Manually Cleaning The Heads at DVinfo.net

Richard Zlamany · May 23rd, 2007, 02:53 PM

Hello, does anyone manually clean the heads on the 170 or 2100?

Does it have to be taken apart to do so?

Is it extremely hard?

Richard Zlamany · May 24th, 2007, 03:16 PM

Does anyone have anything to add that might help?

Is this something I shouldn't try?

How could there be this many reads without a response?

Rick Newsom · May 27th, 2007, 12:30 AM

Yes. Visit your local Radio Shack or equivalent and get some head cleaning fluid and lint free swabs and dive right in. My VX2000 started damaging tapes due to gunk accumulated on rollers and guides. A good cleaning cured the problem.

Disclaimer: Beware. The innards of these camcorders are tiny, not particularly easy to get at, and delicate. It is possible to damage your camcorder, so if you don't feel comfortable sticking an alcohol drenched swab into your machine, take it to someone who does.

Boyd Ostroff · May 27th, 2007, 08:49 AM

I would strongly urge you NOT to do this yourself. There's a significant probability that you will damage your camera. DV tape transports are very delicate and aren't like audio cassette recorders which you could clean with cotton swabs.

Why do you want to clean your camera's heads? Are you having problems or do you just think it's a good idea? If having problems, get a Sony cleaning tape and use according to directions. If that doesn't help, send it out for professional cleaning and alignment. I have a VX-2000 which I bought in 2001 and have never felt the need to clean it.

Richard Zlamany · May 27th, 2007, 10:54 AM

Hi, thanks for answering.

I have been receiving a head cleaning warning since I purchased the cam.
I've had the cam for 6 months. I received the message about 4 times so far and record with the cam once a week.

My trick is to forward the tape and then rewind the tape and the problem is gone. However, I've had a few audio dropouts.

I've had similiar problems with my DSR11. I have a cleaning kit, so I opened it up and placed the cleaning swab on the drum with the heads and gave it a few turns. The swab picked up a lot of dirt. Now, the DSR 11 works great.

I figure I can do the same to my vx2100.

My real question is how hard is it to access the drum? It looks like I have to take the door off, but does it have to come apart more than that?

I've been looking at this guide:
http://www.camcorderservice.nl/indexvx2000.htm

But I still can't figure how far I have to go to get access to the drum.

My whole reasoning is I shoot a lot and I rather clean myself than sending the cams out.

The way I figure it is (pure speculation) the vx2100 was gunked up from the very beginning because I use Panasonic Tapes and maybe the cam was tested or prepared with/for a Sony tape.

What do I have to take apart on the Sonyy VX2100 to access the drum, so it may be rotated manually for a cleaning?

Richard Zlamany · June 2nd, 2007, 12:21 AM

Well I did it. I took the door guard off and cleaned the head. It was not hard but everything was very small and not easy to get to. Even if I took it apart more the heads would still be hidden. I shot a dance recital and the footage looks great, but I will have to shoot a few more events to know if anything has really changed.

Does anyone know a better way to access the drum?

May 23rd, 2007, 02:53 PM	#1
Richard Zlamany Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Hamden CT Posts: 470	Manually Cleaning The Heads Hello, does anyone manually clean the heads on the 170 or 2100? Does it have to be taken apart to do so? Is it extremely hard?

May 24th, 2007, 03:16 PM	#2
Richard Zlamany Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Hamden CT Posts: 470	Does anyone have anything to add that might help? Is this something I shouldn't try? How could there be this many reads without a response? Last edited by Richard Zlamany; May 24th, 2007 at 11:04 PM.

May 27th, 2007, 12:30 AM	#3
Rick Newsom New Boot Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Elkins, WV Posts: 20	Yes. Visit your local Radio Shack or equivalent and get some head cleaning fluid and lint free swabs and dive right in. My VX2000 started damaging tapes due to gunk accumulated on rollers and guides. A good cleaning cured the problem. Disclaimer: Beware. The innards of these camcorders are tiny, not particularly easy to get at, and delicate. It is possible to damage your camcorder, so if you don't feel comfortable sticking an alcohol drenched swab into your machine, take it to someone who does.

May 27th, 2007, 08:49 AM	#4
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,787	I would strongly urge you NOT to do this yourself. There's a significant probability that you will damage your camera. DV tape transports are very delicate and aren't like audio cassette recorders which you could clean with cotton swabs. Why do you want to clean your camera's heads? Are you having problems or do you just think it's a good idea? If having problems, get a Sony cleaning tape and use according to directions. If that doesn't help, send it out for professional cleaning and alignment. I have a VX-2000 which I bought in 2001 and have never felt the need to clean it.

May 27th, 2007, 10:54 AM	#5
Richard Zlamany Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Hamden CT Posts: 470	Hi, thanks for answering. I have been receiving a head cleaning warning since I purchased the cam. I've had the cam for 6 months. I received the message about 4 times so far and record with the cam once a week. My trick is to forward the tape and then rewind the tape and the problem is gone. However, I've had a few audio dropouts. I've had similiar problems with my DSR11. I have a cleaning kit, so I opened it up and placed the cleaning swab on the drum with the heads and gave it a few turns. The swab picked up a lot of dirt. Now, the DSR 11 works great. I figure I can do the same to my vx2100. My real question is how hard is it to access the drum? It looks like I have to take the door off, but does it have to come apart more than that? I've been looking at this guide: http://www.camcorderservice.nl/indexvx2000.htm But I still can't figure how far I have to go to get access to the drum. My whole reasoning is I shoot a lot and I rather clean myself than sending the cams out. The way I figure it is (pure speculation) the vx2100 was gunked up from the very beginning because I use Panasonic Tapes and maybe the cam was tested or prepared with/for a Sony tape. What do I have to take apart on the Sonyy VX2100 to access the drum, so it may be rotated manually for a cleaning?

June 2nd, 2007, 12:21 AM	#6
Richard Zlamany Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Hamden CT Posts: 470	Well I did it. I took the door guard off and cleaned the head. It was not hard but everything was very small and not easy to get to. Even if I took it apart more the heads would still be hidden. I shot a dance recital and the footage looks great, but I will have to shoot a few more events to know if anything has really changed. Does anyone know a better way to access the drum?