Hi,
So you heard about that big power outtage on the east coast a few weeks ago? Well, my VCR stopped working then, and it never started up again. It’s still pretty new, so I don’t want to just go buy a new one. It’s the kind that keeps the time, even when the power goes out, but it never went back on, so I’m not sure what to do. I even took the cover off, and saw a fuze in there, but it was fine.
Any suggestions? I got no power!
Thanks!
Could be fried by a power surge.
Is there a possibility of replacing the part that “fried”. I don’t know which part that would be.
Don’t guess. Take it to the repair shop or if still under warranty, return it for a new one.
I was hoping that someone would actually know the part that was most likely fried. It’s probably a year over the warranty, and if I bring it somewhere, I might as well buy a new one since it’s going to cost that much.
Yeah, VCRs are almost never worth servicing, unless it’s merely an alignment or other minor work. Technicians these days don’t bother diagnosing down to the component level in most cases anymore, opting instead to replace whole circuit boards. Most likely, the chopping transistors in the switching power supply went, since those often aren’t well isolated from the mains supply like the rest of the circuitry is. It could be a fuse also, so it’s well worth opening the case and checking. The fuse(s) will be on the board closest to the point where the power cord enters the case. If it’s not that, it’s basically hosed.
Well you unplug it for a minute or more then plug it back in. this resets almost all electrical appliances. In the future either unplug stuff BEFORE the power comes back on or use a surge protector.
If it’s not under warranty and you are not technical and just leaving unplugged for a day doesn’t work, your hosed.
VCR (and most other consumer electronics) repair is dying. The biggest electronics supply shop near me isn’t even restocking VCR parts. When they run out, they stay out.
One thing to try is to search Google groups for your model number, esp. sci.electronics.repair. Also just Google in general. Sometimes electronics have known weak spots and people have already figured it out for you. Some notorious VCRs have PS rebuild kits (I have bought a couple of these). But you have know what you’re doing, it’s not like replacing a fuse.
Most common parts to fry due to a surge are cheap Zener diodes. Electrolytic caps fail all the time, but not usually due to a surge unless they were going out anyway.
Unfortunately, surge problems are not limited to just the PS. So there can be a lot of parts to check all over the VCR. (I have a Mitsubishi where a surge fried stuff on 2 other boards. Even lifting a trace.)
And please, pretty please, don’t go out and buy a $30 no-name VCR replacement. Buy a good VCR instead. You won’t regret it.
It’s most likely the power supply that fried, and judging by the questions you’re asking, you probably lack the technical skills required to replace the broken part. The last VCR of mine that I repaired due to a power glitch had blown the output regulator on the power supply board. It’s fairly easy to trace through the power supply circuit to see where it died. Measure the output of the transformer first to see if it went, then measure the output of the final regulators. If there’s no output, measure the voltage at the input side of the regulators. If the regulators got input but no output, then they’re toast. If the regulators have output, then likely the main board of the VCR is toast. Toss it in the trash if that’s the case.
Hope you’re handy with a soldering iron. This isn’t likely to be a “pop two screws and put a new part in” type of repair.
Hmmm, if I test the regulator or the transformer, do you know what reading I should get?
I found a cool site that shows you how to fix vcrs, but of course mine isn’t on there. I have a JVC HR-VP58u.
Could be a fuse.
Yea, that’s the one thing I could check…the fuse…it looks fine.
I guess if you can’t fix it then you could make a contribution to this thread 
Have you tried plugging the VCR into a different wall plug? Maybe that outlet isn’t working or got tripped off (check your circuit breaker, too).
QUOTE: I guess if you can’t fix it then you could make a contribution to this thread.
Very funny I hope it doesn’t get to that point 
QUOTE: Have you tried plugging the VCR into a different wall plug? Maybe that outlet isn’t working or got tripped off (check your circuit breaker, too).
I tried that too. I tried it in completely different outlets. The one that it was in has other working components in it, too, though.
Get this…I even called JVC, and they said it’s $90 per hour to fix, and then add parts. I knew it would be expensive, but holy crap. That’s more than the VCR…and it’s a good VCR, too.
You get a lot of good and bad advice here, but you could have either had it repaired by now, or you could have bought a new one on Sep 24. Jeeesh… Do something positive.
Thanks for the input, that really helped. This is something positive, I’m researching before I go out and blow $100 on another one.
Hehe, check it out…Sometime after the original posts (above), I dropped off the VCR at a place that would give me a free estimate. It took them over a MONTH to give me an estimate! Can you believe that? Anyway, they said it would cost $50 to fix, and that it was a blown power supply. Hmm…maybe I’ll keep researching
Here are three pictures of the inside…can you point me in the right direction? I’m willing to solder
The power supply circuit is on the main board, at the top right, where the power cord comes in. Where the fuse is. Is that the one you checked?
Take some close-up photos of that part of the board, both sides, and post them. That will help us a lot.
And if you can read any markings on components that have more than two wires coming out of them, jot those down as well.
The most likely parts to blow in a surge are the diode bridge and the linear regulator. I think I see them… the diode bridge is the black package on end, right to the left of the power cord junction. The linear regulator appears to be the black thing with the silver tab on top, just north of the big yellow transformer (the biggest thing soldered to the board). Be sure and get those numbers.
If you can get replacements for those, you can just go ahead and solder them in and see if the thing works.
BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE short out the large capacitors using a screwdriver with an insulated handle. Just touch the metal part of the screwdriver across the two leads of the cap. You may or may not hear or see anything, but do it just in case. The ones I see are the big dark blue cylinder north of the transformer, and the blue disc just east of the transformer. Do this every time you work on the VCR after plugging it in.
Oh, and don’t touch the heads! Those are the big silver hockey-puck thingie in the center, kinda tilted.
You touch the heads, you need a new VCR.
If you want to know more about the heads, do a google search for “do it yourself VCR cleaning.”