Call 765 453 7911 Or see below to email
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Technician:
Horace Shelton Alternative non digital camcorder repair (ACR) 803 Maumee Drive Kokomo IN 46902 For the graphical presentation Click |
Call 765 453 7911 Or see below to email
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Welcome to ACR main page. |
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The
Mutual Trust Concept: Verify repair before you pay. Flat rate of
$120.00 plus parts and shipping. |
Looking for expert but economical and reliable repair service for the Canon camcorder listed above? Try the friendly camcorder repair shop in Kokomo Indiana. Since 1989. Experience is another reason to ship to ACR. When you email please include Make, Model # and Symptoms. . Thank you, Horace Shelton
Cross references to Sony camcorders with different brand names. Click here
Although my services have been reduced to the units listed above the information provided here could possibly be still helpful to you.
What is wrong with my camcorder
The first thing to do when you are having problems with your camcorder is to make sure that you have a sufficient power source the best way to do this is to use the ac adapter.
Symptoms and Tips:
Symptom: My camcorder will not power up I try to turn the power on and nothing happens.
Possible answer: Sometimes camcorders fail to reset. Try removing the power from the camcorder including the lithium battery then replace the power pack or adapter with or without the lithium battery. If that does not solve the problem or you have to keep repeating this procedure there is a reset problem with the camcorder. back to content
Symptoms: My camcorder will not eject the tape or the tape is stuck, my camcorder will not play, my camcorder will accept the tape and then ejects it, sometimes my camcorder will play and sometimes it will not, I can hear sound from the camcorder but nothing happens, my camcorder is flashing the word "eject" and will not play, there is a symbol flashing in the viewfinder and my camcorder will not do anything but ejects, my camcorder goes beep every time I turn it on and will not do anything until I remove the power and put it back and then it does the same thing again.
Possible answer: When a function is requested by the user (cassette door pushed down, play, rec., eject...) the microprocessor that controls the operation of the camcorder has to put the camcorder through a certain sequence. If it is not receiving the expected signals that enables it to operate it will either eject the tape or do nothing. All the symptoms mentioned above can be related to this problem. For instance it could be that the drum or capstan is not rotating and if they are the microprocessor is not receiving the signals. To prevent damage it will not operate. back to content
Symptom: My camcorder does not have a picture in the viewfinder, I can see a picture in the camera mode but not in playback, the picture has lines and or noise in it, the sound has a lot of static, I can see a picture from the output jacks to a TV or VCR but not the viewfinder.
Possible answer: These symptoms could have various answers anywhere from an defective viewfinder to video processing circuitry to improper mechanical adjustments to audio processing circuitry to dirty or defective heads. back to content
Symptoms: My tape is stuck in my camcorder and I need to get it out right away. Is there any way I can do it?
Possible answer: NO! I would not recommend trying to remove a tape that is stuck it will more likely than not cause damage to the camcorder. If you try to take the camcorder apart to remove it you could do a lot of damage getting to the tape and still find that you can not remove it. Because the eject and load mechanism is controlled by a motor and you have to supply voltage to in the correct polarity to get the camcorder to take the tape in or eject it, that means that you would have to disassemble it. That is the case with all camcorders - analog, digital, new or old. If you need the tape I suggest sending it in to a shop. back to content
Symptoms: My camcorder will not focus it continues to focus in and out and will not lock in.
Possible answer: If your camcorder will not focus look to see if it has an auto/manual focus switch. If it does see if it will focus manually. If it focus manually then the problem is in the auto focus circuitry. If it does not focus manually or if there is no manual focus switch the unit will have to be diagnosed to find the problem and can be quite expensive if it turns out to be the lens unit. If the camcorder focus will not lock (called hunting) the problem is similar to the previous one and will have to be serviced. back to content
Symptom: When my camcorder is in the camera mode I can see a picture and then the picture start to deteriorate until finally there is not picture at all.
Possible answer: If you can not see a picture in the camera mode or loses the picture try to see if you can get a picture from the video jack by connecting to a TV or monitor. If you get a picture the problem is probably the viewfinder. If not the problem is caused by the camera's internal circuitry. back to content
Digital (DV and D8mm) camcorders
The digital camcorder with new
technology and designs are now becoming more and more popular and available to
the consumer. From the independent repair technician point of view it brings
about more challenges. The information I receive from Canon on their digital
camcorders is that they do not release service literature (service manuals,
training manuals etc) to the independent repair technicians. So when their
digital camcorders need service it will have to be returned to them.
Sony on the other hand is very helpful when it
comes to servicing their camcorders, in technical assistant and literature and
will release service literature on their digital camcorders but with a
strong suggestion that Sony Service Centers (not necessarily authorized service
centers) should be the one doing the repair especially when under warranty.
I am now inclined to agree with them. With the digital
camcorder comes newly designed boards. In the digital 8 for instance there is
the BGA (ball grid array) board which cannot be repaired in the field. If
a soldering iron is used on this board it will destroy it. In the DV units often
multilayer boards that schematics are not provided for in the service manuals.
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Before you purchase a battery AC adapter/charger
AC adapter/chargers are expensive items. Before you purchase one for not charging your battery: When you purchase a battery pack you don't know how long it's been on the shelf. Sometimes it has to be built up to it's capacity by charging and discharging it (putting it into the camcorder and letting it record until it runs down is one way to do this) a few times. The battery should last longer each time until it reaches it's capacity. back to content
Head Cleaning tip: (if you insist on attempting it yourself)
To prevent damaging the heads care has to be taken when attempting to clean them. Most camcorders have a built in head cleaner but occasionally they will get dirty. The most common symptom of dirty heads is no sound and the screen would look like a TV with no antenna on the analog camcorder and on the digital there might be a break up of the picture into blocks. The safest way is to use a tape that you have previously recorded but have not used very often ( not the tape you used when you suspect that the heads are dirty. You may need to discard that one.) play the tape and do ff and or rev search while watching the viewfinder or monitor to see if the picture improves try it several times. The next step if that doesn't work is a head cleaner. I wouldn't suggest running it through more than once. If the problem still persist it is probably time for a service technician. back to content
Replacing the heads should be done in a shop by an experienced repair technician you should not attempt it yourself. There are usually more than one head in the camcorder and they cannot be replaced separately. They are mounted on a cylinder mounted to the drum. the cylinder is called the upper cylinder and the drum is called the lower cylinder. So to replace the heads the upper cylinder has to be replaced. back to content
In older Sony and Canon camcorders up to 1994 there are a lot of electrolytic surface mounted capacitors. These capacitors can become defective and cause a variety of problems. No or scrambled picture on the viewfinder and/or monitor, no or distorted sound this could be in the camera or VCR mode, no power... It is not a good ideal to continue to apply power for if the capacitor is used as a voltage filter and is shorted it could cause damage to the circuit board back to content
Should
I try to repair it
ACR started out with the thought that
if a camcorder worked once it can work again. While that might be true
experience has taught me that some of the older camcorders is very difficult to
repair and in ACR opinion should not be attempted. Because of the layout of the
board - the closeness of small electrolytic capacitors, the leakage from these
capacitors, the quality of the board and the copper runners that connects
circuits make it difficult for competent repair that can be guaranteed.
Replacing boards in these camcorders (if they are available) in ACR
opinion would be too expensive because of the age of the unit. Specifically
the Canon camcorders with letters E, H, and VM at the beginning of the model
numbers (not the ES series).
Because of ACR policy of doing business
(no repair no pay) it is not feasible for ACR to spend hours even days and
money replacing sometimes all the capacitors in these units and still be
unsuccessful in completing the repair.
ACR is determined not to change the no
repair no pay policy. Therefore ACR is going to
refuse the camcorders mentioned above for repair especially
the Canon E, H, and VM series and the A1A. Perhaps help can be found at another
shop for these units.
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The Canon A1 DIGITAL, L1A and L2A
Though these are older camcorders they are still quite popular. The owners paid good money for them when they were purchased and are reluctant to part with them. They are quality camcorders especially the A1 Digital, L1 and L2A. The circuit boards for these camcorder will soon if not already be unavailable. These camcorder have about 150, electrolytic surface mounted capacitors in them. They are used mostly for filtering the power supply and coupling signals. As above in the "Older Camcorder" section care has to be taken when these capacitors begin to fail not to damage the possibly unavailable circuit boards. Besides having various symptoms be aware of odd smell escaping from the camcorder which could be a sure sign of trouble. Repair can be reasonable if the heads (upper cylinder) and drum (lower cylinder) is good. back to content
A C R (Alternative Camcorder Repair)
803 Maumee Drive
Kokomo, IN 46902 back to content
When shipping your camcorder use a large enough box that would allow you to put enough packing material (plastic bubbles, crumbled newspaper... in it to isolate it from the sides, top and bottom. Pack it snug so that it cannot move around. Do not send battery packs. If possible put the product in a plastic bag to help keep them clean (from packing material).
Also see critical shipping info back to contentI normally require a week to 10 days for turnaround time when possible. Emergencies are considered with no extra charge except for shipping. back to content
Mostly for older Sony and Canon camcorder owners: These camcorders can develop symptoms that appear to be dirty video heads. Most of these camcorders are equipped with automatic head cleaners so do not go beyond using a head cleaner more than once. Any other attempt to clean the heads could compound the problem and the cost of repair. More likely then not the heads are not the problem unless they are damaged by attempting to clean them. back to content
This is an independent repair shop that repairs the Canon A1 Digital, L1, L2 and the LX100 camcorders. I insist on an economical rate for ACR's customers whether they be consumers or industry the rate is the same. I do not have an hourly rate but a flat labor charge. That charge is the same whether it takes three hours or three weeks for repair. back to content
After verification of repair. Personal check, or money order or I accept Visa or Master card. Once the camcorder is returned to you verify the operation of your camcorder and pay the invoice by any of the preceding methods. back to content
I came to Kokomo Indiana in 1972 to work for Delco Electronics. I took the State technician test received my license and started the business in 1986. Started working on TVs and stereo equipment. From there I went to TVs and VCRs, from there to VCRs and camcorders, from there to just camcorders. back to content
Customers trust me when they send me their camcorder. That trust should not be a one way street. your trust will be returned by repairing your camcorder and returning it to you. No money change hands until you have received it and is satisfied that it has been repaired. You are trusting me... I am trusting you.... Mutual Trust. back to content
The degree that I have in Electronics Engineering Technology and my experience of working at Delco Electronics in Research Engineering for some twenty years and my continued training with Sony and Canon training manuals, video tapes and service literature on the operation, troubleshooting techniques and different mechanism training keeps me on top of the latest technology used in today's camcorders. That coupled with my desire and determination to do the best I can at whatever I do qualifies me as a competent, knowledgeable camcorder technician. back to content