1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

JVC RC-W40

Discussion in 'Chat Area' started by Transistorized, Nov 10, 2017.

  1. Transistorized

    Transistorized Active Member

    Messages:
    104
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Roanoke
    Purchased a broken JVC RC-W40 on eBay on the cheap. My sister had this box when we were growing up at home. Over the years it developed issues and was replaced. When I saw it on eBay I knew she would like this and it would jog her memory banks. I also saved a few of her cassettes and made her a mixed tape with all the songs she used to play on it way back when.

    I think this is going to make a great gift. I ended up having to strip it down and repair a few plastic parts on the cassette mechanisms as well as replace the belts and adjust motor speed and azimuth. It's playing just like new again. Not only do I think this will make a wonderful gift that will bring back memories, this whole deal (including the blank cassette and belts) totaled less than 25 bucks. It's nice to be able to tinker and fix stuff for nothing :) and a mixed tapes of your favorite songs put together by your brother has to be priceless...

    A few pics of the box torn down and the final result.
    20171030_213253.jpg
    20171030_213223.jpg 20171030_213217.jpg 20171030_213156.jpg 20171030_222728.jpg 20171031_174640.jpg
    It was suggested that since she used to use a gallon of hairspray in the 80's and early 90's, that I should include that with her mixed tape so.......lol..here is the total package
    20171109_184913.jpg

    Here is a tiny snippet of the cassette player running again:



    Hoping she will enjoy this. I spent quite a bit of time getting this all together and repaired. Unlike ripping a MP3 disc or CD, you have to take your time with analog cassettes. Hand writing and personally selecting the track list adds the finishing touches to being a more personal gift. We've lost that with the latest tech. Zip-zap...it's done and the personal touch and appreciation of hard work and thought that went into it is gone. I think more of a gift where someone thought enough to put effort into it versus snagging the gift card at moments notice at the checkout while buying milk.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. T-ster

    T-ster Moderator Staff Member S2G Supporter

    Messages:
    1,455
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    England
    I think this is fantastic, she will surely love it.

    Anytime someone puts thought and effort into a gift like this, personally selects tracks for a mix and records them all to tape for you its such a pleasure to enjoy. I received my first mixtape in years recently from a guy on here, it was genuinely exciting to receive and i sat down with a good whiskey and listened to it straight through twice. I thoroughly enjoyed it and i will treasure it. Thats kinda nice eh? Not a massive cost, just time and care. I miss that in the world.

    Happy birthday to your sis mate :thumbup:
     
    deech and Transistorized like this.
  3. Longman

    Longman Well-Known Member S2G Supporter

    Messages:
    3,654
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Bournemouth UK
    I hope she appreciates all the effort you have put into this.

    A couple of weeks ago I was browsing through records and CDs in a charity shop and some other bloke was doing the same.
    It struck me that when it comes to the Streaming generation, in a couple of decades no one will know what they were listening
    to in 201X.

    I wonder how many records, cassettes and CDs appeared on peoples Christmas lists in the 20th Century.
    If you got a Record Token (did they have those outside the UK ?) you had to make the effort to go to a shop,
    choose and then hopefully write a thank you letter saying what you had bought.
     
    Transistorized likes this.
  4. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

    Messages:
    13,809
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Wow, does that thing shine! Nice job, I completely understand the attachment to my first audio equipment.
     
    Transistorized likes this.
  5. Cassette2go

    Cassette2go Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    500
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Dallas Texas USA
    Mine all works but both cassette decks make a slight grinding sound what could be the issue?
    IMG_3084 JVC RC-W40 James bedroom shelves 10 Nov 2017
    IMG_3084 JVC RC-W40 James bedroom shelves 10 Nov 2017.JPG
     
  6. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

    Messages:
    13,809
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Interesting point Longman, without something tangible, most music today will turn into vaporware. Maybe that's why some bands see a need for tapes or vinyl, that way they will be preserved for the retro crowd....
     
  7. Transistorized

    Transistorized Active Member

    Messages:
    104
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Roanoke
    They used press on plastic clips behind springs on the main drive hubs for the supply and take-up reel gear. The record deck they have another plastic press on clip that secures the pause clicker spring under the capstan flywheel. They crack and fail. Even if the cassette deck or boom box never gets used and sits on a shelf these decks will still eventually fail. Not just because of the belts but because of those brittle plastic retainers that eventually will fail under spring tension. Also (this one I fixed) the motor was slightly worn and contributes to a slight noise. I ended up using super glue on the retainer clips. These are one of those model cassette decks that will fail just from father time working on it...even if never used.
     
    Cassette2go likes this.
  8. Mystic Traveller

    Mystic Traveller Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,767
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    St. Petersburg, Russia - Oxford, GB
    Sure it is! :thumbsup:
     
    Cassette2go likes this.
  9. deech

    deech Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    326
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Athens , Greece
    There is nothing better when gifting a present to a beloved person that has so
    many memories attahed to it ! What a great thought you had Transistorized.
    I think your sister will love it please get back to us with her reaction .:)
    How the world changed like that ? I have to agree with your last lines.
     
    Transistorized likes this.
  10. Easthelp

    Easthelp Active Member

    Messages:
    144
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Location:
    Florida, USA
    What our man Transistorized did for his sister was sweet. That dual-deck JVC looks positively pristine in the forty-odd-second YouTube clip. (Pity, though, that it's a "no tape counter" model.) And I remain quite respectful of all those people who have both skill and nerve to open up electronics units such as these, dismantle them, diagnose their problem, repairing or replacing whatever the faulty part is and then painstakingly reassembling them. Such skill is respected and needed, even in an era of social media, MP3 players and all those thousands of apps.
     
    Transistorized and Cassette2go like this.
  11. Cassette2go

    Cassette2go Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    500
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Dallas Texas USA
    More than Three years ago I did this too! but Only posted it to ... watch out now that social media place that you are not a member of that I know of... and a lot of other people in here too maybe, I don't know. This link you can view WITHOUT becoming a member of this place as I have never posted it to youtube and because of this comment above I thought that I should 'share' this here being the first time I have done so outside of that social place. So here it is:

    It has been viewed a few Thousand times and it is about Four Minutes long ( 4 Minutes ) long ok.
     
    Antoni likes this.
  12. Easthelp

    Easthelp Active Member

    Messages:
    144
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Location:
    Florida, USA
    Hmm ... as Rocky Balboa might say, this Facebook-posted video clip don't seem too much to want me to watch, Mr Pierce. Those were some interesting-looking, "Golden Age" and "Silver Age" portable systems there in the tailgate area of that red pickup, but the uploaded footage froze on me twice. An unexpected visit to the Facebook Help Center (by clicking on the video image to try and restart it the first time) didn't help a lot, though it did play just a little longer the second time around. But I'll take your word for it about restoring and gifting at least one of those boomboxes -- if I'm not mistaking your word, to begin with.
     
    Cassette2go likes this.
  13. Cassette2go

    Cassette2go Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    500
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Dallas Texas USA
    If you do not keep your computer error free and or updated with the latest patch's then it is possible for your device to freeze when watching video's as this has been watched as you can maybe see in the above pic generated by the video there has been over Six Thousand views. You are just missing out viewing this, is all I know.
     

Share This Page