CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Care of Cassette Decks
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Periodic cleaning of the tape heads and capstan is necessary to maintain
good sound reproduction. The build up of iron oxide particles, which is
often even more severe with inferior tapes, will reduce the performance of
the cassette. It is recommended that the heads and capstan be cleaned
after every 25 hours of use; more often if playback has deteriorated. To
clean, use a cotton swab moistened with an audio head cleaner solution or
n wipe dry with another swab.
PINCH
Always unplug the power cord when using a liquid cleaner and allow 30
minutes drying time.
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All tape heads inevitably become slightly magnetized after long use. This
may cause noise or loss of high-frequency response in playback.
Demagnetize the heads occasionally with a head demagnetizing cassette
(available from many audio equipment stores).
NOTE:
Never use any metal objects on or near the tape heads. Do not allow
any cleaning material to fall into tape assembly.
Tape Care
Do not expose your cassettes to direct sunlight or store them in hot places.
High temperatures may warp the cassette shell or damage the tape itself.
Keep your cassettes in their boxes when they are not in the Cassette Deck.
This keeps dust from entering the cassette shells.
Your tapes can be erased by magnetic fields produced by permanent
magnets, electric motors, electrical transformers, and other devices. Keep
tapes away from magnets and magnetic fields.
Wind the tape to one end before removing it from your Cassette Deck. When
it is fully wound, only the tape leader will be visible, not the tape itself. Avoid
touching either tape or leader. Even the natural oils on your hands can
damage a tape; if oils become deposited on the tape transport mechanism of
your Cassette Deck, they could contaminate other tapes.
If a tape is accidentally pulled from a cassette, insert the tapered end of a
large pencil or similar object into the center of the tape hub and gently wind
the tape back into the cassette. Be careful not to twist or wrinkle the tape.
Care should be taken that all excess tape is wound into the cassette and is
taut. If slack is allowed to exist, it can cause the tape to become twisted
around the pinch roller and capstan which could result in a damaged
cassette.