Tape loading issues - can anyone help?

Outraged Donkey · July 2008

Hi,

I have just bought a +2 which has a problem. Whenever I try to load a tape the spectrum refuses to acknowledge what I am doing. I have tried in Loader and 48k Basic, but I can't even get the alternating red/cyan border. Instead the tape just runs with no effect.

I have tried a tape I know loads (tested it on another spectrum), along with a few other tapes. I have also tried adjusting the screw between the tape desk and the tape controls.

I also know that sound is getting to the television, as the BEEP command in Basic works fine. I've given the tape head a cursory clean but there doesn't seem to be much dirt there.

Has anyone encountered this before? Is there a solution? Can I rig an external tape player to the +2 like I would with a 48k?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

FrankT · July 2008

Sounds like a wire has come loose somewhere, more than likely off the tape head (if you get no sound at all from the tape deck). I'd open it up and take a look for any dislodged wires. Just be careful when opening of the keyboard membrane connectors, try not to crease them at all otherwise you'll do even more damage.

emleymoor · July 2008

Outraged Donkey wrote: »

Hi,

Has anyone encountered this before? Is there a solution? Can I rig an external tape player to the +2 like I would with a 48k?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

You can't rig an external tape player to it normally, but if there is no obvious fault on the wiring and you suspect a head fault, you could link the head of another recorder onto the wiring for the head of the built-in.

If the wiring seems sound and that doesn't work, there is probably a fault on the cassette deck circuit board. I have never encountered such failure.

Battle Bunny · July 2008

Check the WoS magazine archive for Crash #96 (Feb'92) page 33 where there is an article about converting the +2 to use an external tape deck. It seems rather a palaver to me, and I've no idea how accurate or reliable the instructions are - the section is titled "Techni-Tak!" (sic) which doesn't bode well. Then again, if the fault is "downstream" from where the external tape deck is connected then it still wouldn't work.

Gods · July 2008

try to push/activate the "REC" key, 3 ou 4 times.

wadfm · July 2008

maybe the record switch is stuck open as gods says put in a blank tape and press the record and stop and record and stop or open up the speccy try some switch cleaner on the record switch it may have some crap in it stopping it from returning when you want to play a tape.

Lee

Unknown · July 2008

is it possible that the play head needs to be realigned? there should be a screw hole on the top just in front of the play head. see below. i cannot remember what i did exactly (long time ago), but i think i turned it to the right fully (tightened) and gave it ½ turns to the left (loosen) until i got some signal and then fine adjusted from there.

Outraged Donkey · July 2008

Gods wrote: »

try to push/activate the "REC" key, 3 ou 4 times.

Aha!

I tried this and the record button is actually jammed. It won't depress at all! Whether this is the cause of the problem or incidental remains a mystery, though. I tried taking the Spectrum apart to look at the mechanism. All wires are attached and the springs are working correctly.

Is there an easy way to get to the record button's working parts or am I going to have to disassemble the entire datacorder (and remove the attached circuit board) in the hope that this is where the problem lies?

Thanks everyone for your replies so far.

wadfm · July 2008

Hi

firstly are you putting in a tape that you can use to record on as i mean the tab is not removed top left of the tape as the record button wont go down until either a balnk tape is in with the tab in place orrrr by pressing the switch inside manually with your finger and then pressing play and record.

secondly :

If i remember rightly you might not have to strip the circuit board out i think according to this image link below you can access the record switch quite easily

hope this helps

lee

http://www.crashonline.org.uk/33/images/plus2_2.jpg

as you can see in the image the circuit board is there and just at the bottom of the board is the record switch , check that out first if not then i am afraid it will have to be stripped down

:(

Lee

Outraged Donkey · July 2008

Hi,

I had forgotten that you can't press record down when the tape deck is empty. D'oh!

I managed to get hold of a blank tape and tried that. I tried saving a quick basic programme to the tape and it claimed to save (I actually got the tape noises and red/cyan and blue/yellow striped borders). When I tried to load what I had saved, or tried to load a commercial tape, however, it still wouldn't recognise the presence of the tape.

Any ideas?

Gods · July 2008

Outraged Donkey wrote: »

I managed to get hold of a blank tape and tried that. I tried saving a quick basic programme to the tape and it claimed to save (I actually got the tape noises and red/cyan and blue/yellow striped borders). When I tried to load what I had saved, or tried to load a commercial tape, however, it still wouldn't recognise the presence of the tape.

Any ideas?

And i've you try to listen on another tape recorder if your saved basic prog do any sound on the (blank) tape? If not, check the head wiring...

Phu · July 2008

Outraged Donkey wrote: »

Hi,

I have just bought a +2 which has a problem. Whenever I try to load a tape the spectrum refuses to acknowledge what I am doing. I have tried in Loader and 48k Basic, but I can't even get the alternating red/cyan border. Instead the tape just runs with no effect.

I have tried a tape I know loads (tested it on another spectrum), along with a few other tapes. I have also tried adjusting the screw between the tape desk and the tape controls.

I also know that sound is getting to the television, as the BEEP command in Basic works fine. I've given the tape head a cursory clean but there doesn't seem to be much dirt there.

Has anyone encountered this before? Is there a solution? Can I rig an external tape player to the +2 like I would with a 48k?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

One thing you haven't actually mentioned is whether the tape loading sounds are audible on the television. This is key to where the fault is. Your text "I know sound is getting to the TV" implies you are not hearing sound from the tape, but I'll give you solutions for both (note these assume you have a grey +2 - if its a black +2 let me know, as they are different):

1) If you hear the tape loading sounds on the TV:
Disconnect one end of R102. This is a resistor that discharges part of the tape signal to ground as part of a filter mechanism. I've seen in some rare cases this resistor causes too much attenuation on the signal and the ULA just can't tell the difference between a 0 and 1 any more.

2) If you can't hear tape sounds:
This would indicate the track from the tape connector to the ULA is broken. Find R47 - this is another part of the filter. One end of this will be connected to C48. Connect a wire from pin 4 of PL12 to the other end of R47. Confirm that the C48 end of R47 is connected with no resistance to pin 34 of the ULA (the big 48-pin chip. Count pins anti-clockwise from the top left).

Also make sure the cable that connects the tape deck to PL12 is in good working order.

Once you've checked that lot, get back to me with the results :)

-- Richard

Outraged Donkey · July 2008

Thanks Richard,

I have the grey +2 model, not the +2A. I cannot hear the loading sounds at all.

I opened the spectrum up, and the connections look fine. I will attempt your suggested steps and get back to you.

Thanks

Tape loading issues - can anyone help?

Comments