Ullrich_Fischer@mindlink.UUCP (Ullrich Fischer) (03/12/91)
I don't have access to a more relevant USENET group here so I'm posting to this group. If anyone can suggest a better destination, please semd me e-mail. We have a Toshiba M110 VCR which is occasionally failing as follows: We tape a show off a satellite TV channel. We use the RF-channel 3 output from the Satellite IRD to feed into the VCR but normally feed the TV from a composite video output from the IRD. When we play back the program, the picture is fine, but the sound track is almost totally unintelligible due to white noise superimposed over the regular sound. One time when we noticed this problem, I switched the TV to take its input from the RF channel 3 output from the VCR and the noise appeared on the TV as well. When I turned off the VCR, the noise went away. When I turned on the VCR again, the noise did not return. The noise was recorded on the tape, however. The following diagram illustrates the configuration. We are using standard Radio Shack co-ax cables to carry the CH 3 RF signals and ordinary RCA terminated cables to carry the composite video signals. The cables from the Satellite dish to the IRD were supplied by the Satellite system installer. The IRD is a Houston Tracker 8 plus. The downstairs TV is a 12 year old 20" Toshiba and the upstairs TV is a Mutsibishi Monitor style. ( Satellite dish | ch 3 | +---------------------------------- TV downstairs | | no noise here | | | | | | ch 3 ch3 +---IRD----splitter----------VCR------------TV upstairs | sometimes noise here | | | | composite video | +---------------------------------------+ no noise ever this route In addition, we have a 'Genie' attached to the IRD which generates a very low power RF signal on channel 14 which we use to view Satellite programs on a portable TV from various points around the house. This problem does not always come up. Most of the things we have taped have come out ok, but one out of 6 or 7 attempts results in this problem coming up. We've had the VCR in for repairs 3 times and allegedly things were fixed, but each time the problem has come back sooner or later. The last time this happened, the Toshiba repair man in town said he could not find a problem with the VCR and thought maybe it was static building up in the IRD or something. I would like to have them swap out the VCR and write it off as a lemon, but the repair guy wants us to prove that it is the VCR's fault. We never have this problem when the VCR is not in the circuit or when the VCR is powered down. The downstairs TV never has this problem, although whenever the problem has come up, we never actually checked if the downstairs TV was getting the noise at that time. I checked the ch 3 output lines from the IRD for any DC voltage but found none. Has anyone had a similar experience? If so, how was it resolved? ... or was it? -- --- Ullrich Fischer phone (604) 684 9371 Vancouver, BC, Canada --- Ullrich_Fischer@mindlink.uucp