Pioneer RT-71 R2R Maintenance

SCompRacer · January 2

When I got this RT-71 several years ago, I replaced belts and bulbs and cleaned/lubed linkage. It recorded and played well and has sat around mostly unused. Now it has some scratchy pots and one channel cuts out recording in FWD, but it's fine recording in REV. It sports auto reverse playback and also recorded in reverse direction. No flipping tapes. It's a four head deck. Two erase and two heads that do both playback and record.

I have yet to find a complete service manual for the Pioneer RT-71 deck. I've asked at AK and Tapeheads forums. I even tried service manual pay sites. All I find is a few pages of PCB's and a schematic. No unit repair or calibration info.

I started looking at earlier Pioneer decks for a similar design. The Reel-Reel site has quite a database for decks, but they don't list all the early Pioneer decks. The first deck listed on the Pioneer page is the QT-6600 and the RT-71 is next. The blurb for the QT-6600 (Quad Track) said its based on the two channel T-6600. I was able to locate a service manual for the T-6600/6100. The tape head block and capstan/pinch roller are the same. Insides look the same. I'm thinking the electronics and calibration will be similar.

T-6600. Looks like it got a face job and became the RT-71.

RT-71

The pinch roller flips down out of the way and hides in the chassis for easy tape loading.

Press play and the pinch roller flips out and up against capstan.

Anyway, same old clean potentiometers and switches.

This deck has solenoid-controlled ALPS switches for switching between FWD and REV record and playback on bottom three PCB's. This one at far left side.

I had to remove one ground wire to flip the middle PCB around. That way I could better control applying DeOxit into switch without getting it everywhere. Lots of the old terminal post bare wire wrap in this deck.

Another short switch on the right side PCB.

SeleniumFalcon · January 3

I found this:

https://www.turntableneedles.com/Pioneer_RT-71_Tape_Player_Instant_PDF_Download_English_Schematic

SCompRacer · January 3

Thanks for the assist Ken! I have purchased belts from them. They were upfront when I inquired about the manual and said theirs was only a few pages too.

Service Manuals .net said they had a complete one saying they only scan original copies. It was the same as the freebies, five pages of a partial header page, four boards with a schematic so they refunded me.

This is what is available for the RT-71. Maybe I'm missing the page that says these are the only differences from the T-6600, though the RT-71 added a standard and LH bias switch.

mhardy6647 · January 3

That's a seldom-seen Pioneer, for sure!

@SCompRacer it's -- arguably

-- too bad that I didn't know then that you were a tape deck whisperer... I'd have shipped this monstrosity to you. It did work but... well... kinda a charity case, you know?

I never quite figured this one out. I think maybe TEAC made these for Matsushita aka National aks Panasonic... but I'm not at all sure of that!

Very large and heavy for a deck that "only" took 7 inch reels -- another odd duck deck from days of yore.

SCompRacer · January 3

I don't know about whisperer, but I threaten to turn them into parts machines if they don't cooperate...

I do believe that was made by National-Panasonic all right. Here it is as a Technics RS-714. I think the Mrs. will strongly object to another deck here....lol

Some history...

1918 – Panasonic was founded in by Konosuke Matsushita first selling duplex lamp sockets.
1965 – Panasonic started to produce a variety of hi-fi products under the Technics name brand. The first product out of the gate, The Technics 1 speaker.
1969 – The Technics name came to wider prominence with sales of turntables for the professional market
1970 – Produces the worlds first Direct Drive Turntable, the SP-10, Tonearm not included
1972 – Technics introduced the first auto reverse system in a cassette deck with the RS-277US. Introduces SL-1200 Direct Drive Turntable which sold over 3.5 million units and is still popular today.
1973 – Manufactures the first three-head cassette deck ever made, the RS-279US
1976 – The Technics RS-1500 was introduced. The 1500 2 track was heavily advertised and sold well. Technics also sold other Isolated Loop transport models, the RS-1506 4 track, RS-1520 Semi Pro 2 Track, RS-1700 Auto-Reverse and the rare RS-1800. These models were built until 1987

Pioneer RT-71 R2R Maintenance

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