Sony TC-150 User manual

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SONY ~
CASSETTE-CORDER
TC-150
~!!;!!!! !! !! !~1 r- 1
0 ~
P ~I -: ~ ~~-
1o .:CH cJ ff'~
Operating Instructions
• Before operating the set. p le ase read this manual
th oroughly .
• This manual shou ld be retained for future reference.
c 1975 by Sony Corpora1ion

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TABLE OF CONTENT S
Features ........... ,,..,, .............. . ....... . ................................. 2
Precautions .................................. . ... .... ...... .. .... .. ...... ....... ....... 3
location and function of controls .... .... ..... ... . ...................... ...... 4
Power sources . ........ . . ......... ... .......... .. ... .. ......................... 6
Cassette
insertion ..... ......... ..... .. . ............ .. ....... .. .. . ...... . .... ..... . ... 9
Recording from the built-in microphone ... .... ..... ... .... ................ 10
Playback ...... .. ..... ... .. ...... ......... ............ . ...... .... ...... ............... 12
Recordlng from various sound sources ............... ...... ..... ....... ... 13
Erasing without recording ... .. .. . ... ....... ... .... .. .... .... . ... . .. ... .. ......15
Maintenance ..... .. ....... ... .. .. . ... . .... . ......... .... ....... . ............ . ... . .... 16
Specifications. ...... .... ....... .. .......... .. ... .... .... ......... ...... ..... .. . .17
Optional accessories .. .... .. ........ ... ............... .. ... ............... . ... 18
Troubleshooting guide .... .. ............. ......... ...... .. ............. ... ... .18
FEATURES
• Ultimate recording simplicity merely insert a cassette and de-
press a single button
• Automatic shut•off mechanism in the record and playback mode .
•
Recording level can be controlled automatically .
•
Cue and review function to quickly locate any desired portion of
the tape.
•
Counter·inenial flywheels for stable tape speed.
•
Instant tape stop switch .
•
Built -i n Electret Condenser Microphone.
• Four·way power source operation : batteries . ac power with Sony
AC Power Adaptor (supplied ). Sony Rechargeable Battery P ack
BP-28 (optional ). or 12V car battery with Sony Car Battery Corti
DCC-127H
(optfonal) .
2
PRECAUTIONS
• Do not open the cabinet. Refer servic i ng to qualified personnel
only .
• Operate the set only on 6 V de . For operation from house cu r-
rent , use the ac power adaptor supplied with this set . For car
battery operation . use the car battery cord recommended for th is
set . Do not use any other ac power adaptor or car battery cord
• Disconnect the ac power adaptor from the ac wall out l et when
the set is not to be used for an ei,;tended period of time .
•
When the set is not to be used for a long period of time or is
operated for long periods on other power sources . remove the bat •
teries to avoid set damage from battery leakage .
•
Do not insta ll the set in a location near heat sources such as
radiators or airducts , or in a place subject to direct sunlight , ex·
cessive dust , moisture , rain or mechanical shock.
• Shou ld any liquid or solid object fall into the mechanism . remove
the batteries and disconnect the ac power adaptor, and have the
set checked by quali f ied personnel before operating it any further .
•
Keeping the tape heads in a clean condition Is essential to the
proper operation of the recorder . For cleaning information , refer
to page 16.
•
The REC button cannot be dep ressed in the follow111g cases
Never depress the button forcibly .
,
No cassette in the cassette compartment
• The cassette Inserted has had the tabs removed
, The ► , ,.... or - button has been depressed .
•
If you have any question or problem concerning your set thal is
not covered In this booklet , please consult the nearest Sony Ser -
vice Station authorized to service tape recorde rs (in U.S.A ) or th e
nearest Sony Factory Service Station (In CANADA ).
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LOCATION AND FUNCTION OF CONTROLS
O Battery Compartment (rear): See page 6.
6 EJECT Button : Depress to pop up the cassette, after opening
the lid.
@ Tape Counter and Reset Button : Use the counter for indexing
the tape contents. Before recordfng , set the counter to 000 by
pushing the Reset Button . The figures of the counter change as
the tape passes . Make a note of the figures and the program
being recorded . Later on, the desired program can be rapidly lo-
cated by using the - or - button .
O 0 Cassette Compartment Lid and Catch : Open the lid by lifting
the Catch .
@ EARPHONE Jack : For private listening with an earphone or
connecting to another tape recorder .
fj REMOTE Control Jack : For remote stop start op e ration during
recording or playback by connecting the Sony Remote Control
RM-15 (optional) , Foot Switch FS -6 (optional). or a Sony two-pin
plug microphone.
4
• To stop the tape for an extended time, use the ■ but1on on the
recorder.
© Microph:ine Input Jack MIC ": For recording with an external
microphone. or from a TV , radlo , telephone or another tape re-
corder.
(1) Battery Check Button _ BATT CHECK -: While recording depress
the button and observe the REC BATT meter to check the battery
condit ion . See page 7.
CE) Record' Battery Meter REC BATT =: While recording. the point -
er swings to indicate the input sound signal. In the other modes ,
it shows the battery condition.
a, External P ower Input Jack =DC IN 6 V : For operation from an
external power source.
(D Record Music Speech Selector REC MUSIC SPEECW
MUSIC : use for music recordings . This switch position partially
retains the dynamic range of musical sounds .
SPEECH:
use for recording conversation or telephone recordings
This position keeps loud and quiet sounding voices at nearly the
same level.
® Rewind Review Button - - REVIEW =: Depress to rewind the
tape . For review function , refer to page 11.
m Stop Button ■ ": Depress to stop the tape anJ to release the
l ocked buttons.
© Playback Button ► : Depress to play back the tape .
© Fast Forward Cue Button _CUE -Depress to rapidly ad-
vance the tape. For cue function. refer to page 11 .
CD Record Button REC =. Depress to record.
• It is possible to record with the REC button and ► button locked .
but this is not necessary with the single-butto;i recording system
of the TC-150 .
© Built-in Microphone
© Instant Stop Switch START STO? For instant tape stop dur-
ing playback or recording
• To stop the tape for an extended time , use the ■ button on the
recorder .
•
When using a mrcrophone with a remote tape stop start capa -
bility or a remote control switch , the Instant Stop Switch is not
operative.
@l) Playback Volume Control PB VOL -=· Turn in the arrow di-
rection for more volume during playback.
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Ba tteries
Ba ttery inst al la ti on ;
0
Re move the
s
lidin g the notch, and
pulling
1t outwards .
POWER SOURCES
Replace by sliding in th e r ecorder
unti l the not ch engages
6 Insert four batteries size AA m the case wi th c orre ct
po l arity and in order as ill ustrated . rPress
flat side of b at ter y 2
against the spring
2
4
Press flat side of battery 4
against
th e battery 3.
•
Make sure that the ac power adap t or and optional car battery
cord are disconnected from the recorder If not , the set cannot
be operated on the internal batteries
• When the set is not to be u sed for a long period of time or is to
be operated extensively on other power sources , remove the bat-
teries to avoid set damage caused by battery leakage and corro
s1on
6
Ba tt ery life ; A bou t 2.5 hours of cont i nuous r ecording from the
Bu ilt-in M icrophone 1s possible us ing Sony Super Batteri es size
AA Intermittent use w ill prolong the useful battery lite .
To
check bat t ery co ndition : During recording , observe the REC
B
ATT meter deflection by depressing the BATT CHECK butto n
During the other modes , observe the meter deflection while depres -
sing the ► , - , or ◄◄ button If the po i nter of th e meter stays
out of the green zone, replace all the batteries with new ones .
•
Before cr i tical recordings , checking the batte r ies in recording
mode is re com m ended
lr- ~~ + Good
battery
l..:===========::::::J
1
condition
~ /~ +1
J
Replace
'-=== ======:=::;the batteries
House Current
Insert the supplied AC Powe r A ::la pt or Into the recorder DC IN 6 V
jack , and connect the othe r end to a wall outlet ( 120 V) . When
the ac power adaptor is connected to the DC IN 6 V jack, th e In te r•
nal batteries are au tomatical ly disconnected.
6 to a wa ll outlet O to DC IN 6V
[ (j]t- L---- -cE....:P E;f o
120V AC
Powe r Adaptor
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Rechargeable Ba ttery Pack
Install the Sony Rechargeable Battery Pack BP- 28 (optional) in •
stead of the Battery Case,
The fully charged BP- 28 allows approx. 3.5 hours of continuous
recording from the Built-in Microphone.
Before using , charge the battery pack as follows :
O Install the BP- 28 in the Banery Compartment .
f) Connect the supplied AC Powar A::laptor to the recorder DC IN
6 V jack and to a suitab le outlet Charging will begin .
• Charging time is about 4.5 hours .
•
The recorder c3n be. ope r ated w~ ile charging , although more
charging time will be needed.
• When charging is comp l eted , remove the ac power adaptor to
avoid overcharging the battery pack.
• While the vo lt age of the rechargeable battery pack can be check -
ed in the same way as for regular batteries, this is no t a reliable
index of the remaining operat i ng life , since a nickel-cadmium bat-
tery wil l furnish a nearly constant voltage up to the end of its
capacity , and then drop quickly to a low value , Keeping a record
of the time in actual use is the most reliable measure of remaining
battery life when using nickel-cadmium batterles .
12 V Car Ba ttery
Using the Sony Car B attery Cord DCC -1 27H (optional) , connect
the recorder DC IN 6 V jack to the cigarette lighter socket of a car .
For further details , refer to the instruction manual of the DCC-
127H.
DCC
127H
l 10 DC IN 6V
8
CASSETTE INSERTION
Before inserting a cassette, take up
any slack in the tape by i nserting a
thick pencil into the hub of the cas-
sette and turning it a few times .
0 Open the Cassette Compartment Ltd by lifting the Catch.
6 Place a cassette in the comparimen t as illustrated wi th the de-
sired
si de , A or B, upward.
T he letter A on the Sony cassette Is
embossed
to help you distinguish that
side ot the casset1e in a dimly lighted
area
0 Close the lid.
Avoid touching the tape surfaces.
• Make sure
that the portion of the tape to be played back or
recorded is wound onto the l eft reel. If not, depress the +oil
bu tt on to rewind the tape and stop the tape with the ■ button .
• To take out the cassette, open the lid and press the EJECT
button.
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RECORDING FROM THE BUILT -IN MICROPHONE
Set at MUSIC
or SPEECH
The
pointer swings 1
during recording
L
Depress to stop
when finished.
Depress and
lock
Recording now begins,
Insert a cassette
(See page
9)
to EARPHONE
S
et at START
Bu,lt-in M
icrophone picks up
sound from all di rections
•
No recording level adJ ustment is necessary with the automt,c
recording level control system.
• T he sound to be recorded can be heard through the earphone .
The sound volume and tone qua l ity are fixed.
•
At end-of-tape. the tape motion stops automatically and the
locked button is released,
e If you use the Tape Counter for indexing tape contents, set the
counter to 000 before recording
• If the reco r ding is not completed by the end of one si de , press
the ■ button. take out the cassette, turn the cassette over and re-
peat the recording proced ures.
•
To hear the JUSI recorded program, press the - button to re-
wind the t ape, stop with the ■ button and depress t he ► button .
To prevent accidental erasure : W hen the r ecorder is operated
in the record mode . previous reco r dings are automatically erased
For this reason cassettes incorporate a conven i ent safety device
to prevent accidental erasure. W hen the small tabs at t he rear of
a cassette are broken out , a safety device on the recorder wi ll be
activated, preventing recording .
10
To protect side A recording. break out t he tab on that side. For
the protect i on of side 8, break out the tab of side 8
When t he cassette is inser ted with the t abs broken out. the REC
button cannot be depressed
To reuse a cassette for recording after the tabs have been removed
simply cover each slot with a small piece of cellophane or vinyl
tape
• Do not st ick any material on any part of the cassette except the
circled po rt ion.
\ "'- ~ Remove
) ~ ~ "--- • h• bcokeo ,ab
l
J
lab ot side
Automatic shut - off mechanism : In record or playback mode , tape
mo t ion stops autom a tical ly at end-of-tape and the locked buttons
will ret urn to their or iginal position
• In fas t fo r ward or r ewind mode, you must depress the ■ button
at end-of- tape to stop the mechanism
C UE and REVIEW funct ions : It is possible 10 advance the tape
rapidly or 10 rewind during playback withou t releasing the lock ed
► button .
..--------, ,----,
+o REVIEW a ► CUE o+
~~ J4 -{ -c= J;J
. ~ to skip over unde sired
to re peat a cer ta in por ti on port ions
The t ape wi ll move rapid ly with a chattering sound from the re-
corded part . At the desired portion, release the CUE - or -
REV
IEW button and t he recorder will reve rt to the playback mode.
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PLAYBACK
Depress to stop playback.
Depress and lock.
Insert a cassette,
!See
page 9)
e Set at START.
'
• At end - of -tape during playback . the tape motion stops automati-
cally and the l ocked button is released.
•
For private listening , plug t he earphone i nto the EARPHONE
1ack. T
he speaker is automa t ically disconnected.
12
RECORDING FROM VARIOUS SOUND SOURCES
MIC REMOTE EARPHONE
right side of the TC- 1 50
Various sound so urc es can be
connected 10 the proper TC· 150
Jack on the right si de by using
an appropriate optional connect-
ing cord . Before proceeding w ith
the recording , check the following points and il lustra t ions .
If your radio . TV . et c. is not a Sony product. refer to the instruc-
tion manua l of tha t set.
•
The sound to be recorded can be heard through the earphone .
Recording
with an external micr op hone :
Plug
into MIC or MIC and REMOTE
-Tie-pin type ECM-
16 === ~ TC - 150
t[ j: ,ii:- ,-F---2-7-S -- ---------~ Mr:: I' l
~:!.r .....
REMOTE
•
Set the TC - 150 1n r ecord mode ,
•
The Bui lt-in Micr ophone is disco;inected automa t ically .
• A
dual-pin plug microphorie provides a remote tape stop sta rt
f acility,
• Th e REMOTE jack is flexibly moun ted in order to al l ow eas i er
1nse rt 1on of the pl ug .
Recording
from a TV equipped with an earphone jack:
• ~ RK - 64H !s upp lied) ·
•M IC -~
~ ~ ~
• T une in the desired TV prog r am and adj u st it to a normal listen -
i
ng l eve l.
•
Set th e TC-1 50 in record mode .
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Recording fr om a radio or TV equipped with a recording jack :
~ - ~
- RK - 69H (op tJOnall
• Tune in your desired radio or TV program
control has no effect on the recording .
•
Set the TC- 150 in record mode .
Duplicating from another tape recorder :
EARPHONE
""■ =
1
""
11
""
11
"'~ MONITOR
(~
- ==:) RK- 64H
~ MIC ■ Q
~
Its volume or tone
~ IC l!.J
• Set another tape recorder in playback mode and adjust it to a
norma l li stening level
•
Set the TC-150 in record mode .
Duplicating to another tape recorder :
• Set the TC-150 in playback mode and adjust it to a normal lis-
tening level
•
Set the other tape recorder in record mode
Recording telephone conversation :
•
Locate a position on the telephone base where recording is loud -
est
and attach the TP-5S• there .
•
Keep magnetized objects away from the TP- 5S .
e Set the REC MUSIC SPEECH selector to SPEECH.
•
Set the TC- 150 in record mode .
•
The TP-5S is not available in Canada
14
ERASING WITHOUT RECORDING
A cassette can be erased without adding a new recording as fol •
lows :
O Insert the cassette with the side to be erased up .
If the tab on the cassette is removed , cover the slot of the side to
be erased.
6 Insert the plug of the Connecting Cord RK- 64H (supplied ) 111 the
MIC jack . The other plug of the cord should be left free
~ Depress and lo ck the REC button Erasing now begins .
O When erasure is completed . depress the ■ button .
•
After erasing , be sure to disconnect the cord plug .
• For
quick and easy erasi ng of entire cassettes , without un neces -
sary wear on the re c order , the Sony Cassette Eraser BE- 7H is ava i l-
able as an optional accessary
leave
fre e
to MIC I
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MAINTENANCE
Cleaning the He a ds
Keeping the tape heads in a clean condition Is essential to the
proper operation of the recorder . Accumulation of dust and tape
oxides on the heads will result in sound drop-outs, a loss of high
frequencies and excessive tape wear .
O Open the Cassette Compartment Lid. Remove the cassette, 1f
present.
@ Depress the ► button to move the heads out for easier access.
e Moisten the Head Cleaning Tip (supplied) or a soft cloth with
denalured alcohol, and gently wipe the heads, Capstan and P inch
Roller over which the tape travels .
•
Avoid catching the cotton between the Pinch Ro ller and Capstan
O Depress the ■ button to release the ► bu t ton .
•
Do not insert a cassette if the heads are protrud1119,
•
Do not insert a cassette before the alcohol drys on the cleaned
parts
1111111
De mag n etizing the Head
Capstan
Pinch
Ro ll er
Record Playback
Head
Erase Head
Accidental contact with a piece of magnetized steel (scre wdr iver,
scissors, etc .) will magnetize the Record Playback Head caustng
an increase in tape noise . In such an event . demagnetize the
head using a commercially ava i lable head demagnetizer.
• When demagnetiz ing, remove the batteries and disconnect lh e
ac power adaptor.
• Be careful not to demagnetize th'.3 E rase Head
Cleaning the Ca binet
Clean the cabinet with a soft cloth moistened with water or a mild
detergent solutton , Do not use solvents such as alcohol, benzine .
or thinner as they may mar the finish of the cabinet .
16
Power requirements
Power consumption
Power output
Speaker
Recording system
Tape speed
Fast w111ding time
Frequency response
Input
Output
Other Jack
Battery life
D1mens1011s
Weight
Accessories supplied
SPEC IFI CATIONS
120 V ac, 60 Hz with the Sony AC P ower
Adaptor AC - 9W (supplied with USA model )
or AC-9 (s upp l ied with Canadian model)
6 V de , four batteries size AA (IEC Designa -
tion R 6)
Rechargeable Battery Pack BP -2 8 (optional )
or 12 V car battery with Sony Car Battery
Cord DCC-1 27H (optional)
6 Wac (60 Hz)
(wit h the ac power adaptor)
360 mW (max.) de
5 cm (2 3 4 inches) dia.
2-track 1 -c hannel monaural
4,8 cm s (17 sips)
Approx . 1 min . 50 sec. with Sony Casset1e
C-
60
90 - 10,000 Hz
Microphone inpuL .... 1( minijack)
sensitivity 0.2 mV (- 72 dB)
for low impedance microphone
Earphone output ...... 1 (minijac k)
8-
ohm earphone or load impedan ce
10 kilohms or higher
Remote control jack ......1
Approx. 2.5 hours of continuous recording
from the built-in micropllone with Sony Su-
per Batteries . size AA
Approx . 174X29.5><113 mm (w h, d}
(6 7 ax 13 16x4 1 2 inches)
(no t incl . proIecting parts and controls)
Approx . 760 g (1 lb 11 oz)
Demonstration cassette, AC Power Adapt or
AC-9W (for USA model), AC-9 (for Canadi -
an
model) . Earphone ME - 21 , Connecting
Cord RK -6 4H , Head Cleaning Tip (1 set}.
Carrying Case
Design and specifications subject to change without notice .
17

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OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
AC Power Adaptor AC -9W (for USA model)
AC-9 (for Canadian model)
Rechargeable Battery P ack BP-28
Car B atte ry Cord DCC-127H
Dynamic Microphone F-27 F- 27S (S type has a remote stop start
swi tch)
Electret Condenser Microphone ECM-16. ECM-200 , ECM-200S
Remote Control RM-15
Foot Switch FS-6
Telephone Pickup TP- 5S (not available 1n Canada)
Connecting Cord RK-64H
Connecting Cord RK-69H
Cassette Eraser BE-7H
Continued trouble-free operation of any tape recorder 1s dependent
on the quality of the cassettes used 111 conjuction wi th it. The use
of Sony casset1es is recommended for high quality recordings and
trouble-free operation .
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
Should any trouble occur with the TC-150 , make the following
simple tests to determine whethe r or not servicing is required .
If the trouble persists after you have made these tests consu lt the
nearest Sony dealer for further informat i on
Cassette cannot be inserted .
• Cassette
is being inserted improperly See page 9
• The ► button rs depressed
The REC button cannot be depressed .
•
No cassette in the Cassette Compartment .
•
The protective tabs have been removed from the c asse11e See
page 11 .
• The ► - . or ◄◄ button is depressed
The REC or ► button cannot be locked.
• T he tape is completely wound onto the right reel.
The tape does not move.
• Incorrect polarity of batteries .
•
Weak batter ies.
•
The ac power adaptor is not connected (on ac operation).
• The ac power adaptor is connected to the set (on battery opera-
tion) .
•
The I nstant Stop Switch is set to STOP.
•
The external mi crophone is connected with the remote switch
on the microphone OFF.
No sound from the speaker .
•
The earphone is plugged 111 .
• The PB VOL control is turned down completely .
Weak or distorted sound.
• W eak batteries .
Sound drop -o uts or excessive noise .
•
Dirty heads. See page 16
• Magnetized head See page 16.
Tape speed is too slow.
• Weak batteries.
Recording cannot be m ade or is uns atisfacto ry .
•
Improper procedure or connection . See page 13
• Weak batteries .
•
Dirty Record Playback Head. See page 16.
Unsatisfactory erasing .
•
Dirty Erase Head. See page 16.
18 19