Embracing Your Inner Cassette Recorder - Lloyd's 8V84A

[shoprat17]

The only thign lloyd's that i got is a am/fm aux/8 track reciever that came with 2 lloyd's speakers from a thrift store. sounds real nice on all functions but mostly gets used on 8 track.

[osdelced]

Your Lloyd's cassette recorder is exactly the same than my Sanyo M-38 cassette recorder inside. Only changes the VU Batt Record meter and volume control localization. =) My Sanyo works so good, I rescue from a charity bazaar. Unfortunately as you say happens, the removable cassette doors are lose, and the batterie cover too!. =(

[clydesight]

@osdelced

From what I understand, the Lloyd's machine was designed by Sanyo and branded under the name Lloyd's. This was a very successful design, so it showed up in many machines, including Craig, Bell & Howell and others. They would move some parts around (volume control, VU meter), but the basic drive was the same as was the overall layout.

[ajittffcure]

Very nice footage. Good demo. It is not just the colour but also the smell of certain cassette tapes takes you back in time. Have you noticed this?

[clydesight]

@ajittffcure

YES, these machines do have a smell! I think it is sometimes the plastic used for to line battery compartment, I notice this on the Lloyd's and I like that smell (go figure). And you are right, certain tapes have a smell to them. Scotch R2R Dynarange tape has a signature aroma.

I have an old tube type Webcor. Once that gets cooking, it puts out a smell I recognize from when I was a kid and had an old tube type portable record player with the faux alligator green case.

[jenson1066]

Its nice to see old tape recorders! Even though I got a mid-range hi-fi system with CD/Digital radio etc, I still play and record on cassette! I had heard on a local radio station that the cassette is making a come-back!

[clydesight]

Hi Jenson,

Thanks!

There has been some buzz that both vinyl and cassettes may be making a comeback.

People see DJs in clubs using records and of course, they want to do the same.

Cassettes, never really went away, it's just the record companies killed commercial cassettes when they went to the CDs. But people still buy cassette recorders and cassettes.

Digital is very nice, but there is some love for the older technology too.

[masterlee123]

I got the same Cassette Recorder Lloyd's 8V84A. But mine is leaking oil.

[clydesight]

How is yours leaking oil? Did you oil the motor? You might need to take the machine apart and clean it thoroughly as the oil can turn gummy over time.

[Lachlant1984]

That's not a bad recorder, but when you played back your test recording, I heard some motor interference coming through the speaker, I have an old Sanyo unit that does that. What size batteries does this machine use?

[clydesight]

Thanks. Yes, the motor is leaking a little bit into the amp circuit, probably needs a new capacitor filter. The unit takes 5 "C" cells.

[asguitarstereo]

your videos are interesting.5*****.bye

[clydesight]

Thanks!

[knirscher]

A very well Dicription of this Recorder.Thank you for your interesting

Youtube Videos!

This Tape recorder with the Brandname Lloyd's manufactured by

Sanyo- Japannumber 704 -

Another Brandname for this Recorder is Privileg TC183,Order

No 09715 by Quelle Store Germany.See Radiomuseum org

Remark:The Philips Recorders from the 60s has 1 Button for

the mechanical functions,Type EL 3300,3301,3302 and other

Long live the Tape-World with Reel to Reel-Recorders,Cassetterecorde­rs

and Videorecorders!

[clydesight]

Thank you. I am sure that Lloyd's was just a brand name, not a real manufacturer. It is common for one maker to produce stuff under many names.

While the Philips used a one button control system, the inner workings -- the motor, capstan and other parts designs -- were made freely available to other manufacturers to imitate.

But Philips made the best transports (except for their stupid deteriorating belts!) I'd take a Philips any day over almost anything else.

TAPE RULES!

[sparkdetect]

It has good audio quality!

[clydesight]

Thank you. This Lloyd's model was one of their better machines, a rare find, but a beauty.

[clydesight]

Thanks. It is SO difficult to date these machines unless you have a catalog resource!

One trick is if the machine has a slider volume control, it's definitely 70's! That design feature lasted only a few years.

I imagine that all these mechanisms were designed by SANYO - they seemed to make a lot of these mechanisms for other folks. Some machines had no locking FF and/or REW (my Emerson is like that). I wonder why they chose that method?

[Xelmon]

Interesting video, good to know that the manual FF is an intended feature, not something that broke.

I have a Bell and Howell 87500 that I just got the other day...

I was amazed how similar the insides are when you cracked it open, and I had no idea that the cover was removable.

The thing that I really wonder about is what year my deck is... From your description the best I can hope for is "very early 70's", since it doesn't go into the "black is sexy" yet.

I'll post a thing of it sometimes.

[batterymaker]

It says Lloyd's on the outside, but I see Philips on the inside!

[clydesight]

Philips (Norelco in the US) had the license on the cassette mechanism which they freely gave to manufacturers who would comply with compatibility requirements. Manufacturers took the basic design and altered it slightly to meet their needs. Thus you'll see "Philips" type transports in many machines from this time period. They all have minor differences. The "Philips" design used TWO belts and an electronically governed motor. Lloyd's eliminated one belt and used an electromechanical governor.

[60512]

That was a very informative video. It seems that there are many models with that system.

It would be interesting if you showed more of those videos like that on the rest of your collection.

I bought a Rexina CT-500 cassette recorder of around the same era, with simple DC bias and it was well-used. It still works, though I need to fix electrical problems that happen occasionally.

[clydesight]

Thanks for your comment. Yes, the Lloyd's basic design (not the case, the inside) is a very common design used by MANY manufacturers, including SONY. It is based on the classic Norelco design that started it all. CassetteMaster has many videos on cassette machines from this time period that you might enjoy. I've never heard of Rexina. How a bout a video to show us this machine and how much you enjoy it. We can never have too many tape recorder videos on YouTube!

[60512]

I'll try to upload a video of it and my other vintage audio equipment once I get a video camera, which I hope will be relatively soon.

[clydesight]

Here's hoping you get a nice camera and I look forward to your video!

[ForgetfulCollector]

I know it say's I'm not 60512, but I'm using my replacement file. I uploaded the video now!

[clydesight]

Cool. Will I find it in your profile?

[silentdirector]

where can i find this 7.5 power supply and what kind of batteries does it take?

[clydesight]

The Lloyd's uses a special nonstandard plug for the external power supply. Unless you find a machine on E-Bay that has this power supply, I think you may be out of luck. The unit runs on 5 standard C cell batteries. You could use a universal power supply set to 7.5 volts (such as at Radio Shack), and connect jumper leads to the battery terminals in the battery compartment.

[pierrelebatteur]

What is it all sounds nice at the beginning?

[clydesight]

Thanks! It's the theme from our Dream Angel Oracle Divination Program. Read our Video Description in full to find a link to our Web site about it.

[thecrystalcauldron]

I love the music and I highly reccomend the programme.

[28019ab]

good vid!

those mechs were used by Sanyo until the mid 1970s. they may even have been designed by them. Problem i have found: the idlers and surfaces of the spool tables need roughning up with light sandpaper to give better grip.

[clydesight]

Thanks for the info. A lot of people seem to be trying to track down the true origin of many vintage machines and Sanyo seems to come up as a popular candidate as a source. Who knows for sure? It would be fun to know. Whoever, the engineers did an incredible job if their machines still run after 40+ years!

Sandpaper (emery boards are good) to roughen surfaces can work but can introduce rumble and wow and flutter. I found that acetone based nail polish remover can do the trick too.

[coolbluelights]

really informative! I loved your esentation! LONG LIVE THE TAPE RECORDER!

[coolbluelights]

ahh I mean Presentation :P

[clydesight]

Thanks!

Don't you just love how computer keyboards miss it when you type a key but you just don't hit it right to register it?

Happens to me all the time.

[CassetteMaster]

YES!! LONG LIVE THE TAPE RECORDER!

[Mastercorder]

I wounder if the primary function of that unit was to record voice for taking to collage class magnetic diarys etc. I think a lot of contacts need to be cleaned and one small thing I know about that error of equipment it needs to be used or it goes down or does what your experiencing.

[clydesight]

Thanks for your comments. Cassette recorders of this design (there were several, but they had different quality in the motor control, amplifier, and machining of parts) were best used as you suggest - for voice. However, some were excellent for music. The Norelco Carry Corder 150 was one such machine, and as you can hear, the Lloyd's does pretty well too, especially when using a larger external speaker.

[Mastercorder]

very nice machine and presentation you have taken me back to my days as a teen the cassettes came after the rim drive reel to reel those rim drives were a blast all this is part of my growing up I feel honored to have grown up in the tape error .... !!!!!

[damusician]

nice recorder and demo! me and cassettemaster have a 1966 sony tc-100 cassette recorder. the mic input will work with turntables with magnetic pickups.

[thecrystalcauldron]

Wow. What a great little recorder and a brilliant commentary.Another e bay bargain and who would believe about 40 years old.

Brilliant well done!

[clydesight]

I believe that this design, like so many, is based on the Norelco CarryCorder 150, the pioneer in early cassette machines. Norelco had the design, license, and patents, which others purchased for use. Norelco (Philips) had very strict rules for compatibility. The differences in the other machines came in the quality of the parts, motor governors, amps, machining of parts.

[CassetteMaster]

That's an AWESOME recorder! Good quality, probably AC bias, very nice machine! And the common classic way of the belt and idler arrangement! SO many of my recorders are like that!! Classic...

[clydesight]

Yes, using the info from your how to find the BIAS video I checked. I had to look on the circuit board and the AC bias coil was clearly indicated, and it is adjustable. I couldn't do the fast forward test because there is no "cue" function and FF disengages the heads from the tape.

[CassetteMaster]

Good! AC bias, as expected!