Emerson SB280 manual Care and Maintenance, Cassette Care, Head Cleaning

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

CASSETTE CARE

Two common causes of trouble experienced when using cassettes are:

1.) Tape jamming — Leading to uneven speed in playback, and

2.) Tape tangling — Where the tape wraps itself around vital parts of the mechanism.

To reduce the likelihood of these problems occurring, the following precautions should be observed:

•Check that there are no loose layers of tape visible through the cassette center window (see Fig. 1). Take up any loose layers, using a pencil or hexagonal barrelled ballpoint pen, before inserting the cassette into the machine (see Fig. 2).

•If the cassette feels “tight” while performing operation shown (see Fig. 2), the tape may be jamming due to “ridges” formed in the winding of the tape (visible through the center window). These may be removed, in most cases, by fast winding of the cassette from one end to the other and back again.

•Use only well-known brands of tape. Avoid use of C-120 cassettes.

Furthermore, do not expose cassettes to direct sunlight, dust or oil, and do not touch the tape surfaces.

HEAD CLEANING

The tape heads, pinch roller and capstan require periodic cleaning. This removes particles of the metal oxide coating that wear off the tape and accumulate on these parts and impair performance. Switch off the power, press the STOP button to open the cassette door, and press the PLAY button. Clean the tape heads, pinch roller and capstan with a soft cloth or cotton pad dampened in isopropyl alcohol or special tape head cleaner.

PINCH ROLLER	PLAY HEAD
CAPSTAN

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SB280_033104.p65 14 31/3/2004, 10:46