Tape brake sensor for JH110A

[Don Hearl]

Hello forum,

I'm in search for a tape bake sensor for my 1979 MCI JH110A 8 track deck. This is a later model QUIOR deck. Sadler says that this is an Optek OPB 1034, however Optek does not sell this part anymore, and I confirmed this with the tech rep there. He said it was custom for MCI. Can someone here help me cross a readily available part for the custom OPB 1034? I also have asked Blevins to source a part on a machine. I'm debating how much longer I'm going to stay in the MCI game if its this hard to find parts.

Please help.

Regards, Don

[Radardoug]

Hi,
Have a look on this page.
Electronic Components & Supplies Mouser Electronics - Electronic Component Distributor
Most of these are pretty similar, the MCI one might just have had an extra long slot. There should be something on this page that will do you.

[Don Hearl]

Thanks for the reply. I think that we are on the right track. I've pulled up both the pages from Digikey and Mouser, and am unsure of what to buy, even though I think I can get close.

Regards,

Don

[2N1305]

Hi Don Hearl,
what you can do is replace the IR LED and IR sensor in that 1034 with an equivalent electronic version that is available. You'd have to at lest get the datasheet for the 1034 to see what it is you need to compare with.
I get the hunch that it is most likely the IR LED that has gone bad after thirty-odd years (QUIOR machines roughly after 1975, I think?).


At least that's what we did in my friend's Twilight Zone pinball machine!

[Don Hearl]

The whole sensor will have to be replaced as the lead was broken off. We tried resoldering with no luck. I've since tried two sensors off of JH110A machines, however they were from an earlier version, and we're too thick at the base. I have a B/C and C here, as well, and the sensors are not the same. The sensor for my machine has a thinner base and four leads. I'd like to find a modern replacement part. I will even modify a circuit to make it work.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Don

[2N1305]

I will have ideas if I can see a picture... I don't think I can find a datasheet for a custom made part manufactured 35 years ago...

Cheers,

2N

[Radardoug]

Have you gone through the Digikey/Mouser lists? Is there nothing suitable there?
A picture and dimensions would be good.
Do you know the original manufacturer? Often they made basically the same product with small case mods, and often you can take the insides out and put them in another case.
Which side wire is broken? Can you not just replace this side with another led or phototransistor? You can test these devices very easily too.

These things are cheap as chips, buy a couple of likely ones and take them apart.

[nosebleedaudio]

Originally Posted by Don Hearl

The whole sensor will have to be replaced as the lead was broken off. We tried resoldering with no luck. I've since tried two sensors off of JH110A machines, however they were from an earlier version, and we're too thick at the base. I have a B/C and C here, as well, and the sensors are not the same. The sensor for my machine has a thinner base and four leads. I'd like to find a modern replacement part. I will even modify a circuit to make it work.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Don

can you post a pic of it?
Could be made..

[Don Hearl]

Thanks guys. I will attach a picture of the JH110A tape sensor from my 8 track machine. The broken sensor is on the left. The comparable sensor from an early JH110A 2 track is shown on the right.

The dimensions of the base are 29.5 mm in length. 19 mm center hole to center hole. 2 mm base thickness. Gap width is 3 mm (approx). I've seen some T style Optek sensors with 3.18 mm gap width, but had five leads. Mine has an anode, cathode, ground and hot.

Since the part is molded, you cannot just insert a new LED or sensor.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide. I will order parts and start trying different off the shelf sensors, or install a big assed red stop switch on the side of the deck...

[Don Hearl]

The tape sensor needed is on the bottom next to the larger earlier version used for comparison. Both are from JH110A machines. I require the smaller sensor.

Regards,

Don

[David Kulka]

I saw this part among my optical stuff, NTE 3101. Should be easy to find. Minor rewiring would be needed and maybe a minor mod to the lampdriver board, maybe fiddle with the mounting holes a bit, but I can't see how this would not work. It's just an LED and a pickup!

[IMG]******//dkse.net/david/100_5995.JPG[/IMG]

[Don Hearl]

Thanks for your help on the phone yesterday, David. I also talked with Coast and had a great conversation with Jerry. Thanks for the lead.

I'm certain I can get something like this to work. The sensor board has a few resistors on it and an adjustable pot for sensitivity of the sensor.

It shouldn't be hard, and it appears I've exhausted NOS parts.

Don

PS. I dig the beat up coins...same vintage as the machine!!

[Don Hearl]

Another thing. The part is stamped HEI on the top in a circle. There are two numbers stamped on the sides:

2A2-1. And 5560B

I'm not sure how this is an Optek.

Regards,

Don

[2N1305]

Hi again Don,

it seems you're having xome success in obtaining a replacement part, but nonetheless I will give you two suggestions:
-you can use a model which has the same throat depth and width, and try to mount it to where the original one went.

-you can make one, or have one made. I look at this, and I tell myself a man I know at work could whip a couple up in an hour. It's really not that hard if you have the right tools (milling machine, more specifically)

Can you not retrofit one that's similar (similar dimensions) in the mounting location?

[nosebleedaudio]

Like David mentioned should not be that hard, I found a couple in my shop that SEEM to be thinner than the thick one you have, adding a spacer on the bottom to raise it up is NO problem...
I fabricate parts and tooling a lot, have Mills, lathes, ect...

[Don Hearl]

I'm making some progress. Before I go the DYI route, I'm going to try out some that Steve Sadler said will work. The base does appear thinner from the specs. I can make modifications to my machine if the electronics work. The sensor and emitter technology is NOT rocket science!

regards,

Don

[Don Hearl]

I wanted to let the forum know that this issue is solved. The replacement part that works is found here:

Mouser Electronics - Electronic Component Distributor omron ee-sg3

Thanks to Steve Sadler for his time and for providing and testing the parts.

Regards,

Don