# DCC730 can't find track 1 on pre-recorded tapes
**URL:** https://forum.dccmuseum.com/t/dcc730-cant-find-track-1-on-pre-recorded-tapes/732
**Category:** Recorders, Players, etc.
**Tags:** 3rd-gen
**Created:** [January 5, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/t/dcc730-cant-find-track-1-on-pre-recorded-tapes/732 "2021-01-05T19:01:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ivanr](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/u/ivanr)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/t/dcc730-cant-find-track-1-on-pre-recorded-tapes/732/1 "2021-01-05T19:01:19Z")
I am having a problem with pre-recorded tapes. When I hit play it skips pass track 1 then reverses to side B then stops. If I manually hit the side A and hit play it plays fine the rest of the tape (both sides). This is probably related to the other issue I am having that it can’t record but I am posting it separate just in case anyone else had this problem and found a fix. I did clean the head, put two new pinch rollers, the belt is in great shape, plays analog tapes perfectly and plays DCC tapes perfectly with no dropouts. See video. Also, sometimes when I hit skip a weird track number that does not exists shows up on the display and will not skip because the number does not exists on the DCC.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTWIi-fHalc)
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### Author:  [@Max](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/u/Max)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/t/dcc730-cant-find-track-1-on-pre-recorded-tapes/732/2 "2021-01-05T19:31:19Z")
Hi, I renamed your post, moved it to the appropriate section and tagged it because this clearly is not a DCC600.
How is the error rate, especially on track 9 (aux) responsible for finding tracks?
> [@Prerecorded DCC Pavarotti (Pavarotti in hyde park) no sound at all](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/t/prerecorded-dcc-pavarotti-pavarotti-in-hyde-park-no-sound-at-all/616/13):
>
> DCC730: To enter service mode: Press 2 keys simultaneously PLAY+STOP and then switch power on. Display shows: 'Uxxx Dyyy Lzzz" Commercial Version ID Press PLAY → (DDU Test Mode, Channel Status Byte) Display shows: “ERROR abcdefgh” a: indication for main data channel 0 … h: indication for main data channel 7 0 = NO ERROR, 1 = ERROR Press NEXT or PREVIOUS → (Channel Error Rate) Display shows: “CH x ERROR yy” x = currently selected channel 1..9 yy = accumulated error rate Press N…
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### Author:  [@ivanr](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/u/ivanr)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2021, 8:01pm UTC](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/t/dcc730-cant-find-track-1-on-pre-recorded-tapes/732/3 "2021-01-05T20:01:15Z")
When I hit PLAY from the beginning of the pre-recorded tape I see all error all 1s. After the player stops (after doing what you see in the video) I hit Next Ch1 to 6 all Error 14, Ch7 error 18, Ch8 14, Ch9 20. When I rewind and repeat the test I get Ch1 15, Ch2 14,Ch3 to 6 15, Ch 6 17, Ch 8 15, Ch 9 20.
If I play the tape 5 minutes in, the errors are all 0 with the second to last digit flickering between 0 and 1 (I think) during regular play. Now if I hit next Ch1 to 6 are 0, Ch7 is changing continuously 3,10, 3, 2, 7 5, 7,2, 5, 7 and so on. Ch8 0, Ch9 10.
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### Author:  [@Max](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/u/Max)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2021, 8:12pm UTC](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/t/dcc730-cant-find-track-1-on-pre-recorded-tapes/732/4 "2021-01-05T20:12:31Z")
This is your error cause, damaged (or misaligned if you are very lucky) head or read-/write-board.
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### Author:  [@ivanr](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/u/ivanr)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2021, 8:47pm UTC](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/t/dcc730-cant-find-track-1-on-pre-recorded-tapes/732/5 "2021-01-05T20:47:39Z")
We know it is not recording so that part of the board is bad. So if I wanted to try to align the head how do I go about it? I do see two screws one for each side.
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### Author:  [@Max](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/u/Max)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2021, 8:55pm UTC](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/t/dcc730-cant-find-track-1-on-pre-recorded-tapes/732/6 "2021-01-05T20:55:20Z")
Not recording properly could also be the head, but let’s hope for the best.
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### Author:  [@ivanr](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/u/ivanr)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2021, 9:04pm UTC](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/t/dcc730-cant-find-track-1-on-pre-recorded-tapes/732/7 "2021-01-05T21:04:53Z")
Is there a way to verify alignment? With the naked eye it looks aligned but who knows.
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### Author:  [@drdcc](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/u/drdcc)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2021, 10:24pm UTC](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/t/dcc730-cant-find-track-1-on-pre-recorded-tapes/732/8 "2021-01-05T22:24:19Z")
If this deck worked before, DO NOT touch the alignment. It will only change playback to not work well in your case.
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### Author:  [@ivanr](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/u/ivanr)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2021, 10:41pm UTC](https://forum.dccmuseum.com/t/dcc730-cant-find-track-1-on-pre-recorded-tapes/732/9 "2021-01-05T22:41:55Z")
Yes it does work otherwise except for not recording (bad capacitor probably). No dropouts and sounds amazing. I will leave it alone and live with it like that for now and send you the RW board.