It looks to be a fairly capable machine for a dual cassette deck. It has Dolby B and C and also more importantly it has a bias control which most tape decks don't have. The next step up would be a 3 head tape deck that lets you record and monitor the recording at the same time. 3 heads also have the advantage of the play and record heads being gapped differently to better suit their functions instead of a combined play/record head on a two head deck.

BTW if you're planning on getting a tape deck you plan on changing the belts in, I would see if you can find the service manual as you can judge how difficult it is to change the belts as well as make it a lot easier to do the job.

It is a 3-head deck, you can monitor recordings fine. I just wish it was possible to record on both decks instead of just one.

It looks to be a fairly capable machine for a dual cassette deck. It has Dolby B and C and also more importantly it has a bias control which most tape decks don't have. The next step up would be a 3 head tape deck that lets you record and monitor the recording at the same time. 3 heads also have the advantage of the play and record heads being gapped differently to better suit their functions instead of a combined play/record head on a two head deck.

BTW if you're planning on getting a tape deck you plan on changing the belts in, I would see if you can find the service manual as you can judge how difficult it is to change the belts as well as make it a lot easier to do the job.

That sounds like a great option then! Sox35 also said it has 3 heads on the recording deck. I don't mind the fact that only one deck records. Does the recording deck record only forward or reverse too (Because it is an auto reverse machine)? Also, what is relay playback (on the reverse mode switch)?

It has auto-reverse and the recording deck records both ways as well. Not sure on relay playback, will have to dig out the manual.

It has auto-reverse and the recording deck records both ways as well. Not sure on relay playback, will have to dig out the manual.

Do you have the service manual? I can't seem to find it online but it will be almost necessary to read before replacing the belts if I end up getting the one on eBay. I did end up finding the user manual (very dumbed down, no service instructions) and it says that relay play will play both sides of the deck you press play on then both sides of the other deck. Also, online it says that deck 2 has one head for both record and play.

No I don't have the service manual, might be able to find it online somewhere though.

Hifi Engine has it but you'll need to sign up for their site. I can't seem to find one that isn't behind a pay or sign up wall though.

Apparently relay playback lets you play between both sides on decks 1 and 2 continuously. I guess it's intended for background music since you can get 3 hours of continuous music with two 90 min tapes. 4 or even 6 hours if you're willing to use the more fragile 120 and 180 min tapes.

Hifi Engine has it but you'll need to sign up for their site. I can't seem to find one that isn't behind a pay or sign up wall though.

Apparently relay playback lets you play between both sides on decks 1 and 2 continuously. I guess it's intended for background music since you can get 3 hours of continuous music with two 90 min tapes. 4 or even 6 hours if you're willing to use the more fragile 120 and 180 min tapes.

The user manual explicitly says not to use the 120 minute tapes because they are too thin (and easily get stuck around the capstans and pinch rollers), but it doesn't mention the 180 minute tapes. I would assume those would be even worse though.

I only ever use the 60 min or 90 min tapes.

The VHS player I bought at the same time as my first hi fi was by the same maker and could be used as an audio tape recorder, so with a E240 tape I could get eight hours if using the long play setting. 
Normally that would be quite long enough for a party... 
But I had one that lasted from 19:30 on Friday evening until 16:00 the following Friday.!

The VHS player I bought at the same time as my first hi fi was by the same maker and could be used as an audio tape recorder, so with a E240 tape I could get eight hours if using the long play setting. 
Normally that would be quite long enough for a party... 
But I had one that lasted from 19:30 on Friday evening until 16:00 the following Friday.!

You had a Denon VCR that could record audio onto a VHS tape that lasted an entire week?

You had a Denon VCR that could record audio onto that lasted an entire week?

It was a Pioneer branded Philips machine that recorded for eight hours.
The party lasted for a week, my parents said I could have one party while they were on holiday... 

It was a Pioneer branded Philips machine that recorded for eight hours.
The party lasted for a week, my parents said I could have one party while they were on holiday... 

That's still cool! Couldn't you just record audio onto the video part of the tape and play it back in any VCR with the speaker connected to the video output?

That's still cool! Couldn't you just record audio onto the video part of the tape and play it back in any VCR with the speaker connected to the video output?

I suppose I could have, but as it was a stereo VHS recorder and was in the rack of hi fi kit I made use of it. 
The CD player took cartidges loaded with six CDs so I had ample choices for long playing sessions. 

Actually no, you couldn't. The composite video output would be 1V peak-to-peak and a speaker wouldn't like it much. I don't think audio fed into the video input would go down too well either..!