Guide To Cleaning The DVX100(a) Recording Heads

Just wondering,

I am editing material shot on the DVX100A with 24p and 16:9 squeeze. Unfortunately, quality checking was not performed during the shoot and as a result, during my capturing I am seeing ALOT of artifacts. The worst seems to be between each cut (or record, stop, record). Lots of dropped time code and bad digital artifacts....

Question...Is there any possibility of salvaging the footage? I originally tried capturing on my old Panasonic DV2000 deck, but opted towards my mini Sony TRV9 (I know, but you'd be surprised how often this little cam will play what my Panny deck won't!).

Still have bad artifacting and both machines have recently come back from maintainence/cleaning and have few hours logged. Any suggestions to salvaging the tape??

-silverfish

[Gopher_Greene]

Cleaned the heads on the camera last night, Thanks for such detailed instructions!!!! ;D

Is there any easy way to remove the door and tape carriage, it would be so mucha easier to get to everything.

I found my supplies on the net, but I had to buy in bulk. The rubber cleaner brand I found is Rubber Renue from MG Chemicals, I got it from Allied Chemicals. I had to buy 6 bottles to meet the minimum order--but if you shop around you may find a reseller without that restriction. The swabs I found at LSS. If theres enough interest I might consider putting together some kits. :P

--Gopher

[Caveman]

I would be interested in a kit from you gopher. Hopefully people will start asking. Let me know. ;D CAVEMAN ;D

[dmitriandsnow]

Update: Got all of my materials for this procedure.
First, let me just say this is the most awkward thing i have done in a while. Swabs would not move through the metal shell so i had to play around a bit to test the waters. Well i have figured out that if you move the moist swab from the right side and slightly push on the tape shell this will yield to just enough space to place the swab on the head.
I did just that, it was hard keeping that swab under complete control i got to say it moved vertically ones or twice i feel endangered now. Well moving on, the dry swab went onto the top and controlled the head. (After cleaning dry swab had a green spot) Not sure how many revolutions i have done, hard to tell... Cleaning the guides pins and capstans was easy except for the very very last angle pin to the right. I could not reach the far left pin all the way also.
I bet pro cleaners take off shell before cleaning this was just whoaw. Right well i am hoping my soon-to-come mqs will run like butter. (previous user ran sonys) Barry or anyone else is there a maximum amount of times you should clean the heads, speaking in revolutions per cleaning not how many times a year.
Also you think occasional slipping of the swab vertically could damage the heads? (heads were not cleaned vertically but the tape shell would sometimes push up and move the swab vertically (maybe 2-4 times in my case) I am tempted to redo the procedure with left over swabs i own will that be too much isopropyl for the mechanism?
By the way that rubber cleaning solution is hazardous in terms of smell whooosh!

[nahs]

Im upto 42 hrs on my DVX and I still dont feel comfortable doing this ...

Barry will you be bringing out a step by step guide WITH pictures etc to show this in more detail?

I would like that

[DVX100percent]

Me too! Pictures are worth a 1000 words. ;D

[Barry_S]

Warmstep--no maximum on the number or head rotations, but it shouldn't take many to get the head clean.

Guys, I'm not planning on step-by-step photos--it would be hard to get decent shots without disassembling the camera. The photo I posted should be enough to identify the parts. The only delicate parts are the recording heads. Just make sure you use a synthetic chamois swab and always clean in a gentle horizontal motion.

[Joe]

Excellent instruction. I have been wet cleaning video heads since the 2" quad days. So, how do you get you fingers down into the DVX head area? I don't see a way to get them clean?

[dmitriandsnow]

Well if you use swabs you are able to get to some points but not all. I pushed down on the tape mechanism to give me more room and it worked fine. I recorded some info on mqs after the use of sony tapes and it seems to function alright.
Will update later on.

When I pan sidway or up and down the picture begings to brake up. Is that a head cleaning issue?