I purchased a Sony Handycam a few years back, along with a two-year extended warranty. The camcorder worked great the first year, but it developed an issue with the cassette holder. When I tried to record or play a cassette, I began to get Sony's version of the "blue screen of death," accompanied by text instructions to "reinsert cassette."
It initially occurred fairly randomly, and I was able to reinsert the cassette and continue, but after a month, even that was no longer possible. I called Sony to report the problem and to see how best to proceed, since it was still under warranty. After explaining the issue to the technical support representative, I asked him if this was a common problem. His response was that it was very strange, and he had not heard of this happening before.
Yet if you enter into any search engine the words "Sony Handycam rei," you will see "Sony Handycam reinsert cassette error" come up as an option. Selecting it will result in multiple Internet entries on this particular error. The favorite solution is as follows:
Trust me on this one... with tape still in unit and battery removed, smack both sides of unit firmly three to four times with the heel of your hand. It works nine out of 10 times on all Sony cameras.
Further research revealed various possible reasons for the error -- one site says a pinch roller worked its way off its post because of a cheap locking nut. Another site says a cable needs to be reseated. Yet another says the cassette holder is out of alignment. There are even YouTube videos of people explaining the correct procedure for smacking your camera. The problem seems to be endemic across model numbers, although the tech rep at Sony was unaware that there was an issue.
I tried the usual troubleshooting techniques, although I must admit I am out of my element with camcorders. I tried cleaning the unit, examining parts that were exposed enough for a visual inspection, powering down the unit and resetting it, trying a different cassette, and yes, I admit it, smacking it (according to the experts on YouTube, who at least knew there was a problem). Since it was inoperable anyway, smacking it made me feel better. Smacking actually worked a couple of times before it finally refused to work at all. Ultimately, I could not get rid of the error, and the camcorder was now completely useless. It was a shame, too. Besides the issue of basic functionality, every other feature on it worked well.
This entry was submitted by Nancy Golden and edited by Rob Spiegel.
Tell us your experiences with Monkey-designed products. Send stories to Rob Spiegel for Made by Monkeys.
Hubby just told me about another smacking trick. If your car won't start, smack the starter with a hammer or a piece of wood - there is a good chance that it will reseat the brushes (its a DC motor) if the starter is bad and your car will start (maybe) (once)...worth a try...
Nancy, the starter thing comes up occasionally on Car Talk, and Tom & Ray give the same advice as your husband. Then they usually tell the caller to go get it replaced.
(Years ago I was getting *so* frustrated trying to load a program from cassette onto my 48K 6502 computer (wink) that I picked it up about 2 feet & slammed it on the desk. IIRC I had to replace 7 (socketed TTL) chips, so now when I get *that* mad I spike whatever screwdriver is handy.)
I can relate to the "hit it with a hammer" solution. I worked for a large telecommunications company. We used to have carrier systems that used quartz filters. Sometimes the filters would grow "whiskers" that would short and fail a carrier channel. The Labs guys recommended a procedure that removed the filter, place it on a 45 degree plane made of plywood, allow it to slide down the plane. The controlled impact would break the whiskers and make ithe filter operational. This was documented with drawings and detailed instructions.
The procedure followed the law of entropy as it was passed down by word of mouth. One technician found he could tap the installed filter with a rubber mallet and get the same result. It went further to the point of my finding a new junior tech standing on a ladder with a 22 oz ball peen hammer poundin on a bent steel frame "fixing a filter". He would up nearly destroying a complete bank of a dozen filters.
BobDJr, those were the days...I recall my TI99/4A with its "state of the art casette recorder"...at least the chips on yours were socketed and not surface mount like today :)
I'll just remember to be ready to "duck" if I see you getting frustrated - the trajectory of a "spiked" screwdriver can be unpredictably if not aimed well - I can say that from experience ;)
TomT, that sounds like that game where everyone gets in a circle and the first person whispers something in the ear of the person next to them and so on. Once the message gets all the way around - it is completely different from the original. I guess that shows the importance of documentation, although you did mention an "official" procedure had already been documented. Any engineer worth his/her salt should be able to transfer the idea of a documented solution into another method if it makes sense, but it looks like junior wasn't grasping the concept - he was merely doing what he thought he had been told...
As a former owner and Chief Engineer of a Sony Master Service Center I can assure you that the best procedure for dealing with a broken warrantied item is not taking it apart and trying to fix it yourself. When something fails under warranty, don't smack the product -- go back to where you bought it and smack the salesperson's desk.
My job at a local aerospace manufacturer included repooling mecury wetted relays. Just had to smack it on the bench in the right direction. Most times it worked. If not then it was time to replace one of the relays. Also repsitioning or resequencing the boards would help to identify just which one was bad. The other thing I did was vacuum the ATE to the tune of $35/ hr. What a job!
gafisher - Smacking the salesperson's desk sounds pretty satisfying too...or the desk of the Sony rep who thought the problem was just an isolated incident...the problem is, these people are unreachable - the product was purchased at a Best Buy or some such store with an extended warranty added at the cash register.
Use to call it percussive repair. Got to know where to pound, kick or slap though. Lately it seems that dislocated shoulders are using same technique;-).
Nancy, I think all TVs were like that in the 50s and 60s, and so were stereo systems (but not the record player!). Like you, I've been surprised, and disappointed, to see just how short consumer electronics lifecycles have become. The throwaway society does not encourage good consumer product or machine design, among other things.
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