Swop felt pad

Jorn · June 1, 2020, 1:00pm

As is known, first generation tapes can make beeping noises, this is a felt pad isseu.
If you want tot record, is’t impossible.
So I tested today t swop the felt pad from a 2nd gen. in a 1st Gen DCC.

and with succes

pvdm · June 1, 2020, 1:42pm

So basically you cut it loose, and then installed another felt pad?
What we need is a fresh supply of new working felt pads.

Jorn · June 1, 2020, 1:57pm

Yes that what I did.
And new felt pad would be welkom.
In this case I wanted to safe the 45min 1st gen, by using a old one from a broken tape.

drdcc · June 1, 2020, 2:49pm

Great research Jorn.
Maybe you can scout for felt pads? This would really solve a lot of problems for the dcc community.

And we could do another video about it.

pvdm · June 2, 2020, 2:18pm

Jorn,

How did you attach the new felt pad to the metal strip?

And does anyone know the exact dimensions of the felt pad? My guess (but that is a guess) is 6 x 4 x 1,5/2 mm

Jorn · June 2, 2020, 2:42pm

Answers,

glue that is suitable for textile and metel.
I know that the sizes & texture over the brands are different, in h-w-d.
also the metal piece is different, for example there can be an elevation in it, so than the felt pad is tinner.
add to this, I beleve that the width and high to tape is the most important.
I will dive in to a solution.

any recommendations are welkom

pvdm · June 2, 2020, 3:01pm

I see. So better to focus on the ones that are most used. That would be the Philips cassettes, and maybe the BASF and/or Maxell. At least, that is my experience.

Jorn · June 2, 2020, 6:02pm

yes do agree,

here some dcc exaples:

the bottom one is the 1st gen and 5.45 x 3.6 x 1.95. the other two are < 1.95 so in my opinion not suitable on the same metal part.

This one is 5.55 x 4.85 x 1.95 so only to make this one less wide.
results follow.

pvdm · June 2, 2020, 6:13pm

Are these all examples from DCC? Not ACC?
I see that there is a lot of difference in the thickness of the felt. So that has to be addressed.

I think that the width and height can be standardised.
-The height of the felt pad should cover the tape from top to bottom, or from one end to the other so to say. Regardless of the metal piece used. The tape is 1/8 inch, that is 3,18mm. So that would be around 5-6mm.
-The width should be wide enough to cover the curve of the head a little. So around 4 mm should do it.

But, the thickness is indeed an issue.

pvdm · June 10, 2020, 1:12pm

Today testing with replacing the felt pad. The results were, as to say, disappointing.
This is indeed a very delicate business with tiny margins. Besides the dimension, even the stiffness and the smoothness and the slipperyness of the felt seem to matter.
Obviously the orginal design was well thought out. But we knew that already

Jorn · June 10, 2020, 4:47pm

@pvdm, thanks for testing as well.
The thoughts that come in my mind, the “video” tape had no felt pads, so thats unique regarding the dcc set op.
Note is this is that a other dcc felt work well in the first gen philips. But I will do also some further testing with current acc tapes.
Old tapes als the Sony UX-S tape felt pads are not the way to go, because they have the same price tag today.

bagpuss22 · June 11, 2020, 11:30pm

I have been replacing felt pad on Sinclair Microdrive cartridges with success. I have be cutting the small pads from strips of felt designed for 8 track cartridges. These come with an adhesive strip on the back, so makes installation easier. Not sure what thickness the felt is but I will check.

Jorn · June 13, 2020, 11:31am

@bagpuss22 do you have some picture to share, thanks

bagpuss22 · June 13, 2020, 11:53am

I have been using this for a few years now, not sure if it will be thick enough.

Jorn · June 13, 2020, 12:18pm

@bagpuss22 Thanks!
Do believe that this can be de way forward, https://www.8trackavenue.com/
Let me see how to get some samples in The Netherlands

FYI @pvdm & @drdcc

bagpuss22 · June 13, 2020, 12:30pm

@Jorn If you have any issues getting samples let me know and I can send some, of the strip I use, from the UK.

edate7 · June 19, 2020, 1:03pm

Sorry, you make a little mistake… the tape is 3,81mm not 3,18…

Jorn · June 20, 2020, 1:56pm

First of all thanks to @bagpuss22 sending the 8track felt pads to us in the DCCmuseum EU/Sub departement.

These felt pads are in a strip which make it possible to cut them on the right size.
But the hieght is not the same, so I came to the following solution, see pictures and picture name:

11_cut off the top part