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Conference tekvax::electro_hobby

Title:Electro_Hobby
Notice:TEKVAX may be up-and-down 'till we get settled in..
Moderator:TEKVAX::KOPEC
Created:Thu Jan 15 1987
Last Modified:Tue May 20 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1831
Total number of notes:14297

1829.0. "Playback Problem-answering machine" by DANGER::YEE () Wed Mar 05 1997 12:25

    Hi,
    
    I am having problem with my Panasonic answering machine.  2 line/time
    stamp answering machine - about 6-7 years old.
    
    It doesn't rewind to the beginning of the incoming messege when you
    press the "review/play" key and plays the incoming messeges.  The messege
    tape just continues to rewind and does not stop.  It "used to" rewind and
    start to play the first incoming messege.
    
    I now just rewind the tape using the rev button and and hitting the
    play button hoping that I get back to the first messege.  If I have
    not rewound enough on hearing the playback, I then rewind it some more.
    I use the time stamp recording on the tape to tell me if I have gone 
    far enough back.
    
    Is something broken and adjustable?  Do I need to demagnitize the head 
    or check for any alignment?  How does the rewind, search for 
    the beginning of the messege, and play function work in the answering 
    machine?
    
    /Ed
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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1829.1ATLANT::SCHMIDTSee http://atlant2.zko.dec.com/Wed Mar 05 1997 19:0815
Ed:

  On the Panasonics I've seen, the beginning and end of tape
  are detected by reed switch activated by a magnet on one
  of the tape spindles. Usually, if you remove the tape and
  turn one or the other of the spindles by hand, you can
  hear the tiny little "tink-tink" sound of the reed relay
  contacts closing.

  If you have a reed switch in your machine, an ohmeter should
  reveal if it's working correctly. If it si and the rewind
  still isn't stopping at the beginning-of-tape, then it may
  be a dead microcomputer.

                                   Atlant
1829.2Problem-Beginning of Last Unplayed Messege DANGER::YEEThu Mar 06 1997 11:4115
    Thanks for getting back on this.  I will have to check this but the
    problem is not the stopping at the EOT or BOT.
    
    The problem, maybe I was not clear, was the unit not rewinding to the
    "beginning of (the last unplayed) messege" on pressing the play/review
    button.  I have to shuttle the tape (alternate rev/play) to get to the 
    start of the last unplayed messege.  The messege  counter works fine.
    
    I "suspect" that there is a special tone that is recorded onto
    the tape to tell the microprocessor where the last unplayed messege
    starts.  I don't think there is something mechanical involved, but I 
    don't know for sure.  Are the microprocessors known to fail in the
    panasonic players.
    
    Ed