Can you believe it? Tape Project is ten years old! Thanks to everyone who has supported us in introducing studio quality tape reproduction to the audiophile community!

Author Topic: Otari 5050III capstan motor stopped  (Read 4834 times)

Offline jimkjr

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 21
    • View Profile
Otari 5050III capstan motor stopped
« on: October 18, 2010, 10:30:02 AM »
My capstn motor has stopped working all of a sudden.I put a 10' reel on the machine,and it run very slowly,and then stopped.I then put a 7" reel on,and noticed the capstan was not moving.I also tried the edit/start button to no avail. Is there a simple solution such as a fuse?
« Last Edit: October 19, 2010, 09:48:16 AM by jimkjr »
Jim

Offline Ki Choi

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 314
    • View Profile
Re: Otari 5050III
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2010, 06:00:06 PM »
Try giving the capstan a kick start by twisting it manually.
It seems your machine had been working properly before so it won't be the frozen capstan oil bushing...  I have had one of the Otari's exhibit similar symptoms from either trying to play a sticky tape or the servo feedback sensor in the capstan motor had come off...
Ki Choi

Offline jimkjr

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 21
    • View Profile
Re: Otari 5050III capstan motor stopped
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2010, 09:46:11 AM »
Koi
I had already tried manually turning the capstan,and it is loose,but it just won't start.Any other suggestions?
« Last Edit: October 19, 2010, 09:50:19 AM by jimkjr »
Jim

Offline Ki Choi

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 314
    • View Profile
Re: Otari 5050III capstan motor stopped
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2010, 10:34:05 AM »
Hi Jim (guessing from your ID):

Otari's capstan motor is enabled when you have proper tension.  I would manually pull up both tension arms (with rubber bands) and check their switch outputs going into the control board.  As you may have noticed, the switch attached to the tension arms normally clicks as you begin to move up the tension arms. 
Other more sophisticated Otari model also has tape sensor that works in conjunction with the tension sensor before enabling the capstan motor.

Ki
Ki Choi

Offline Listens2tubes

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 284
  • Reel Analog
    • View Profile
    • Listens2tubes
Re: Otari 5050III capstan motor stopped
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2010, 09:40:46 PM »
If your a DIY type like me open the back and lower the circuit board so you can spray contact cleaner into the L-H speed switch. This was the fix on two of my decks with this problem.
Neal - Ampex Fineline F-44, 3 - Otari MX5050BII-2, Revox A77 Mk II , Teac A 4010s, 4070, Sony TC102A, Magnecord 1020, Systemdek IIX/Dynavector Karat 17D2MKII, CEC CD3300 CDP, K Works NanoMax DAC, Van Alsine Transcendence Eight+ tube preamp, Dynaco MkIV amp pair, Paradigm Reference Studio 100 v1