2 questions regarding dropouts and an odd click.

Jackhorrorshow

New member
Question 1
When recording, my DVX 100B emits and odd click. It is not terribly audible and most of the time I forget that it's even there. The only reason that I do not write it off as a regular recording noise is that it occurs at irregular intervals. Just like this:

Click...Click...Click.Click...Click.........Click.

I seem to suffer no adverse effects because of the click. I don't think it's a problem but I just want to know what others think.

Question 2
How many dropouts should I be expecting on the footage I have recorded?
I use fujifilm tapes, I have never switched brands. I get my footage onto my computer via an old Handycam which has also used fujifilm tapes except for a few times. The Handycam has been cleaned.

Still, however I get dropouts. Not a whole ton. Just a few. In about two hours of tape I've only gotten scattered dropouts both of the sparkly variety and the horizontal bar variety (although I've written the bars off as dirty heads on my handycam). The sparkly dropouts I get are barely noticeable and generally it takes me several watches to pick up on them. There has been only 1 occasion when I've gotten a sparkly dropout that has mildly inconvenienced me. Perhaps the real question should be, "am I too fussy?"

Thank you in advance for answering my question. I hope I made it clear enough and I'm sorry if I'm just being ridiculous.
 
1. About the clicking: that doesn't sound like you're being "fussy". How loud is it? where is it coming from? has it always been there? how many hours on your cam? did you buy it new or used?

2. The dropouts: I get them too when using anything other than a DVX itself, or a pro deck to capture. My personal capture cam is an old canon, and I get constant dropouts with it. In my opinion, nothing to worry about.
 
Hey, sorry I took forever to reply, I've just been terribly busy. First of all thank you for your answer, it is most appreciated. Second of all, in regards to the clicking :

There are 25 hours on the hour meter. I bought the camera new. In regards to the loudness: Barely Audible. So quiet that it can only be heard in the most quiet areas. For example, while sitting here at my computer and recording, I could not here it over the hum of the computer's machinery. I moved to my family room, but the furnace was on and blasting hot air so still I was not sure I could hear it. I moved to my living room and then I could hear it but just barely. The only reason I even worried about it is because A) A friend of mine told me he heard it when I asked him if he heard it and B) the click does not occur at regular intervals. The click does not pick up on the on board microphone. I noticed it first when sitting in my bedroom doing some recording. The camera did suffer 1 knock in it's life time. The knock was severe enough that I had to turn the camera off and on again before it would focus. The knock occurred right on the camera's front, I believe the correct term is the lens hood. I first noticed the click AFTER the knock, however being paranoid, I could have just been looking for something to be wrong with the camera. My friend even said it was most likely just a regular noise. I seem to suffer no adverse effects from the click. I do believe the click is coming from the moving parts of the tape and heads while recording. That's pretty much the whole story.

And while I'm here, I just have one more question,

In regards to cleaning the heads, is it safe for me to use a cleaning tape that is not of the brand of tape or camera that I use?

Thank you in advance, and sorry for clogging things up with my own paranoid problems.
 
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