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Thread ID: 54279 2005-02-08 09:13:00 Cleaning VCR heads Morgenmuffel (187) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
322723 2005-02-09 05:06:00 Any cloth is dangerous . The heads are tiny and very fragile . If they are snagged by a cloth cleaner, it's all over .

Are wet head cleaning cassettes available for VHS? That's what I use for my 8 mm helical scan backup tape drive .

The only recommended tool for hand cleaning is a chamois covered swab, wetted with IPA .
Its the danger that excites me :)

But seriously with the price of vcr's vs the cost of servicing and the fact that it is in fact a complete 5 minute no brainer who gives a toss .
Mind you if I had a 8mm helical scan tape drive (and I knew what the hell one was) I probably would probably clean it with sheepskin skin soaked in bourbon as well . :thumbs:
the highlander (245)
322724 2005-02-09 05:41:00 look at the economics of course. is fixing worth it unless you got a really high end model. VCR are pretty cheap these days. DVD even cheaper.

we had some problems. try these. when you put tape inside and press the play button and stop and record etc.. don't press it ASAP, give it sometime a moment or two before you press the 2nd button or give it a moment after the tape has stopped before pressing REC or PLAY. This has helped our 15yr old VCR, if we pressed it ASAP the sound is garbled and the picture is v shaky and misses frames.

That worked for sometime and stuffed up.

I then found another trick. The VCR would have AV inputs and outputs. Our one using AVs started getting problems with this too (the same symptoms). I then took a chance and now worked out. Run a RF cable straight to the TV from the VCR, you would need to use the video not on AV channels but on your normal TV free to air channels, you also need to tune the channel so it picks up your VCR. Just like the old days when AVs were not invented.

This has worked so far... we do get the symptom that sometimes you can hear the tape is being grined and when we opened the case we could see tiny shreads of tinzel of film threads... We hope this holds up, as VCR is old tech, we hope to get a DVD Recorder or those HDD VCR Recorders and maybe we would copy our video tapes into DVD formats ....

Hope this works.
Nomad (952)
322725 2005-02-09 05:54:00 God I just use spit and a pair of Mrs Highlander's silk undies. Works a treat and I have never abraded the heads ever. Been doing this for years. Present vcr I do every 6 months or so and is 5 years old.

Is Mrs Highlander still in the undies at the time though?
godfather (25)
322726 2005-02-09 06:02:00 Had an old car like that once. Had to throw it away when BOTH ash trays were full. PJ :D :D Poppa John (284)
322727 2005-02-09 06:29:00 Its the danger that excites me :)
Using Mrs Highlander's (expensive?) silk undies for cleaning your video heads would be an extremely dangerous occupation if you had not gotten her approval prior to the dirty deed. :eek:
FoxyMX (5)
322728 2005-02-09 07:28:00 Using Mrs Highlander's (expensive?) silk undies for cleaning your video heads would be an extremely dangerous occupation if you had not gotten her approval prior to the dirty deed. :eek:

Not a problem. I always use ones that have been ripped to shreds :cool:
But that is another story :lol:
the highlander (245)
322729 2005-02-10 03:35:00 Well I use cotton buds soaked in iso-propyl alcohol from the chemist .

But when I posted this extremely helpful advice on a similar thread ( . pcworld . co . nz/showthread . php?t=44903&highlight=head+VCR" target="_blank">pressf1 . pcworld . co . nz) I was roundly criticised . :eek: :eek:

There is just no helping some folks . :badpc:
Winston001 (3612)
322730 2005-02-10 08:49:00 Well I use cotton buds soaked in iso-propyl alcohol from the chemist .

But when I posted this extremely helpful advice on a similar thread ( . pcworld . co . nz/showthread . php?t=44903&highlight=head+VCR" target="_blank">pressf1 . pcworld . co . nz) I was roundly criticised .

There is just no helping some folks .

Ah . . . . . memories

Thank you for reviving that thread Winston, I owe you one . :thumbs:

That was the one whence I receive a compliment from Karent that warmed the cockles of this (slightly) aging Lothario's heart . :blush:

Not that I would have run off and left the long-suffering Mrs T to her own devices of course, :eek: but there's nothing like a bit of O-S flattery to brighten your day .

Cheers

Billy 8-{)
Billy T (70)
322731 2005-02-10 09:26:00 Using Mrs Highlander's (expensive?) silk undies

In our household, we don't seeem to have a supply of expensive silk undies.
Mrs F seems to go for sensible Grandma-style cotton ones ...

I do recall fancy undies years ago - Ah - nostalgia...

Cheers Tony
TonyF (246)
322732 2005-02-10 10:02:00 In our household, we don't seem to have a supply of expensive silk undies.
Mrs F seems to go for sensible Grandma-style cotton ones ...

I do recall fancy undies years ago - Ah - nostalgia...

Cheers Tony
How depressing,could I suggest you buy a pair and wear them yourself,though I wouldn't use them for cleaning your heads with,it may have the reverse effect. :lol:
Cicero (40)
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