Boom boom boom, come back to my room....Cassette Archaeology!

Discussion in 'Cassettes' started by Mister X, Sep 4, 2023.

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  1. soluna

    soluna Active Member

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    Is the leader tape in every case thicker than the coated ? I guess, it must be more stable because it must hold the pressure in the spool.
     
    soluna, Aug 20, 2024
    #61
  2. Cassette2go

    Cassette2go Well-Known Member

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    Yes
     
    Cassette2go, Aug 20, 2024
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  3. soluna

    soluna Active Member

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    I just have read - the AIWA Deck has an automatically tightening of the tape, if you insert it. May be , this can stress the tape over normal. And if it is a thinner tape, it could be damaged. Just a thought...
     
    soluna, Aug 20, 2024
    #63
  4. Cassette2go

    Cassette2go Well-Known Member

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    Remind me to stay away from Aiwa. LOL. I don't think I have any of those brands anyway again LOL
     
    Cassette2go, Aug 20, 2024
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  5. soluna

    soluna Active Member

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    : stay away - i would take it as a gift ;-) by my meaning, this warning is a bit overcautious, - like "This microwave isn`t suitable to dry little pets." , the AIWA deck has got very good recommandations and reviews. I nowhere read about teared tapes.
     
    soluna, Aug 20, 2024
    #65
  6. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    I think something might be wrong with the deck that doesn't slow down, like the light sensor is not working. When I was a young tech working for a cleaning tape maker, I had to build a jig to put to black stickers on the sides of tape shells, Unfortunately I can't remember what the shells looked like it's been 26 years, but there was a way to sense the leader from the sides.

    Our cleaning tape was a porous cloth and without the black stickers the light sensor would shine through the tape media, make the deck think it was at the clear leader, and shut the transport down.

    The tape leader in a lot of newer cassettes changed to "cleaning" tape so you got a couple seconds of cleaning at the beginning and end.
     
    Mister X, Aug 21, 2024
    #66
  7. Cassette2go

    Cassette2go Well-Known Member

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    I've only seen a few cassettes with the cloth leader tapes, but I prefer not to use them because once there is crud on the leader tape cloth it can transfer it back to the heads. So those cleaning tapes that use cloth are generally only a one use time item. Normally only used in car stereos because you can't reach the heads with a q-tip to clean.
     
    Cassette2go, Aug 21, 2024
    #67
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  8. soluna

    soluna Active Member

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    Oh Yeah, thats the question, how to use cleaning tapes, dry or wet, once or more. Best way is by my meaning to make it manually with clean tips with special liquid - but some decks doesn`t have possibility for optimal access.
    Here`s the absolute solution : :loldiag:

    guide.jpg
    If somebody is interested in looking at this, - i have the full book here in English and German.
     
    soluna, Aug 21, 2024
    #68
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  9. Cassette2go

    Cassette2go Well-Known Member

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    Nah.
     
    Cassette2go, Aug 21, 2024
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  10. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    I believe the cloth would get a couple drops of cleaning fluid before insertion, then PLAY'ed for a few seconds. The tape would last for 12 cleanings and wasn't meant to be reused. The newer tapes have something different, maybe abrasive?
     
    Mister X, Aug 22, 2024
    #70
  11. soluna

    soluna Active Member

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    Oh yes, i have here all of these kinds of cassettes, dry some with abrasive tape, and wet some with fluid. And yes, the wet some you can use up to 12 times. And i have a special one with a moving felt tip, also this can used with fluid or without.
    Cleaning.jpg
    I have to look for a picture of the special, it`s a tricky mechanism.
     
    soluna, Aug 22, 2024
    #71
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  12. soluna

    soluna Active Member

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    Here`s the special cassette - the moving tip is driven by an excenter.
    Reinigungskassette.jpg
     
    soluna, Aug 22, 2024
    #72
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  13. Cassette2go

    Cassette2go Well-Known Member

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    When you buy those, they're supposed to come with replaceable felt tips and it comes with a little vial of cleaning solution as well
     
    Cassette2go, Aug 22, 2024
    #73
  14. soluna

    soluna Active Member

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    Yes, this all is used up, but i made new tips and pads.
     
    soluna, Aug 22, 2024
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  15. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Here's one from the company I worked for, they bought out Nortronics before I started. The one shown above, Allsop, was huge, I've got a big box of their stuff, they must have had a patent on the technology. In the early days of the forum I mentioned Geneva was blowing out these tapes on their website, something like $3.00/each. The phones must have lit up because they took down the listing within a few days, funny cuz the website hadn't been updated in years. This R2R style tape used to be hard to find back then but looked great for boombox photos.

    These took cleaning more seriously and the company also sold data head cleaning products for Zip Drive, 8mm and the larger, more standard cassettes that had a metal back plate so they sat perfectly in the transport. You didn't want a cheap cleaning product in the data industry.

    This is taken from a current ebay listing if your interested.

    upload_2024-8-22_19-35-41.png
     
    Mister X, Aug 22, 2024
    #75
  16. soluna

    soluna Active Member

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    2 Geneva - i have two similar from TDK, this is the wet type with the tape, that absorbes the liquid
    HC Öffnung.jpg Here you give the liquid in the green holes, they work as depot and give the liquid to the tape, i think the orange ring in the shell on your photo has same function.

    20240823_073512.jpg But i think here`s the liquid only for cleaning CD.
     
    soluna, Aug 22, 2024
    #76
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  17. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    AGFA from 1980, Klangbild Magazine


    upload_2024-9-13_12-51-57.png
     
    Mister X, Sep 13, 2024
    #77
  18. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Marantz 1982, Audio Magazine (Germany)


    upload_2024-9-13_12-57-16.png
     
    Mister X, Sep 13, 2024
    #78
  19. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Agfa 1982, Audio Magazine (Germany)


    upload_2024-9-13_12-58-7.png
     
    Mister X, Sep 13, 2024
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  20. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Found on X from user 南天のカノープス, maybe TDK's Museum? I've got one of those Sony Wedge R2R's somewhere around here.


    upload_2024-9-14_20-43-38.png
     
    Mister X, Sep 14, 2024
    #80
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