Automatic Total Mechanism Shut-Off (TMS) ?

[tester333]

So, I guess Sony's idea of "Automatic Total Mechanism Shut-Off (TMS)" is the small "rod", extending a couple of inches forward from the face of the deck, that causes the drive to shut OFF whenever there is no tape present?
Thanks.

 

[mtgc]

It is my understanding that this rod is connected via a spring assembly to a switch which is not operative until the rod in under tension, ie has tape pulling it tight.

MTGC (Michael)

 

[tester333]

Thanks, mtgc. You've worded it more correctly.
The reason I asked about the TMS rod/switch is because I wish I had known
about it BEFORE I took the deck in for "repair". You see, I'm new to quads,
and I didn't realize that the drive mechanism was dependent upon this tape
-tension switch. So, when I first "tested" the deck I used an empty reel. Doh!
When the reel didn't turn I assumed it need some work done. Unfortunately,
the repair shop "technician" took advantage of me by making up some BS
story about how the lube/grease on the drive-mech was dried-up and was,
therefore, preventing rotation. I took him at his word, and forked over $133
($65/hr) for "maintenance". Couple of days later, I found the deck's "specs" on the net and quickly realized what the TMS function is all about.
Now I'm thinking I need to confront this technician about his unscrupulous
work-ethic. At the very least, he should refund half of what he charged.
What makes this whole thing worse is that I lost $ because the shop took
twice as long as they estimated to "fix" my working machine. At the time, I already had a "client" who had given me 7 reels and 1 LP for conversion to .wav files for their website. I finished the LP straight away and got paid for that, but because the shop kept my deck twice as long as they said they would need it, I was unable to even get started on the 7 reels. As a result of this "delay", my client found another service to convert their reels.
So, I guess this thread has now turned into a "work-ethics" topic. What do
you guys think? If I confront the repair-shop about their BS diagnostic and
BS repair, do you think they should be obligated to offer a refund of the
cash they "took" for "repairing" a working machine?
Thanks.

 

[mtgc]

Well, concerning said technician, you have to remember that this unit is over 30 years old, and back then, they did not have the modern lubricants, and a lot of the older types of grease would actually harden and become a hindrance to the operation of the unit. It is possible that there was more than one problem with this machine. I would suggest that you gently inform the technician that you are aware of the fact that the unit will not work without tape on it, and since that is the way you originally tested it, ie without tape, you are sure that the unit would have worked with the tape on the reels and the TMS properly tensioned. You notice that I dide not say the unit would work properly, just that it would work, ie turn the reels.
I have found that using diplomacy is often times better than confrontation.
By the way, congratulations on a fine Quad machine.

MTGC (Michael)

 

[Decoder Man]

Standard charge in northeast Ohio is $145.00. However, barring any defective components, it covers cleaning, lubricating, belt replacement, head alignment, demag and bias settings. You did not get ripped off unless he did not perform the above.
Dave

Thanks, mtgc. You've worded it more correctly.
The reason I asked about the TMS rod/switch is because I wish I had known
about it BEFORE I took the deck in for "repair". You see, I'm new to quads,
and I didn't realize that the drive mechanism was dependent upon this tape
-tension switch. So, when I first "tested" the deck I used an empty reel. Doh!
When the reel didn't turn I assumed it need some work done. Unfortunately,
the repair shop "technician" took advantage of me by making up some BS
story about how the lube/grease on the drive-mech was dried-up and was,
therefore, preventing rotation. I took him at his word, and forked over $133
($65/hr) for "maintenance". Couple of days later, I found the deck's "specs" on the net and quickly realized what the TMS function is all about.
Now I'm thinking I need to confront this technician about his unscrupulous
work-ethic. At the very least, he should refund half of what he charged.
What makes this whole thing worse is that I lost $ because the shop took
twice as long as they estimated to "fix" my working machine. At the time, I already had a "client" who had given me 7 reels and 1 LP for conversion to .wav files for their website. I finished the LP straight away and got paid for that, but because the shop kept my deck twice as long as they said they would need it, I was unable to even get started on the 7 reels. As a result of this "delay", my client found another service to convert their reels.
So, I guess this thread has now turned into a "work-ethics" topic. What do
you guys think? If I confront the repair-shop about their BS diagnostic and
BS repair, do you think they should be obligated to offer a refund of the
cash they "took" for "repairing" a working machine?
Thanks.

 

[tester333]

Well, concerning said technician, you have to remember that this unit is over 30 years old, and back then, they did not have the modern lubricants, and a lot of the older types of grease would actually harden and become a hindrance to the operation of the unit. It is possible that there was more than one problem with this machine. I would suggest that you gently inform the technician that you are aware of the fact that the unit will not work without tape on it, and since that is the way you originally tested it, ie without tape, you are sure that the unit would have worked with the tape on the reels and the TMS properly tensioned. You notice that I dide not say the unit would work properly, just that it would work, ie turn the reels.
I have found that using diplomacy is often times better than confrontation.
By the way, congratulations on a fine Quad machine.
MTGC (Michael)

Standard charge in northeast Ohio is $145.00. However, barring any defective components, it covers cleaning, lubricating, belt replacement, head alignment, demag and bias settings. You did not get ripped off unless he did not perform the above.
Dave

Thanks for the replies, Michael and Decoder Man. Interesting that you (Decoder Man) can readily list a standard check-list of items, while my "receipt" for the work performed list absolutely NOTHING. It does make sense that "older" types of lubrication would "fail" over time, especially if the deck has been in storage. This simple explanation certainly "seemed" to fit the situation, but there's more to the story than I've indicated thus far. You see, this technician didn't even have a reel of tape on hand during his "repair" work, which pretty much indicates that he wasn't doing any particular tweaking such as the "head alignment" or "bias" adjustment that Decoder Man has mentioned. It also indicates that he hadn't taken the time to put the deck through normal functions like playback, record, erase, VU meter check, etc.
When I got the call to pick it up he asked me if I had any tape. I should have
recognized this as a red-flag, because I've since "learned" that a test of simple playback function is best done with a high quality recorded tape. I told him all I had was a new blank tape, so he tells me to come on in and bring a couple of mics. So, I'm thinking, cool--we'll make some recordings and prove out some functions. I get there and the guy doesn't even have XLR-1/4" adapters for the mics I brought in. Doh! It would have been nice if he had told me to also bring the proper cable-connections. At that point, I'm thinking OK--we'll at least be able to do a couple of line-level recordings using the RCA jacks on the rear of the deck. Nope--the guy's not even set up for this either. We're sitting in a room filled with all manner of test equipment--scopes, meters, sweep-generators, spectrum-analyzers, etc, not to mention about a million $ worth of McIntosh gear, and the guy's NOT even set up to run a couple of RCA lines into my deck. Again, it would have been nice if he had told me to also bring the proper cable-connections. So, he proceeds to have a "listen" to my blank tape using headphones. He then promptly reports that he hears the expected/normal amount of analog-hiss. Cool--we established at least that much.
OK, OK, I guess maybe I'm starting to RANT...it just seems that this guy wasn't exactly "prepared"...oh well...live and learn.