Hello all.

Some years ago I aquired a Beocord 5500 which had trouble with the playback head, one channel was dead. Thrue Beoworld I was able to get the mechanics of another BC5500 from where I get the replacement head. The mechs. weren't of the exact same type but I was able to replace the head and get the adjustments so that it sounds good on both directions.

Unfortunately I didn't take note how the three wires to the sensor on the left-hand side of the playback head connect. If I am not mistaken, this sensor senses the signal during winding and enables the use of Return/Advance, ie. moving automatically to the prev/next track. In the current way I have connected it the sensing doesn't work, ie. pressing Advance the tape keeps winding forward without stopping (tested with a tape recorded with BC9000 where the tracks are "marked" and work).

Could someone post here a photo of the correct connection? Or if the signal-senes doesn't work this way what could be causing the problem?

I don't remember exactly but isn't that the end of tape sensor (optical) ?
I think it senses signal gaps using the playback head.

Martin

I noted the end-sensor in the service manual, and that would seem logical as there is voltage (red wire) for the (ir)-led.

Could there be an adjustment for the signal gap sensitivity? And the new head having different characteristics?

I thought so too... My BC6500 is quite unsensitive - or should I say too sensitive - for the track gaps. If there's any noise like vinyl scratches in the recording, it runs right past them. There doesn't seem to be an adjustment for the sensitivity either.

I have a 1982 JVC deck which counts the gaps much more eagerly.