This June, the time came for a proper test of the Ampex VPR-3, this time having Type-C video tape reels with recorded material. The unit had not been powered on since my last tests during April—some two months ago.
I threaded one of the two reels I sourced and powered on the system for playback.
The good
The VTR works as a whole, or at least it seems so. The air system still handles its job after the overhaul, all mechanical functions work, but there’s an exception with the power regulator, which outputs an extra 1-2 volts (as seen on the control panel diagnostic display) for the 24V rail.
There is also an intermittent failure message stating “capstan current high,” which might be related to the extra voltage. Even so, I took the risk to continue with the playback test.
I was thrilled when images started to show on the screen—this reel holds some promo ads for the music industry, which are of great aesthetic value, with some impressive editing skills for the time. The unit has an audio system of its own, but sadly I didn’t finished working out the connections at the back for sound playback.
The bad
The image is split and there are horizontal/diagonal skips. I initially thought this was the scanner’s fault—I have always suspected the AST scanner/head has some issue due to a fine rattling noise when manually turning it.
The first test concluded after about 15 minutes that late evening, and a few days later I returned to it.
Temporary playing as it should
I decided to clean the head and tips with isopropyl alcohol, very carefully. I threaded the tape again, and surprise! The promo ads started playing with a clarity and color palette I don’t think was matched by any other CRT I’ve looked at (or so I was mesmerized).
I was in pure ecstasy, watching this miracle happen in front of me, and those vintage music promo ads with spectacular visuals added to the feeling—not to mention how majestically the VPR-3 handles the big reel to display its content.
After I considered the project a full success, and right after enjoying those musical promo ads for 16 minutes and 27 seconds, the image split/jumpy issue started to reappear.
This is where I cleaned the head again, but without luck in getting the image back to normal, so I’m left with troubleshooting the issue further—likely from another source.
Conclusion
I’m generally satisfied with the test, considering the age of this VTR, for which I haven’t replaced any electronic/electrical parts yet.
There is some work ahead in finding the exact cause of the image display issue, and hopefully I will return with a positive update on this beautiful machine.