Dcc tape is spilced, and because of this Philips decided to feature some feltpads within the cassette that would take up some residues of the tape if any. They impregnated those pads with a wax or oil. That sheds to the tape of it is left somewhere in the middle of the tape. The player will go from a to b and reverse… etc
Does anyone have a solid solution to define that place? How do you treat your player that if you eject the tape that that spot is nearby to clean?
Struggling with this…
Hi,
Usually when the player skips from side a-b remove the tape from the player, and while using led lighting, turn the wheel slowly. You should see the spot on the tape.
This video about the regular felt pad has a different problem, but the same solution.
Also if it is the side felt pads problem only, rewinding it fully, should also help.
First, if you get a tape from somewhere, do not put it into a DCC machine, it will probably spool it back and forth and you will loose the point where the pads were resting on the back of the tape for so long.
Second, VERY CAREFULLY pull the tape out, I usually pull it out for around 30-40 cm so that a total of 80 cm of tape is out of the shell, and make SURE that the tape unwinds from BOTH spindels.
Third, place the tape with the back of the tape up, on a flat and clean surface where you can shine a bright light on it. Find the spots where there is some (greasy) residu visible. It will probably repeat every 10cm or so.
Fourth, clean the back of the tape with cotton swab with alcohol, rub until the surface is spotless again. Be VERY careful to not damage the tape, or that spot will become a spot where dropouts in the data(music) will be heard.
Fifth, after you cleaned all the spots, carefully wind the tape back into the shell. Then it is probably best to rewind the entire tape 1 or 2 times in its entirety.
After this treatment it should play fine. This procedure is unfortunately necessary for all tapes of unknown origin that MAY have been stored in the same position for many years.
That is why I always rewind each tape before ejecting.
-Philip.
