Trees And Other Things

Go ahead and laugh. I got the left side (play only) working just now.

The right side (record/play) almost ate up the cassette. But I don't need two sides right now.

[ I'd do a video to prove it, but I got to go mow the lawn, before it gets dark. ]

 

When you mow, don't forget to break for lunch!

 

It was an unusual evening. Didn't get home until after 11 pm. No rain in town but by the time I got in the country it had sprinkled out there. The grass was not overgrown, just a few taller weeds scattered around that made it look ragged from the road. I know you're not supposed to mow when the grass is wet, but I may not get a better chance for days, so I set the mower high and finished it.

Either the string trimmer/mower uses a lot of gas, or it has a slow leak. If so, it's likely because I didn't replace that little seat (washer the needle hits in the carburetor) with the new one. There was no way to get the new one out without risking damage, so I left the old one in. They say the best way to get them out is with an air compressor if you have one. I thought a tire pressure fitting wouldn't work but it popped that little thing out with no damage. Now it's ready to put in, if I need it. Hate to tear that thing down again. That's pushing ones luck.

Got ready to leave and couldn't find the house keys. This happens at least a couple times a year. I looked everywhere, even in the yard, in case they fell out of my pocket while mowing. So I devised Plan A. Leave the front door unlocked, turn on the lights and leave the TV running. Find the duplicate keys in town and look again when I have more time. Just before I started to leave I checked one more place and there they were. So I had to undo plan A.

Then the thunderstorms started. Pouring rain, lightning, wind. I thought I'd wait out the rain, but gave up after a half hour. It's a good thing I mowed. Driving home after dark was difficult and slow. Stopped at the grocery store and got wet. Rain didn't stop until I got right near the house.

Found one of the tapes, dated 1981, I wanted to copy when I got home. The voices are recognizable, but sound muffled. It's difficult to understand many words. Disappointing. I'll look for the other tape tomorrow. I tried turning the base down. Tried cheaper speakers. Neither helped.

 

Old cassette tapes do not age well. Over time, the tape stretches and the sound can even bleed through to the other side. They should be stored in their case, in a cool, dry place. They do not abide heat well.

 

Just checked. The tank isn't completely empty. Last two times it was, but I didn't put in much gas, thinking it wouldn't work. Maybe it's ok.

I don't have a cassette tape made after the 1980's. That tape was all about plans for building the cabin. Had to be 1982. It did occur to me it might be my hearing, but I don't think so. Maybe I'll post an mp3 file and ask someone else to tell me if it's muffled.

 

I suppose it might depend on the quality of the tape also. They had something called chromium tape back then. Some of the music is on that. Just conversation is all on the cheaper regular tape. These 2 tapes have only been played once or twice and stored in a case. I don't know about the cool and dry. It is Georgia.

 

I would guess if your trimmer is using more gas then it isn't getting enough air. I would check the air filter and also the choke function. If it is running smoothly, then it is probably just fine. If you have a leak I would think you would see a stain under where it is stored and also smell it. If it has a multi-stage automatic choke, then maybe it sticks on the one next to the wide-open one. On my Sthil, I can tell by the sound if this happens.

There are a lot of things that could cause the old cassette to be muffled. The old output and preamp biasing filter capacitors are usually the culprits. If you have a schematic you could post, I might be able to make a better guess. Another common cause is head alignment. The head may just need tweaking and there should be an adjustment screw on each side so you can align it. If it is too high or too low or even the angle is slightly off, this can cause distortion. Without seeing an oscilloscope pattern, I am just guessing from repairing hundreds of those aggravating players.

 

Hi Faye. Please "answer me this." Is the carburetor bowl always full, as long as the tank has gas? Even after the engine it turned off and put away? If so would the engine keep running as long as there was gas in the bowl, even if the tank was dry?

IF so, that would explain why the gas tank was dry the last two times. As I said, I just put a little gas in both times.

 

Yes, it will run until the bowl is dry. This is why it is recommended to empty the fuel tank before a long storage and then run the 2-cycle engine until it quits. Otherwise, that gas/oil mix can really gum up the carb sitting stagnant for months. Think about if you run the trimmer until it quits. When you fill-up, you will need to push on the manual pump to get that bowl full again and the air out.

 

Good news! Changed the sound settings on the receiver to completely cut out the treble and bass (I think) and you can hear almost all the words on the tape.

This is what it looks like. All I know about is woof and tweet.



The voices sound a little different from what I remember, but I think a little more tweaking and it will be possible to compromise and have both.

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