VTC-M40
Sanyo 1984
Betamax VTC-M40


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Technical


Rear view
The VTC-M40's only weakness was the usual Sanyo reel drive motor and idler that would get noisy or ineffective over time. The rest of the machine is, as ever with Sanyo, bomb-proof. Much of the HiFi electronics inside are actually sourced from Sony. The heads are not the same as most other Sanyo VTC series (due to HiFi) and are expensive, but fortunately last quite well.

It can be helpful to adjust the DOC (Dropout Compensator) preset inside the machine as the heads wear a bit to prevent white flashes across the screen on poor tapes.

Quick fault guide

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FaultSolution
Record from nowTry it. Set machine to record, then flick timer switch. Machine asks for switch-off time.
Very poor normal sound quality,especially during recordingFailure of the mono edge track sound IC.
Check that the head azimuth and alignment is correct first.
The previous recordings mono soundtrack remains intact during new recordingsFailure of the mono (NOT Hi-Fi) sound recording bias transformer.
Poor or non exsistent tracking control operationThe internals of the tracking control potentiometer fall apart. They can be repaired using a tiny blob of suitable glue and a very dextrous hand.


Thanks to Colin McCormick for help with information on this model.