Head Cleaning

[Joe jones]

Does anyone have insights for manually cleaning a DV head. I have a PD150. I have read a few articles and thus far intend to use chamois swabs with DV Head cleaning solution. Your insights and/or links to specific articles are appreciated!

Thanks
Mark

[Alan Craig]

Why do you want to risk damaging your equipment when you can buy a head cleaning tape.

Alan

[Joe jones]

Alan,

Head cleaning tapes certainly have their place. However, head cleaning tapes are basically sandpaper and they take hours of life off your heads, also, while they can solve problems, they can also make problems worse by forcing contaminents into the heads and/or varnishing debris onto the surfaces.

Thanks,
Mark

[Skyler]

If you do use a Cleaning Tape, use it once ONLY!!!!
Manually cleaning the head is VERY risky, the head is incredibly small, and fragile, it has a Microscopic Gap that can be ruined in an instance.
If the head does need cleaning, get it done by a Technician. The cost of a professional technician is MUCH lower than a new head drum!!

[hoarp001]

could you not blast some fairly low pressure air in the general direction of the head to blow dust off it...

[Skyler]

could you not blast some fairly low pressure air in the general direction of the head to blow dust off it...
It is not just dust on the head, but particles of the tape coating.
They literally fill the Gap of the Head, and need to be removed by "wiping" the head in the direction of the gap. Most of the time, the heads rarely need cleaning, it is only when Consumer Tape is used, instead of buying Professional Tape which is far superior.

[Kdawg]

Here is the thread on cleaning the DVX heads. I always clean my own. I actually don't trust the local repair shop to clean mine.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=6888

Same basic principle for all cameras.

[Skyler]

Here is the thread on cleaning the DVX heads. I always clean my own. I actually don't trust the local repair shop to clean mine.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=6888

Same basic principle for all cameras.
Kdawg... that is why I said to use a Professional Technician. Not your local repair shop!

[Joe jones]

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for your insights! Kdawg thats a terrific link for head cleaning info.

Skyler, you are right, parts inside the camera are fragile, but not frail, as such, if one has some mechanical experience and dexterity, this is a very do-able job, but, proceed with caution and understand the risk of damaging a $525 head versus a $100 - $150 cleaning job ( Armatos Pro Video highly reccommended - but $150 for just cleaning).

Hoarp101 yeah, compressed air "could" clean things up, it also "could" clog things up by blowing particles in places they shouldn't be.

Anyway, I did open up the camera and clean it. At least on the PD150 there is not a clear path to the head but with some modification of the swab it was doable but not for the faint of heart. Overall the machine appeared under magnification to be very clean already. Any how, my cleaning did not correct the problem as it seems to be the same. I have already run the dry tape once for six seconds and this did not help; I will not run it again. I have shipped the camera to Armatos' as I belive it may be an alignment problem.

Thanks again everyone.

Mark
Jesus - just ask!