The sound is extremely scratchy and full of static. I know it is not the tape itself because when I listen to it on the VOR microcassette recorder it is fine. I have tried cleaning the heads with a Q-tip dipped in alcohol but it does not help. What else can I do? tks.

One of two things. The deck has got a static problem. Perhaps caused by an earth connection problem.
Or you have a bad earth connection on the cartridge.

Turn the main power button "on" first, it is located on the skinny side of the recorder opposite of the function knob. Press eject to open the cassette door and install a microcassette tape, with the tape facing the function knob side. close the cassette door and that should load the tape and allow the tape head and pinch roller to move into place for recording or playback. pull the function knob down or push it up to record. If you go into record a red light should come "on" the top, to indicate good batteries and the record function is initiated. After recording pull the function knob all the way down to rewind the recording,when you release the button the unit goes into the play mode automatically. Make sure that the button that reads (off--- vor/fplay) is in the off position.
.

Wow, microcassettes! (Sorry, I thought they were so cutting edge when they were.......cutting edge!)
Anyway, forgive the humour - you've most likely got a tape jam in the cassette itself but if it does this with other cassettes then you've got a dead rewind function your message indicates that you've got a later model recorder with a status display.
What does Fast Forward do?
I know it's annoying but the cheapest option may be to turn the cassette over and use FF if it works OK.
Have you checked out digital pocket recorders?
For the same money, or less, than yours likely cost new, they free you from cassettes, tape winding time, poor quality - all those analogue hassles.
The memory (time) capacity even the most bog-standard (as we say in the UK!) ones have is mind blowing.

- Possibly the recording head may need cleaning and demagnetizing.
- The tape itself could be damaged or even folded.
- It may be also because one or both backup pads are missing on the microcassette.

There should two pads behind the tape as shown below.

Hold down the 'Erase' button and press the 'Rewind' button. It will erase the tapes as it rewinds.

Hi all,

I recently bought this little headache of a dictation machine to help me with my Law revision. Had similar problems but have worked out the following:

The machine appears to have 2 modes of recording - LP and SP. When the machine is in LP mode, it appears to be a format for the machine itself to allow for longer record time. Because of this individual format it will not play back on computers. If, however, you change it to SP mode (from what I can ascertain from the VERY unhelpful user manual is 'high quality recording' i.e. standard WAV format) it saves the file in a .wav format which is playable on computers.

To switch it from LP to SP (this is on my dictation machine only - i take absolutely no responsibility for breakages etc):

Turn on
Press 'M' to cycle to 'REC' mode
Use the Volume control to cycle between SP, SP VOR (no idea what VOR is i'm afriad), LP and LP VOR
Record as usual.

I've made test recordings on both SP and SP VOR and both save to WAV format and can be played back through a computer.

If anyone knows what VOR is then please shout back.

Hope this helps.

Liam

Difference between 4cm and 1.2 cm speed is just like SP and LP speed in VCR etc. 1.2 cm speed selection will give you more recording time on same cassette.
VOR stand for Voice Operated Recording, if you enable this vor option, tape starts recording only at that time when sense any voice and will remain Pause if there is silence.
This option will also give you more recording time at same cassette by skipping empty space.

Should be a tape speed switch on that unit under the door.

Hey Tex

You are on the right track, sounds like a noisy volume control. Can often be repaired with a squirt of cleaner spray into the potentiometer assembly.But I suggest you use crc2-26 contact lubricant spray, not silicone spray which is a great materials lubricant, but not electrical. Worst case, the Vol Potentiometer, may have to be replaced. Go for the CRC first and see how it goes. Good Luck, happy FixYa

regards
Graeme

Use a head cleaner tape (available on eBay most likely) and clean the recording heads.