On Tue, 23 Jul 2002 14:12:49 -0500, "Josh Breitbach" wrote:

>Running the head cleaner the way the directions say should be safe for the heads, right?
>How often would be too often to clean the heads?
>
>So you have any idea of the success rate of the head cleaning on fixing this problem?
>
>How long would you say it is safe to leave a tape in the camcorder during non-use?
>Could I leave a tape in for a week of usage (a vacation)? Or should it be removed as soon as I'm done
shooting for a
>day.

(JH is right; I don't agree with what LJ said - what he
recommends should be unnecessary, and unhelpful with fresh
tape in preventing what you experienced...)
If you are lucky, running the cleaning tape as recommended
will work. I prefer shorter uses, with 30 seconds between
to allow cooling (the tape is abrasive, and the drum
rotation speed is very high). Try 2-3 passes with the
breaks, then see if the problem goes away. If not, try
2 more. Use a cleaning tape that is the same brand as
the tape you will settle on, and use it only when needed,
or maybe every 30-40(?) hours of use. If this is not
successful, a professional cleaning may solve it - or,
if not, a head replacement may be needed... Do not mix
tape brands.
As for leaving tape in the camcorder (and a battery
comnnected...), you should be OK if using the gear
regularly, but do not store the camera with tape in it,
or with the battery installed.