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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: Chad on September 12, 2012, 04:35:09 PM

Title: "CAUTION" message on Sony R500
Post by: Chad on September 12, 2012, 04:35:09 PM

Purchased an R500 on ebay for 99$. I hooked it up, powered it on and put in a tape. The R500 displays "CAUTION" and will not function.

See attached pics on what the manual says about CAUTION. I did this and it did not help.

Hoping someone knows of an easy fix.

Title: Re: Did I buy a bad Sony R500?
Post by: hoppedup on September 12, 2012, 05:15:49 PM

Remove the cassette and leave the deck turned on for about an hour. Then turn the deck off, then on again (see page 29).

Title: Re: Did I buy a bad Sony R500?
Post by: Chad on September 12, 2012, 05:21:39 PM

Quote from: hoppedup on September 12, 2012, 05:15:49 PM

Remove the cassette and leave the deck turned on for about an hour. Then turn the deck off, then on again (see page 29).

I did that and it still says CAUTION.

Title: Re: Did I buy a bad Sony R500?
Post by: hoppedup on September 12, 2012, 05:32:08 PM

Maybe try leaving it on longer. Or put it in a box or bag with some type of dessicant for a while?

Title: Re: Did I buy a bad Sony R500?
Post by: H₂O on September 12, 2012, 07:48:14 PM

Could be a number of things - can you take off the cover and see the tape loading correctly?

Title: Re: "CAUTION" message on Sony R500
Post by: eman on September 13, 2012, 01:22:33 PM

If you can find the moisture sensor maybe check the status and if it is hot unsolder it, if it is cold run voltage to it. Sucks when somebody sells you broken gear, but when I can I just fix it. I'd never even consider selling it down the road with the catch all "as is" which is so often used as an excuse to sell broken crap.

Title: Re: "CAUTION" message on Sony R500
Post by: popskull on November 24, 2013, 01:21:51 PM

I purchased a R500 with 45hrs on the heads this spring, and used it a dozen times over the summer, then let it sit for 3 months

When I turned it on this weekend, I got the caution message. There have been no moisture issues in my house, so I doubted it was condensation.

I removed the cover and inspected the unit. All cables were intact.

When I loaded a tape, I noticed the head drum was not spinning at all when I loaded a tape.

On my other working R500 with 4800 hrs on the heads, the head drum will start spinning once a tape is loaded.

I unloaded the tape on the new deck and powered it down. I then VERY LIGHTLY rotated the head drum counter clockwise. I noticed the cleaning tab was sorta lightly stuck to the head surface.

I then lightly cleaned the head drum with a chamois swab and head cleaning fluid, allowed it to dry and the deck is working flawlessly now

Hope this helps other R500 owners out there

Cheers!

Mike

Title: Re: "CAUTION" message on Sony R500
Post by: jerryfreak on November 26, 2013, 05:02:52 AM

where do i lube the loading mechanism to prevent that horrible screeching noise when loading a tape?