Toshiba SV-771 has white dot/streak in video output...damaged head?

[technoman9]

Phew, though it was a damaged head...those are surely NLA at this point.

I think you may be right about the ground springy thing. I did some more Googling today and found this article on JVC VCRs with the same issue: The description of the issue matches mine almost to a tee. And mine is definitely cock-eyed.

I will straighten out the spring contact on my deck tonight and make sure it's clean. Is a tiny dot of automotive dielectric grease a bad idea?