This VCR had something which is unique among the Sony Betamax VCR's and that is the
ability to unlace the tape and wind with the tape inside the cassette shell.
This was the so called fast wind feature. To avoid the risk of tape damage
it did not operate near the beginning or end of a tape. This is signalled
by the orange LED on the front panel. Fast wind is now something that
is common among VHS VCR's these days.
Rear of the SLO-1700
REC remote jacks
These are the two phono connectors on the rear of the machine. By shorting
either one of them the recorder can be switched from stop to record mode.
By opening the circuit a cassette tape will be ejected when the VCR stops.
For REC remote operation an internal wiring change is required:
Cut out the jumper wire between 2 and 3 terminals on the CN615 connector on the 22-29 board.
Record current control
Video head record current adjustment
The SLO-1700 has a user adjustment to vary the head record current.
This is located under the flap on the top cover. The recommended
practise is to adjust so that the replayed hi-fi sound level,
as measured on the test point on the front of the VCR,
is 300mV peak to peak in amplitude. In principle this adjustment should
be made periodically or when changing the brand of tape used for recording.
Upper drum
Fault and repair guide
Irregular tape transport during rewind/review.
This is cause by the tape which sticks to the upper drum when it is worn.
It can be fixed by replacing the upper drum. Click to see full replacement instructions.
Threading gear
Grating noise during tape threading/unthreading.
This is caused by a split threading gear. Sony now supply an improved
type which does not contain the inside metal bush. In the original design
this would expand and cause the plastic to crack. It is also advisable to
replace the threading belt at the same time.
Hall effect sensor attached with glue
No head drum rotation
You may find that the head drum fails to rotate. This
is due to a problem with the Hall effect device on the
head drum motor which is secured by a blob of glue. Full details on how to
fix this can be found on the head motor page.
SLO-1700 VU meters
No illumination in the VU meters
This happens when the 12V tungsten lamp fails. Replacement involves dismantling the meters.
Tracking control
Incorrect tracking
If the tracking control appears to do nothing then check the
front PCB which could be cracked. This often happens when the tracking
control is knocked severely. Repair with care!
