pugsly@isrnix.UUCP (David Roth) (10/18/84)
I have a Sony Betamax. I have been told that if you don't know what you are
doing and try to clean the heads yourself
you could really screw things up. I have
also heard not to use Tape cleaners.
So this puts me in the postion to pay
outrages amount of money to have my heads cleaned every time.
I have cleaned the heads on tape records before and no problems. Have I been
lied to by some money grabing repair
shop or can I learn to do this myself?
Or are the tape cleaners ok to use, if
so what is the best.
David Roth
...decvax!pur-ee!isrnix!pugslyron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (10/22/84)
The rule I use for cleaning tape heads in general is: Isopropyl Alchohol on cotton moved over the heads and guides in the direction of the tape path. However, Isopropanol is not for all capstans so watch out for anything that looks plastic or rubbery. -Ron
paul@wjvax.UUCP (10/23/84)
>I have a Sony Betamax. I have been told that if you don't know what you are >doing and try to clean the heads yourself you could really screw things up. True, but it's not that difficult. >I have also heard not to use Tape cleaners. NEVER NEVER NEVER use "Head Grinders" (aka "cleaners") Cleaning the head is not difficlt, as long as you are not afraid of doing some minor disassembly of your unit. Let me tell you in advance that the Sony I own (the SL5200) is beautifully modular in design, and very easy to clean. The tools required are an appropriate screw driver for removing the cover of your unit, a clean tech swab (the long foam tipped "Q-tips") and some video head cleaner, which as far as I can tell is mostly isopropyl alcohol (should be available at your vidoe shop). Never use a cotton tipped swab, since it can leave damaging lint behind. Before starting, disconnect your unit from the AC power source (unplug it!). Remove the cover of your unit if you can't easily reach the head from where you insert the cassette (you might not have to do this with a top loader, but it might be a good idea anyway). You may also have to move some circuit boards to gain access to the head. Look closely before attacking. My SL5200's head is blocked by a board, but the board is hinged to swing out of the way to allow access to the entire tape transport mechanism. You might think that they planned it that way. The head is a metal drum about 2 1/2" in diameter. The tape gets wrapped around the head and the head spins rapidly, tracing diagonal tracks across the tape. It is the surface of the head which makes contact with the tape that needs to be cleaned. Soak the tech swab in the head cleaner (not drippy wet, just wet). Wipe the head gently with the swab along its circumference, NOT UP AND DOWN!!! Make sure not to touch the surface of the head with your fingers! There may be a ventilation fan on top of the head that you can hold while you wipe. A brand new head has a mirror finish on it. It gets dull with wear. Once or twice around the head with the swab should be enough to get the worst of the dirt off of it. Be gentle, this is a precision component. The rest of the tape path should also be cleaned. This includes all the rollers and the audio head, which looks sort of like a big audio cassette head. Use the swab and cleaner on these, also. A word of warning: Sony has developed a new head which it uses in the SL2700. This head is not the traditional spinning cylinder. Actually, it is a stationary cylinder with a circumferential slot cut in it with a tiny head that whirls around in the slot. I don't know anything about cleaning this kind of head, so my advise is leave it alone or let a professional do the job, unless someone out there is knowledgeable on the subject. Most of my information came from a Maintenence book that I got from my video dealer. He was very helpful on the subject. The rest of my info came from direct observation. I have had good results with the above method, meaning that the picture looked noticably better afterwards. If you have any doubts about your ability to do the job, or if after you open up the unit you panic, just put it back together and take it to the shop. As I said, though, I've had good results doing it myself. -- <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><**><*><*><*><*><*><*> Paul Summers Watkins Johnson, Co. 2525 N. First St. San Jose, Ca. 95131-1097 (408) 262-1411 x3203 (...wjvax!paul) Working is fine, but I wouldn't want to make a career out of it.
msc@qubix.UUCP (Mark Callow) (10/23/84)
> The rule I use for cleaning tape heads in general is: > Isopropyl Alchohol on cotton moved over the heads and guides in Cotton! Aaarggh!! Never use cotton, or anything else that leaves lint behind, on VCR heads. Use the cellulose foam swabs that come in most tape head cleaning kits even those for computers. -- From the TARDIS of Mark Callow msc@qubix.UUCP, qubix!msc@decwrl.ARPA ...{decvax,ucbvax}!decwrl!qubix!msc, ...{amd,ihnp4,ittvax}!qubix!msc ".. I have generally found that those who were most ready to pronounce others bores had the most indisputable claims to that title in their own persons." -- Lord Byron
ron@fluke.UUCP (Ron Pankiewicz) (10/25/84)
Most commercial isopropyl alcohols are sold as 'rubbing' alcohol. They contain some marginal amount of glycerin to reduce the drying effect that the alcohol has on your skin... you thus end up with a slimy film of glycerin on tape path parts that you clean with these preparations. The preferred stuff to use is pure methanol (the stuff that can cause blindness when ingested). And you should use a swab that will not leave lint on whatever parts are being cleaned.
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (10/29/84)
> Most commercial isopropyl alcohols are sold as > 'rubbing' alcohol. They contain some marginal > amount of glycerin to reduce the drying effect > that the alcohol has on your skin... you thus > end up with a slimy film of glycerin on tape > path parts that you clean with these preparations. Foo, this is not exactly true. Pure isopropanol is about as easy to get as pure methanol. It is almost impossible to get pure ethanol. Crufty Achohol Common name. Methanol Denatured Alcohol/PACO Solvent/Burner Fuel Ethanol Hooch Isopropanol Rubbing Alchohol -Ron