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Author Topic: How to adjust Otari 5050 tape tension?  (Read 5889 times)

Offline Bill Way

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How to adjust Otari 5050 tape tension?
« on: April 22, 2013, 11:59:05 PM »
Apologies if this has been posted, but I couldn't find it.

How do you adjust tape tension on the MX5050 B2-II, and is there just one adjustment, or separate adjustments for play/FF/Rew? I can't find any reference to it in the service manual.

Many thanks.

WW
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Offline ironbut

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Re: How to adjust Otari 5050 tape tension?
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2013, 12:52:56 AM »
Hey Bill,

Welcome to the forum.
There isn't a tape tension adjustment on Otari 5050 machines like on most others.
I've never really looked further into the mechanism that keeps the tension correct but if your machine's tension is wrong, you might try asking on the Otari Yahoo group.
steve koto
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Offline Listens2tubes

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Re: How to adjust Otari 5050 tape tension?
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2013, 04:47:50 PM »
IIRC I read somewhere about a wire wound resistor with a sliding contact adjustment. Have not verified this but you would need a Tentelometer to be sure the tension was correct in any case.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2013, 07:47:11 AM by Listens2tubes »
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Offline Listens2tubes

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Re: How to adjust Otari 5050 tape tension?
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2013, 07:22:08 AM »
Can find nothing like that on either a BII-2 BII-HD. So I guess it would be up to a tech that understands the circuit.
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

Offline ironbut

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Re: How to adjust Otari 5050 tape tension?
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2013, 12:11:59 PM »
Hey Neal,
Yes, I've searched all 3 of the 5050 service manuals for info regarding tape tension in the past and couldn't find anything.
Some of the Sony decks used wirewound variable resistors for adjusting tension so it could be another machine that you were thinking about.
steve koto
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