-=> Quoting Frank Iuston to Cameron Hall <=-
 CH>> With the price of 'em, sometimes it's better just
 CH>> to buy a new one. :-(
 FI> Ouch, with 4 heads it's for sure gonna be an expensive exercise.
 Really? His advice is sound, at least for the U.S. I see basic 4-head Hi Fi
 VCRs for $149 all the time.  Try to get a head-drum assembly replaced for
 that price!
 FI> Funny thing is that the hi-fi tracks seem stable when using it as
 FI> a normal deck to record tv shows or dubbing and so forth, but not
 FI> when audio only is recorded. Maybe I should do mastering with
 FI> Simulcast enabled? :) 
 Ah! Bingo! If it has a simulcast switch, you need to use it.. I predict
 that'll solve the problem. Without a video-sync signal on the tape, the
 Hi Fi audio tracks will be unstable, just as you describe.
 Most newer decks don't even have them.. instead, they have a 'blue screen'
 function that senses when no video signal is present, and lays down the
 sync track automatically.
 If you're lucky, you'll find that when in simulcast mode, the linear audio
 signal is still pulled in from the tuner. Why would you care? Well, it will
 let you use your deck as an audio recorder, yet have a usable video on the
 same tape.. albeit with linear sound only. Never seen a VHS deck that can do
 it, but it's quite common with Betamax.
... NP: The Claredonians "Shooby Dooby"
--- GEcho 1.11+
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