Maintenance Tips
How Do You Maintain VTRs
and Camcorders?
Two types of approaches are needed to maintain the rotary-head recorder.
a) Cleaning cassette.
For HDCAM: Sony BCT-HD12CL.
For DVCAM: Sony DV-12CL.
Contact Videoscope Recording Media.
b) Wet cleaning (see instructions below). .
When to Clean
a) Sony recommendation: use a cleaning cassette every 50 hours of recording or playback.
b) Sony recommendation: wet cleaning every 20 or 25 hours of recording or playback.
More frequent cleaning may be required depending on temperature, humidity or dust in the operating environment.
Under most circumstances, you should not use a cleaning cassette more frequently than once every 25 hours.
Using the Cleaning Cassette
a) When you are using both a cleaning cassette and wet cleaning cleaning kit, use the cleaning cassette first.
b) Load the cleaning cassette into the recorder.
c) Push the record or playback button.
d) Stop the cleaning cassette after ten seconds. This is extremely important.
Using the cleaning cassette generates heat in the head drum.
Longer than 10 seconds, runs the risk of melting the debris and “varnishing” it more stubbornly onto the head drum.
e) If the problems persist, you can use the cleaning for additional 10 second bursts, separated by ten second cool-down periods.
Wet Cleaning Manually
a) Clean the rotary heads. Wet an oil-free chamois cleaning cloth with the solvent. (Use Isopropyl Alcohol, 99.9% pure anhydrous.) Gently touch the rotary heads with the cloth.
CAUTION: Rotate the head drum only in the normal direction. Never wipe the heads vertically; this may cause damage.
b) Clean the fixed heads, which are not cleaned by the cleaning cassette.
Wet the cleaning cloth with solvent and gently wipe the fixed heads. Wipe dry.
c) Clean the tape path. Here’s another area untouched by the cleaning cassette.
Wet the cleaning cloth with solvent and gently wipe the tape guides, upper and lower head drum, capstan and pinch roller. Wipe them dry.
Follow these guidelines and you will get better signal to noise ratios, fewer dropouts, more robust RF output and more reliable handling of tape. In short you will be getting the full performance of your rotary-head recorder.
For further clarification or more information, contact our Service Department.