Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

4

Time Required

                          45 minutes

Sections

1

  • How to clean Panasonic SV-3800 heads and tape path
  • 4 steps

Flags

2

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              How to clean Panasonic SV-3800 heads and tape path
  • First take the top of the unit off by taking the 4 side screws and 6 back screws off with a philips #2 then locate the transport
  • The transport in in the rectangle and the drum with the audio heads is circled in the back.
  • It is shiny silver and has 2 heads on opposite sides from each other
  • each heads is unbelievably delicate, so never touch them with your fingers or attempt to adjust the set screws.

First take the top of the unit off by taking the 4 side screws and 6 back screws off with a philips #2 then locate the transport

The transport in in the rectangle and the drum with the audio heads is circled in the back.

It is shiny silver and has 2 heads on opposite sides from each other

each heads is unbelievably delicate, so never touch them with your fingers or attempt to adjust the set screws.

1024

Step 2

  • Now Eject the transport all the way out
  • Now unplug the unit from the wall
  • Then push the drawer bad in till about the point shown
  • This will give you little more wiggle room to reach the head with your fingers and card stock mixed with alcohol

Now Eject the transport all the way out

Now unplug the unit from the wall

Then push the drawer bad in till about the point shown

This will give you little more wiggle room to reach the head with your fingers and card stock mixed with alcohol

Step 3

  • Now take some nice card stock or a business card.
  • Tear off a park of it and dip it in some alcohol or head cleaner.

Now take some nice card stock or a business card.

Tear off a park of it and dip it in some alcohol or head cleaner.

Step 4

  • Insert alcohol soaked card stock thru the back area of the heads as shown.
  • Reach around the back and press ever so slightly with your finger(in the direction show by the arrow). Push just enough pressure on the assembly that it will remove the dirty from the heads. This pressure is very little, only enough to press the card stock against the heads.
  • Press too hard and you will damage the heads or shread card stock and make the heads even dirtier

Insert alcohol soaked card stock thru the back area of the heads as shown.

Reach around the back and press ever so slightly with your finger(in the direction show by the arrow). Push just enough pressure on the assembly that it will remove the dirty from the heads. This pressure is very little, only enough to press the card stock against the heads.

Press too hard and you will damage the heads or shread card stock and make the heads even dirtier

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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Author

                                      with 3 other contributors 


                    Brian Fox

Member since: 10/16/2013

1,607 Reputation

                                      3 Guides authored                  



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msarea559 - Dec 21, 2017

Reply

Nice post you created…..

Nice post you created thanks!

ggurley - Aug 1, 2020

Reply

Are we supposed to rotate the head in order to clean all the heads? I assume like other digital tape machines, there are multiple heads around the drum.

patski31 - May 12, 2021

Reply

Shouldn’t the head be turning? And why don’t use a cotton swab??

greetz patrick

Brian Fox - May 12, 2021

Reply

Yes turn the heads. Cotton will get caught on the heads so don’t use it. Thanks!