How To Clean A Mini Dv Camcorder

Is it safe to clean the tape head of a miniDV camcorder with ...

Discussion in 'Amateur Video Production' started by allr1, Oct 4, 2007.

1. ... a Q-tip and alcohol?

   Will it damage it instead?

   I cleaned the tape head of a
   Hi-8 camcorder this way and
   it seems to have worked. (or,
   at least, it didn't damage it)

   Isn't a miniDV camcorder just
   the same but in digital format?

1. Advertisements

2. I would *never* do that to *any* helical scan tape head. *Never*. Not
   even once

   At the very least, if I absolutely *had* to do it, I would purchase
   lint-free Q-Tips made for the purpose (they use plastic foam or chamois
   leather, not cotton). Also, I'd choose 99% isopropanol or methanol, not
   70% isopropanol. The other 30% is water, which I don't recommend.

   I'd suggest obtaining head-cleaning tapes, and use them in moderation
   if at all...

1. Advertisements

3. NO! It is NEVER safe to clean ANY helical rotating
   head mechanism with cotton swabs. The strands
   of cotton fiber can easily get caught and become
   attached to the drum and be dragged across the
   tape.

   People who do manual cleaning on helical-scan
   heads use a flat, fake-chamios "swab" with some
   appropriate head cleaning solution. Alcohol is not
   necessarily a good fluid as it leaves significant
   amounts of water after the alcohol part evaporates.
   And there are other contra-indications as well.

   And then they hold the swab in a fixed position
   (usually by bracing it against the lower, non-rotating
   part of the drum). Then turn the drum by hand to
   swipe the head across the stationary cleaning pad.

   If you put the slightest lateral (up and down) force on
   the projecting head tip, you run an excelent chance
   of breaking it off, leaving a nice sharp knife to slice
   your tapes to ribbons (not to mention replacing the
   drum assembly).

   The either you were lucky, or you know the proper procedure
   (in which case it seems strange for you to be asking here?)
   But even smaller drum (more difficult to turn manually)
   and thinner head tip (even easier to break off).

   Is there some reason you don't want to do the tradtional
   method and use a head-cleaning cassette? I have cleaned
   many uncounted helical-scan videotape and videocassette
   machines, but I would never use a cotton swab, and I would
   never attempt to do a manual cleaning on a mini-DV drum.

4. Head cleaning cassettes are usually not recommended because they only cover
   the path of the tape, leaving residue right along the edge. I've cleaned
   VCRs that were regularly cleaned with cassettes but had ferrous oxide
   residue on the capstans and pinch rollers right on the edge of the tape
   path.

   jaybee

5. Right, but we don't know why the OP even thinks he
   needs to clean the heads by ANY method????
   At this point we can only engage in useless speculation.

6. Head cleaning cassettes are usually not recommended?
   Have you read a manual from Sony in the last decade or so?
   They do reccomend head cleaning tapes.

   The traditional wisdom is as you stated above, but the
   traditional wisdom came from a time when tape heads
   were much more robust than they are today. Of course
   this is the right and expected way to clean the tape path
   when a trained technician is involved

   If you feel competent to disassemble your transport and
   do a proper cleaning, then go for it.

   I'm don't think it is advisable for the average user to take
   apart their camcorder and attempt to clean the tape
   path manually.

   David

7. Not by pros or semi-pros, no.
   The manuals are targeted at consumers who shoot vacation videos and
   average a few hours of footage per year. But if you're using your
   camcorder extensively (as most people in this ng do) then head cleaning
   tapes will leave residue that will build-up with time.
   You don't need to disassemble anything, not to clean the drum. You can do
   it yourself if you feel confident, or you can have it done
   professionally. But head-cleaning tapes are not a viable solution for the
   power user.

   jaybee

8. Err, yes and no.

   I have industrial level Betacam decks (PVW-2800 and PVW 2650)
   If I recall correctly, the manual for those decks recomended head
   cleaning tapes. On those decks you can just pull the top cover and
   get to the tape path. It seems like I opened one of their lower decks
   (UVW 1800) and it required a bit more disassembly. I've never tried
   it with consumer camcorders, but I think they take a little more
   dissassembly to get to the full tape path.

   You are correct for pros and others that have been shown how to do it.
   But it scares me to think that the average user of this stuff would be
   advised to open their machines without training. I think this is Sony's
   feeling as well.

   Of course they make a lot of money cleaning heads for people, so
   it isn't something they would want doing for themselves.

   David

9. "David McCall" wrote ... I think it is irresponsible of Mr. Bouchard to
   recommend anything so potentially damaging to
   clearly inexperienced consumers.
   And they make a lot more replacing broken heads
   and other parts of the miniscule tape paths. They
   are so easy to damage even by your average tach,
   not to mention a ham-handed neophyte.

10. Obviously Mr. Bouchard felt he was being clear enough when he stated "You
    can do it yourself if you feel confident, or you can have it done
    professionally.".

    jaybee

11. (Richard Crowley) wrote:

    " Is there some reason you don't want to do the tradtional method and
    use a head-cleaning cassette? I have cleaned many uncounted helical-scan
    videotape and videocassette machines, but I would never use a cotton
    swab, and I would never attempt to do a manual cleaning on a mini-DV
    drum. "

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    2 reasons.

    1. A salesman at Radio Shack suggested it.
    (probably b/c they didn't have one for sale)

    2. I'm po'. :-(

12. (Richard Crowley) wrote:

    " Right, but we don't know why the OP even thinks he needs to clean the
    heads by ANY method???? At this point we can only engage in useless
    speculation. "

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    I think I need to clean the tape head (or is it
    'tape heads') because it has more than a few hours of use, and it
    screwed-up the first 10
    or so minutes of recording last time I used it.
    (nothing but static, like when cable goes out)

    It also may stem from some condensation
    problems I had from taking it outside without
    allowing it to adjust to the heat and humidity.

13. (David McCall) wrote:

    " You are correct for pros and others that have been shown how to do it.
    But it scares me to think that the average user of this stuff would be
    advised to open their machines without training. "

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    With a camcorder (the Hi-8 at least) there's
    no need to 'open it up', other than eject the
    tape. The heads are easy enough to reach
    when it's open and the tape's removed.

14. If it is working now, then I would advise against
    doing anything to it to try to "fix" it. Your problem
    was likely caused by the condensation as you
    have suggested.

1. Advertisements

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments (here). After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

How To Clean A Mini Dv Camcorder

Source: https://www.photography-forums.com/threads/is-it-safe-to-clean-the-tape-head-of-a-minidv-camcorder-with.96657/

Posted by: marrashaden.blogspot.com

Share this post