head tip is damaged or broken the picture comes and goes is always snowy but sometimes better than others but i am convinced that the heads are indeed faulty!

so where can i find another set of heads for it not sure if anyone has either a faulty scrap machine with good heads or a set of heads as i would like to restore this machine

right not the end of the story yet i have an rf modulator wg=hich is adjustable with video and scart in i connected this to the input of the vcr set it to ch51 and tuned to this channel it tuned and locked on but looks as though of tune and has no sound ??

also any attempt to record and the cassette just ejects no matter what position the record protect tab is in

any advice welcome

cheerfulcharlie · 12th Feb 2016, 11:08 am

The following from memory so may not be accurate....?
but here are some titbits.

On top of the head drum are some spring electronic contacts which at this age may now be gunked up ?
I think these were to do with the piezo system which electrically flexed the heads to keep them tracked ?...hence the V2000 system could freeze frame or play tapes at any speed without noise bars.
The V2000 head drum is pretty easy to remove and underneath you will find the main contact disc for the heads' electrical connections this should obviously be cleaned now as well as it's companion mating surface on the drum.
When you have finished the head drum goes straight back on, no alignment worries as that was (as said before) all done electronically...but you have to be just that little bit careful with the contacts on top of the head and how they greet the stationary pick up post.

Well ...something like that anyway, a long time ago now. Even if it's not accurate hope it inspires something?

11th Feb 2016, 10:20 pm	#1
rbm1973 Pentode Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Crewkerne, Somerset, UK. Posts: 119	Philips VR2023 just bought a Philips Vr2023, bought as untested. It arrived today and all top covers off damaged in transit having never had any dealings with V2000 machines have come stuck i only ever worked on N15/1700 Beta and Vhs machines anyhow powered up removed broken cassette that was stuck in there and cleaned drum up as parts of tape stuck to it so after cleaning up i powered up again but it just clicks 3 times or so the stop light comes on you can eject the cassette but no functions if you try anything including tuning tape transport or even resetting the tapa counter the machine freezes wont do anything unless you unplug it or leave it for 20 minutes or so and it goes back to standby then you can power on again and the cycle repeats Any ideas folks ? or does anyone have a service manual thanks in advance Simon __________________ Keep the soldering iron warm and never give up or you will kick yourself. BVWS MEMBER Last edited by Brian R Pateman; 11th Feb 2016 at 10:32 pm. Reason: Forum rules Section C.

11th Feb 2016, 10:56 pm	#2
dj_fivos_sak Heptode Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Lefkada, Greece Posts: 969	Re: Philips vr2023 Hello. Check for bad capacitors in the power supply. Here's the service manual: http://freeservicemanuals.info/en/se...SETTERECORDER/ Fivos

11th Feb 2016, 10:59 pm	#3
Sideband Dekatron Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Croydon, Surrey, UK. Posts: 7,580	Re: Philips vr2023 Need more info... Tape in... does it thread up? Does the head rotate? If it's had a bang during transit, it could be anything. Suggest remove casing and examine all plug-in modules, plugs and sockets. The main 'motherboard' that everything plugs in to was prone to damage if the machine was dropped or damaged in transit. The power supply used to suffer from dry joints. __________________ There are lots of brilliant keyboard players and then there is Rick Wakeman.....

11th Feb 2016, 11:36 pm	#4
julie_m Dekatron Join Date: May 2008 Location: Derby, UK. Posts: 7,735	Re: Philips vr2023 What Sideband said. Get a powerful magnifying glass and search for cracked solder joints and PCB traces. Start with connectors, relays, power resistors and big electrolytic capaciiors, then look at the smaller, lighhter compoments. Meter from pin to ostensibly-connected pin, if you have to. Vibration could have disturbed a marginal connection somewhere. __________________ If I have seen further than others, it is because I was standing on a pile of failed experiments.

12th Feb 2016, 5:18 am	#5
rbm1973 Pentode Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Crewkerne, Somerset, UK. Posts: 119	Re: Philips VR2023 well got it running of sorts it had a crack in print on psu which took out the 12v protection thyristor 7004 TAG661-100X and blew the fuse 1006 4A i repaired the tracks 3 of them and seeing that the thyristor is used as a crowbar circuit across the supply to the 12v rail as i could find no other faults i replaced the fuse and powered up with thyristor 7004 out of circuit the machine only clicked once at switch on tried a tape but nothing so applied pressure to the daughter boards on power up and noticed the head drum spin but still no functions so turned my attention to the underside and found in the corner 2 broken tracks due to small crack in pcb repaired these and finally it plays but it looks like the heads may be defective just a picture full of snow as if one head tip is damaged or broken the picture comes and goes is always snowy but sometimes better than others but i am convinced that the heads are indeed faulty! so where can i find another set of heads for it not sure if anyone has either a faulty scrap machine with good heads or a set of heads as i would like to restore this machine right not the end of the story yet i have an rf modulator wg=hich is adjustable with video and scart in i connected this to the input of the vcr set it to ch51 and tuned to this channel it tuned and locked on but looks as though of tune and has no sound ?? also any attempt to record and the cassette just ejects no matter what position the record protect tab is in any advice welcome __________________ Keep the soldering iron warm and never give up or you will kick yourself. BVWS MEMBER

12th Feb 2016, 11:08 am	#6
cheerfulcharlie Heptode Join Date: May 2009 Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK. Posts: 708	Re: Philips VR2023 The following from memory so may not be accurate....? but here are some titbits. On top of the head drum are some spring electronic contacts which at this age may now be gunked up ? I think these were to do with the piezo system which electrically flexed the heads to keep them tracked ?...hence the V2000 system could freeze frame or play tapes at any speed without noise bars. The V2000 head drum is pretty easy to remove and underneath you will find the main contact disc for the heads' electrical connections this should obviously be cleaned now as well as it's companion mating surface on the drum. When you have finished the head drum goes straight back on, no alignment worries as that was (as said before) all done electronically...but you have to be just that little bit careful with the contacts on top of the head and how they greet the stationary pick up post. Well ...something like that anyway, a long time ago now. Even if it's not accurate hope it inspires something?