JCPenney 5060VHS VCR tope loader
 

I have been working on this VCR and this is best as I could get. A B/W picture with with black lines going to the left. I do have a parts unit if I need any parts the are proprietary. I'm not the best with VCRs so if anyone has ideas on where to go next let me know. I think the video heads may be warn as the button labels are almost worn off but before I change the heads I want to be sure.

I have always wanted a top loader and would like to get it fixed so I can enjoy while it lasts. Here are a couple of pictures

Well I changed the video heads as they were quite worn and that fixed the smearing of the picture but it is still in B/W. So there is a problem with the chroma. Time to work on the chroma circuity or replace the chroma board out of the parts unit. I'm going to change the chroma board and she if that fixes it

Do you have an ESR meter? Maybe a capacitor is open / high ESR?

I do have an ESR tester and I have checked every capacitor and replaced the ones that were bad

Electrolytics can also fail short circuit and look like the ESR is low. That being said, it might be time to get a scope out and check signal flow. At that point I would probably be in over my head. I do have a scope but my troubleshooting skills are not that great. LOL However with a service manual, scope and time it's amazing what a person can figure out. Unfortunately, there are very few people who will touch a VCR and do not understand WHY we want this (obsolete) stuff working! I mess with this stuff to learn how stuff works. It does feel pretty good to bring something back from the dead.

I do have a parts unit and I'm going to swap the two boards that have that handle the chrome. If that doesn't fix it then I know it's on the main board and I will get the service manual to help me in fixing it. Also I will have to replace the cord as its got molded plug disease.

What is molded plug disease?

Anyone know who made this..I assume its a 686-5060

Below is a troubleshooting chart from a VCR repair book. It makes a couple of good points such as will a recording on this VCR playback color on another VCR.
Sorry the image is blurry. The forum software is too restrictive on attachments!


http://videokarma.org/attachment.php...1&d=1714772252

if I utilize your assumption and look up "686-5060" in my records I find two FCC ID#'s, both belonging to Matsushita (Panasonic) as the manufacturer:

1) ACJ927029A similar models being:

PV-1222/PANASONIC
PV-1225/PANASONIC
VH5041/QUASAR

and

2) ACJ927030A similar models being:

1VCR5002/GE
855-4689/JC PENNEY
KV729/CURTIS MATHES
PV-1230/PANASONIC
V1003/PHILCO
VC2230/SYLVANIA
VH5042/QUASAR
VR8405/MAGNAVOX
PV-1231R/PANASONIC
VH5141/QUASAR

Not sure why the same model returns as two different FCC IDs. Could be a typo on my part. Or maybe bad information from other sources. It was 30 years ago. Sorry.

Computer (certainly not memory) says I looked at/worked on 5 of JC Penney model 686-5060 in the very early 90's. Two needed a Panasonic p/n VXP0521 FF/REW Idler (quick fixes). However, no one would approve over $76 estimates for repairs on the others... even back in the early 90's! So this may be just a cheap 2 head mono unit.

Sorry I have no more help. Good luck getting yours going!

Yea it's lower end 2 head mono VCR. I did swap two of the boards with the ones out of the parts unit it made no difference. If I'm going to continue on this project I need a service manual. So I went a head and purchased a Sam's photo fact for the model 686-5060. Hopefully with that and the troubleshooting chart I can get the VCR fixed. On the front of VCR it just says 5060 and when I was creating the title for the forum I just quickly looked at the front of the machine.

Molded plug disease is where the vinyl reacts with the copper wire making a green goo that seeps out of the plug. if you cut the cord off you can see green goo around the copper wire. I have seen it on stuff from 70s an older but never anything from the 80s. The goo was on both of the JCPenney VCRs (OEM Panasonic) so I would keep an eye on Panasonic stuff from mid 80s as there power cords maybe starting to fail do to age.

I've never heard of that before. Does it happen in certain parts of the country / world and not others? Maybe like near an ocean?

I wonder if somebody removed / replaced the head drum and reinstalled it 180 degrees off. A classic symptom is no color (azimuth angle is slightly different between the two opposing heads), and those black streaks are a symptom of bad heads.

Another common cause of generally crappy video in Panasonic-built VCRs are those ceramic modules. One that handles video processing is likely bad. They were about $ 40.00 back in the day. Probably NLA by now.

I actually believe I can solve the problem. I own a PV-1220 and there is a video board near the coaxial ports. When I first bought it, it had the exact same problem. It is quite simple actually to repair. You need to locate the chroma potentiometer and spray it with contact cleaner. Spray and adjust until you have color. Also spray the channel 3/4 switch as that often becomes corroded, resulting in signal appearing and disappearing at random.