Video Player

[codswallop]

I have a stand alone VHS player and a tape is "stuck" inside.If I press the "eject" button it just turns itself off,in desperation I pressed each of the other buttons and with the same result....turns off. Can anyone please suggest how to release a jammed tape?Thanks.

[donny48]

I have had to take a player apart to retrieve something jammed in my case a Ladybird book which my little daughter thought would play on the screen instead of reading it.

[Buenchico]

I've done it a few times but it can be quite fiddly and you do need to get inside the case.

This Youtube video might help. (I've deliberately not embedded it into this web page, so that you can also see the other suggested videos there. If the first one doesn't help much, try one of the others):
http://tinyurl.com/zkwphj4

[chelle7272]

oh bless her donny!

Coswallop I agree with donny you will probably have to take it apart. There are plenty of videos on youtube that show you how if you are wary of doing it.

[donny48]

Chelle, both my daughter, who is now in her fifties, and I have trouble growing up she gave me a Shaun the Sheep the Movie as a dvd recently and although it's a present she confessed to playing it first. It is one of the funniest things.

[codswallop]

Thanks everyone,I'll try later lunch calls.

[ivor4781]

this can happen when your tape heads are dirty

[codswallop]

I finally retrieved the tape,but as was suggested the tape was ruined.So I tried another but something must be out of line because it's trying to "chew up"the latest one as well.

[bhg481]

Look what ivor said. Clean the heads and clean the spindles that the tape passes over. If there're dirty the tape sticks to them and starts to tangle round them. You can get "wet" cleaning kits - get one and give it a go.

[codswallop]

Thanks bhg

[Buenchico]

If that doesn't work, the best place to look for cheap VHS recorders (tested and guaranteed) is probably your nearest British Heart Foundation Furniture & Electrical Store:
https://www.bhf.org.uk/search/location-search
(Use 'Advanced Search' to look for the relevant stores).

[Togo]

I seem to remember that this happens when the take up spool rubber roller is worn or compressed cods. Or even not gripping the tape against the spindle that rotates(usually a slim stainless steel spindle). Sometimes cleaning that rubber pinch roller will help but it must need changing by now.

[bhg481]

That rings a bell Togo - I seem to remember changing the rollers on one of mine some years ago.

[Togo]

There is a little rubber belt that drives the roller(driven by the capstan motor) this may have perished or even have broken. This will also cause the problem. But if you have successfully put a cleaning tape through the machine it will not be the spool recovery drive belt. The clean up tape is slightly abrasive and the pinch roller can gain a little purchase that it cannot on the shiny surface of a playback tape.

[codswallop]

There is definitely a rubber spool of some sort that has disintegrated,but what size or thickness there is nothing left to tell.I think that I'll have to give it up as a bad job.Thanks to you all.

[Togo]

Codswallop if you can post a picture of the machine open and showing the rollers and what you have found broken, with the make and model no. I may be able to source spares for it. I still have contacts in the tv and video game.

[codswallop]

Thanks Togo it's very kind of you to offer,but I seldom use the m/c it was only that "her indoors" wanted something copied from the video,and I'm not sure I would be able to transfer any photos onto AB anyway.

[Buenchico]

^^^ If you need to upload a picture for Togo to view here, follow the instructions I gave in this thread:
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Animals-and-Nature/Question1426455.html

[Barquentine]

Back in the 80s my 3 year old cousin knew how to put a video in and play it. If only her parents had told her not to try to watch her jam sandwich!

[codswallop]

http://i68.tinypic.com/11hgxll.jpg

The make is Sony and model is SLV or SI.V S88200
The spindle for the rubber spool is just by the top RH corner of the green card.