Pioneer CT-F850

Stereo Cassette Deck with 3-Head/2-Motor DC Drive, Closed-Loop Dual Capstan and 2-Mode Electronic Fluroscan Meter

Features:

3-head Monitor-Capable with "Small-Window" erase Head

Pioneer Sendust Metal-Capable Heads & Wide-Range Electronics

2-Motor DC and Closed-Loop Dual Capstan Drive, Wow/Flutter 0,04%

19-Segment Electronic 2-Mode Fluroscan meter

Continuously -Adjustable Bias, logic Controls, Dolby NR and more.

The Metal-Capable Deck

The search for the ideal material to assure a clean, bright and undistorted "reflection" on playback  has finally come to an end with the so-called "metal" casettes.  But Pioneer would like to remind you that all our new metal-capable cassette decks, including the CT-F850, have been wholly redesigned to handle metal and all other types of tapes with greatly enhanced performance. Therefore, we recommend that you consider such features as the 3-Head Monitor-Capable configuration and the 2-Motor DC Closed-Loop Dual Capstan drive system in this deck as having at least as much (maybe more) importanmce as its metal-tape-handling capabilities. These and other features combine to make this, our "third best" deck, a wise investment in non-obsolescence, one that will always reflect the finest in high fidelity recording and playback.

All Cassettes are "Metal" in a sense.

If you want to split hairs, all cassette tapes could be called "metal" because all use one form or another of tiny ferriferous metal particles to receive and hold the magnetically-encoded sound information passed on from the recording head. Unitl recently, those metal particles were oxided ("rusted") for easier handling. This naturally reduced their ability to accept high inputs, especially in the high frequencies. In other words, they had relatively low Hc (coercivity) and Br (remanent flux) characteristics.

But the New "Metal" Tapes are Extraordinary.

The Hc of "Normal" tapes was between 280 and 330 Oersted. Br was in the range of 1,200 Gauss. Improvements were made with the use of chromium dioxides (CrO₂) and so on, boosting the Hc to as high as 550 oersted and the Br to 1,600 Gauss. But with non-oxided metal emulsion, the new metal tapes offer Hc of 950 - 1,100 Oersted and Br as high as 3,500 Gauss. However, to take full advantage of these astonishing improvements, metal-capable decks must have very special heads and electronics. All Pioneer decks, the CT-F850 ranking in the middle of the line in terms of price and features, have those much needed improvements.

Two-Motor DC Drive

Perfect Tape-to-Head Contact

Pioneer has improved the once-popular Closed-Loop Dual Capstan system to avoid slack, snaris and stretching in the tape while keeping it in perfct contact with the heads. The key is our Automatic Tape-Slack Canceller which puts the proper tension on the tape before the pinch rollers are engaged. Then,the "drive" capstan on the right and the "tension" capstan on the left are looped via the sub-belt (with appropriate compensation) so that they rotate at exactly the same speed. Your recorded/played signals retain the same pitch and level from one end of your tape to the other.

Both Motors are DC

With the use of DC motors in the CT-F850 we have avoided speed. Fluctuations caused by voltage/frequency variations in the power supply. The DC motor for the reels  is a high-torque type exhibiting excellent high-speed performance over very long periods of time, it is physically "de-coupled" from the capstan drive system to further reduce vibration. Then, the DC motor for capstan drive is a servo type coupled with the large flywheel by a flat precision-finished belt. Tape speeds are rock-steady at all times because the speed of the motor is electronically controlled instant by instant. The proof is in the excellent wow/flutter of 0,04% (WRMS)

3-Head Heat-Sink Mounting

Mutual interference is kept to a minimum by housing the REC and Play heads in separate housing. But this Pioneer developed 3-head deck system uses a single die-cast aluminum mount, including the "small-window" erase.the thick and rigid structure dissipates heat effectively to prevent head malfunction.

Another 3-head Advantage

Tape/Source monitoring is surely a major advantage in 3-head decks. But did you know that using gaps of different width on our seoarate Rec and Play heads also improves performance. This is another strong reason to spend that little extra to make your deck a 3-head model from Pioneer.

Specifications

Systems:  Compact cassette, 2-hannel stereo

Motors:  Capstan drive, DC servo Motor x 1

Reel drive:  DC high torque motor x 1

Heads:  Sendust Recording/Playback combination type head x 1

Erasing head x 1

Fast Winding Time:  approx. 85 sec. (C-60 tape)

Wow and Flutter:  no more than 0,04% (WRMS)

No more than ±0,14% (DIN)

Frequency Response (-20 dB Recording): 

Standard, LH tapes:  20 to 17,00 Hz ; (25 to 15,000 Hz ±3 dB)

Ferrichrome tape:  20 to 18,000 Hz ; (25 to 17,000 Hz ±3 dB)

Chromium dioxide tape :  20 to 18,000 Hz ; (25 to 17,000 Hz ±3 dB)

Metal tape :  20 to 19,000 Hz ; (25 to 18,000 Hz ±3 dB)

Frequency Response (0 dB  Recording):

Chromium dioxide tape :  20 to 11,000 Hz

Metal tape:  20 to 14,000 Hz

Signal-to-Noise Ratio:

Dolby NR Off :  more than 59 dB

Dolby NR On :  more than 69 dB (over 5 kHz)

Total Harmonic Distortion:  no more than 1,2% (0 dB)

Inputs Sensitivity/Max.Input/Impedance:

Mic :  0,3 mV/100 mV / 10 k Ω (6 mm Jack, ref. Mic Impedance 250 Ω to 10 k Ω)

Line x 2 :  64 mV/ 25 V / 85 k Ω (Pin Jack)

Outputs Ref. Level/ Max. Level / Load Impedance

Line x 2 :  450 mV/630 mV / 50 k Ω (Pin Jack)

Hedaphones :  70 mV/ 98 mV / 8 Ω (6 mm Jack)

Semiconductors:

Amplifier Section:  49 Transistors; 10 Ics; 41 Diodes; 3 Zener Diodes; 7 LEDs

Motor Control Section:  3 Transistors; 1 Diode

Subfunctions:

Dolby NR system (ON-OFF)  with LED indicator lamp

Fluorescence tube level meter (-20 to +8 dB)(peak/Average Selector)

Biasfine adjusting control knob

4 position tape selector (STD/METAL/CrO₂/Fe-Cr)

Automatic Tape slack canceller

Cassette compartment illumination

Standby mechanism with unattended recording

Output level controls with click stop for reference playback level

Power Requirements:  AC 120, 220, 240 V (switchable)50/60 Hz

Power Consumption:  45 watts or 50 watts

Dimensions (W x H x D): 420 x 150 x 361  mm (16-9/16" x 5-15/16" x 14-1/4")

[452 x 160 x 361 mm (17-13/16" x 5-5/16" x 14-1/4") D/G model]

Weight:  9,5 kg (20 lb 14 oz) [9,9 kg (21 lb 12 oz D/G model]

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