CED Digest Vol. 8 No. 46

CED Digest Vol. 8 No. 46 • 11/15/2003
20 Years Ago In CED History:

November 16, 1983:
* Israeli and French jets strike at camps in eastern Lebanon of the pro-Iranian
Islamic Amal militia, believed to be implicated in the terrorist bombings of
U.S., French, and Israeli installations.

November 17, 1983:
* President Luis Alberto Monge of Costa Rica issues a Proclamation of
Neutrality in the conflict between the Sandinistas and U.S.-supported contra
forces along the Costa Rican-Nicaraguan border.

November 18, 1983:
* The first session of the 98th U.S. Congress adjourns after approving a record
$250 billion defense spending bill but dropping plans to resume production of
nerve gas weapons.
* Argentina announces its ability to produce enriched uranium for use in
nuclear weapons.
* Future CED title in widespread theatrical release: Nate and Hayes.

November 19, 1983:
* At the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut, Harvard beats Yale 16-7 in the
100th football game between the two long-term rival teams.

November 20, 1983:
* "The Day After" (CED), an ABC television program about nuclear war,
draws about 100 million viewers in the United States. This made the movie the
second most watched dramatic program in television history. It was surpassed
only by the final episode of MASH, which had drawn an audience of 125 million
on February 28, 1983.

November 21, 1983:
* Syrian backed Palestinian rebels corner PLO leader Yasir Arafat in Tripoli,
Labanon, also known as Tarabulus, cutting his last links with supporters in the
nearby Baddawi refugee camp.
* The Dona Cassandra, a 167-foot ferry, sinks in a typhoon off Mindanao Island,
Philippines; more than 200 people are reported missing.

November 22, 1983:
* The West German parliament approves installation of U.S. nuclear missiles in
West Germany.
* President John F. Kennedy is remembered on the 20th anniversary of his
assassination.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: SONYFAN23
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2003 09:49:40 EST
Subject: Re: CED Digest Vol. 8 No. 45
To: tom@cedmagic.com

>Thanks for the information.  It was very descriptive and helped me to
>get the disc and spine out of two of my Radio Shack players.  I have
>ordered some load belts from Tom's website to fix these machines.
>Other than have a problem unloading they work perfectly.  Again thanks
>very much for the assistance.
>
>Lonnie

Your unloading problems should be ameliorated with the new belts, especially if
they are the correct size.  The hardest part for the load mechanism is actually
unloading the disc as it has to elevate the disc and handling assembly up
against gravity on a pivot.  - Reinhart

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Cleggsan
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2003 10:00:19 EST
Subject: Re: CED Digest Vol. 8 No. 45
To: digest@cedmagic.com

>I'm happy to report that CED scientist Dr. Gerard Alphonse won the
>election to be president-elect of IEEE-USA. He will perform that role
>in 2004 and assume the presidency on January 1, 2005.
>
>http://www.cedmagic.com/mem/whos-who/alphonse-gerard.html

I voted for him; as a member of the IEEE Consumer Electronics Society, I always
read the backgrounds of the candidates and lean towards those with experience
in the consumer areas.   Thanks for watching such unknown facts, Tom - at least
unknown to those who are not members of the IEEE - the largest professional
society in the world.
 
Cleggsan

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2003 10:49:38 -0500
To: digest@cedmagic.com
From: "James M. Long" <jmlong@MIT.EDU>
Subject: WANTED: SFT100W

Hello -

WANTED: SFT100W (or SGT100)

I originally came into contact with Selectavision by way of my father and one
of his work buddies who would periodically travel to the now-defunct Lechmere's
in the late 70s/early 80s to investigate the newest consumer video entry - I
can remember (I was quite young at the time) joining them on trips to look at
Beta, Laserdisc, VHS, and - on one thrilling trip -  Selectavision.  Being able
to scan back and forth on their demo disc of Goldfinger thrilled me to no end,
and I was forever disappointed that my father did not take the plunge.  This
probably explains why, twenty years later, I started picking them up (SJT300,
my idea of an 'ideal' player, since the 400 fetches absurd prices) as soon as I
noticed that they were still out there.

But I still would like to own one "original" model (I'd settle for
the cosmetically identical SGT100) that I remember from Way Back When.
Unfortunately, these models usually get higher prices than they are truly worth
- let's face it, they are not the most desirable of the CED fleet with no
stereo and only RF output.  So I am appealing to the CED community for any old
player that you may be willing to sell, or maybe trade - I can't part with my
working SJT300s, but I do have a parts machine if you are needing some odd
little part or circuit board (the turntable has a nasty wobble and the front
panel buttons don't work, but everything else is intact).  (You *might* also be
able to talk me out of a 154216 stylus, and I also have a few spare new-old
stock 2nd reduction gears - the ones with the feeble spokes that snap if you
sneeze on them.)

Cosmetics, oddly enough, take mild precedence over working condition - I don't
plan on using it as a steady player, except when deep in childhood regression.

Thanks for your help,
Jim Long

-------------------------------
James M. Long
Administrative Assistant
The Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory
MIT Bldg. NE20-290
Cambridge, MA 02139
617.253.6569
617.258.8850 fax 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2003 08:38:25 -0800
Subject: Re: Cleaning Discs
From: James Curiel <jacuriel>
To: Digest@cedmagic.com

I started cleaning discs back in 1999.   I started cleaning discs on the
Nitty's back in 2000.

We play 3-5 disc programs a week.  Before we got the Nitty's and were cleaning
our discs, our stylus would last 3-6 months, and I would have to clean the
stylus twice a month using the method's described on Tom's page.

After we started cleaning our movies before playing, my stylus would last a
year to a year and a half, AND I did not have to clean the stylus any more.

Beyond talk and  theorizing, I've been cleaning discs and playing them in the
real world and taking note of the results.  The discs play better, even on a
repeated basis, AND THE STYLUS LAST LONGER, AT LEAST TWICE AS LONG.

I don't sell the Nitty's, and I don't get any money from them or anything.  I
just get good playback and my stylus last longer, at least twice as long.

You will see the same results with your LP's.  Stylus last longer and the
records play so sweet.

Peace.

signed James

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 15:58:17 -0500 (EST)
From: Roger Blake <rogblake>
To: digest@cedmagic.com
Subject: Picture shudder on VP2000

I recently replaced the stylus and drive belt on my Zenith VP2000
CED player. (I purchased this player new in the early 1980s. Sears
assured me it was the wave of the future! The VP2000 is basically
a rebadged RCA SFT100.)

Before these parts were replaced there was no video or audio, and the LED
display would stay at "--" rather than counting the elapsed time.

Now discs play, but the picture "shudders" every few seconds, and
colors
keep changing back and forth between normal and multicolor rainbow-type
effects. Audio is normal.  Closest I found to this problem in the tech
section at cedmagic.com was loss of color caused by improper turntable
speed, in turn possibly caused by excess friction in the bearings. (I did
have to "stretch out" the new belt as it was initially too tight to
allow the turntable to spin up to full speed.)

Is the procedure for turntable removal and bearing lubrication for this
model documented anywhere on the Net? Anyone know of any other possible
causes for this problem?

-- 
  Roger Blake
  rogblake@iname.com
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