8mm camcorder problems

You don't say exactly how much use the camcorders have had, and how old they are. It could be that the heads are fine, and that the 12 year old tapes are breaking down and leaving their gunk behind.

However, it could be that the heads are starting to show signs of wear as well. Heads which require shortening cleaning intervals can sometimes be a warning that they are wearing out.

I'd certainly suspect that the 12 year old tapes are past it. It's easy to verify, just buy a new one and see how well it works over a period of time.

A word of warning- head cleaning cassettes are rather bad for your heads, and will acclerate wear. Furthermore, a cleaning cassette does not do a proper job of cleaning the heads IMO. You might want to invest in a proper cleaning kit with chamois cleaning pads and isopropyl alcohol, and read up on how to wet clean your heads, and indeed the capstan, pinch roller and tape guides. It's not particularly easy on an 8mm camcorder, but well worth the results if you feel up to a challenge.

Failing that, ISTR you can buy wet cleaning cassettes, which should do a better job, but I don't know if they come in 8mm format. As a last resort, you may have to put the camcorders in for a service.

Dave

Dave,

Thanks for the great answers. One camera is 6 years old and has seen a lot of use. The other is about 8 years old and has not been used much.

Can you recommend some instructions and a kit for wet cleaning? Does the camera need to be taken apart? I am up for the challenge of doing the cleaning, but would prefer not to take the camera apart.

I have heard that wet cleaning cassettes tend to jam. Is this true?

Thanks

Dave D wrote:

Hi crevitch...

Your head cleaning cassette just isn't going to do the job for you in this case. It will indeed abrade some of the dirt off the heads, but then just deposit it instead on the fixed heads, guides, capstan and pinch roller. It soon will find itself right back on the heads where it started :(

I'd urge you to instead clean them with a bit of real chamois, perhaps glued onto a popsicle stick, and do all. The flying heads gently, then the audio and control heads, the guides, and virtually everything in the tape path. You should be able to see all of it with the door open. Repeat with a new bit of chamois until the chamois comes away spotless.

Sadly, if the tapes you're transcribing are old and perhaps even dusty, you may have to do this with each new tape you copy, but old memories are well worth it.

And finally, a heads-up. After using the isopropyl, give the machine plenty of time to thoroughly dry before putting a tape in it, lest the tape stick to something damp and self-destruct.

Perhaps go so far as to put a tape of no importance in and try it first, before putting an irreplacable one in.

Good luck, and take care.

Ken

Sounds like the tapes are getting a bit too old and are starting to break down, giving you dirty heads as a result. Over cleaning the heads wouldn't be the problem, just make sure they're good and dry before playing any tapes or you'll dirty the heads back up pronto.(cleaning solution is murder on old tapes and will wash the loose oxides off and onto the head just like that.) Just make sure the heads are clean and dry then capture short runs of the tapes to DVD instead of trying for it all at once.

I had the exact same problem. In my case it was the tapes, the older ones would play for a while and then drop out. I'd clean the camera with a dry cleaning tape and then after a while it would happen again. Once I got past the tapes that were more than 8 years old or so it never happened again.