Expensive tapes last longer with a little care and understanding

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 10

Expensive tapes last longer with a little care and understanding

Video tapes are expensive, so the following tips will help to preserve and extend the life of both your private tapes, and those belonging to your library. Modern video recorders, although simple to use, contain a vast array of electronics and precision mechanical components, not the least being the tape loading mechanism. The tape itself, inside the video cassette shell, is a delicate band of coated film a mere 20mm thick.

Accordingly, both the video cassette tape and the recorder need careful handling if they are to work at peak condition. Loading and operational errors, as well as rough treatment during record-

ing and playback, can result in tape breaking, edge stretching, wrinkling, scratching and other damage. Tape damage Always remember to take up any slack tape inside the video cassette shell by winding the tape clockwise. The best way to do this is with your thumb, turning it in the direction already indicated. When rewinding the slack tape, DO NOT use force, and do not attempt to wind the tape after it stops. Also, do not attempt to wind the tape in the wrong direction, (counter clockwise), as the shell’s built-in stopper will prevent the rotation of the reel.

Slack tape inside the video cassette shell can cause the tape to engage incorrectly on to the fixed guide pole or unloading guide. This in turn causes the tape to snarl and ultimately break. Scratching Metal dust deposits or small sharp fragments of grit or dirt on the pinch roller or capstan can result in severe tape scratching as the tape passes this area during Play.

Scratches such as these interfere with picture signal and will eventually cause the tape to break. Dirt deposits on the video cassette tape guide poles will also result in scratches on the tape

coating each time the tape passes. As the scratches deepen, black lines will appear on the screen and drop-outs may occur. (Drop-outs are loss of picture on part of the screen.) The video-cassette recorder should be returned regularly to the dealer for cleaning of the pinch roller, capstan and guides. Never attempt to take the VCR or the video cassette apart to clean them yourself, as this will most probably result in damage to the precise recorder and/or the video cassette tape mechanisms. A range of head cleaning tapes are available, but I do not really recommend their use, because they only clean the heads, not the tape mechanisms. If you do use one, however, make sure it is a wet system as dry head cleaning tapes can be too abrasive. Tape stretching Incomplete video cassette insertion or tape slack in the video cassette shell can cause excessive strain on one section of the tape during loading, resulting in tape stretching and breaking. Make sure the video cassette is inserted properly, and the video recorder’s cassette intake is right home before pressing any of the tape transport controls. Again, remember to take up any slack in the video cassette. Wrinkling Tape wrinkling is most commonly the result of incorrect video cassette loading, incorrect capstan and pinch roller pressure regulation caused by dirt or other foreign objects which in turn cause tape misalignment. Again, the remedy for this is to get your machine serviced. Edge wrinkling Incorrect loading of the video cassette can cause the tape to jump out of the recorded guides and wrinkle along the edge. Incorrect regulation of the guide height can also cause this problem. If your recorder is giving this problem, contact the dealer or authorised service centre to check your

machine. Slack tape can also cause tape edge wrinkling. It will sometimes engage incorrectly on to the loading guide, so again check that the tape contains no slack. Tape folding This is usually caused ,by low torque at the takeup reel during tape loading which causes mistiming of the tape take-up and tape transport at the pinch roller and capstan. When this happens the tape can slip down around the guide, resulting in folding between the pinch roller and capstan. Please discuss this problem with your dealer r as soon as possible because it is likely to happen again and ruin another tape. Have your dealer increase the level of torque on the take-up reel if necessary. The accidental unplugging of your video cassette recorder during tape transport (play modes), followed by long-term storage with the controls set on play or record modes can result in small folds in the tape where it has remained in contact with the guides. Always remember to remove the video cassette from the VCR at the end of play, and when the power supply is switched off. Before removing the tape though, it is advisable to fully rewind it to prevent possible tape damage. Slack tape inside the video cassette shell when loading or unloading the video cassette can cause the tape to catch on the shells cover and fold over. Interference during play-back Video cassette recorders record images on to the tape by using two independent video heads. Incorrect head balance or insufficient head projection results in poor tape contact and interference bands on the TV screen during play-back.

Regular head maintenance is needed to obtain optimum performance from your video cassette recorder. Head life is usually between 1000 to 2000 hours of play, although this will depend on the particular recorder and its operating conditions. Scratches or poorly coated tapes can also cause interference, so check for scratches on your tapes, and buy good tapes to ensure a good quality product.

Record button will not operate

Check the lug on the back of the video cassette; the recorder will not work if it has been removed. To get it to record, simply place some tape over the hole from where the lug has been removed.

Dew This is not a big problem on some of the newer units, because they will not work if the dew indicator is going, however take it that your machine does not have this safety factor built in. Dew is caused by a change in temperature (for example, moving the machine from a cold area to a warm area, causing condensation). Use of the machine at this time can cause the tape to adhere to the cylinder head resulting in tape and cylinder head damage. Most machines have a dew warning light (the Funai play-only machine being the only unit available here that does not have one, to the best of my knowledge). If this dew light comes on, leave the unit plugged in and wait for the machine to acclimatise to the change in temperature. Refer to the owner’s manual. It can be seen from the above that most problems can be taken care of with a bit of common sense.