OTARI MX-5050 - Maintenance Scheduling; Demagnetizing Procedures

Section 5 Maintenance
5 - 2
May 1992
MX-5050 Operation and Maintenance Manual
5.1 Maintenance Scheduling
Routine maintenance is necessary to keep the MX-5050 in peak operating
condition. The following is a chart for a suggested maintenance schedule.
Table 5-1
Maintenance Time Table
Adjustment Item Before Each Session Every 3 to 6 months Section
Demagnetizing
✓ § 5.2
Cleaning ✓ § 5.3
Lubrication ✓ § 5.4
Pinch Roller Pressure ✓ § 6.5
Equalizer (REP, REC)Setting ✓ § 7.3.3, § 7.4.4
REP, REC Level ✓ § 7.3.2, § 7.4.3
Bias Adjustment ✓ § 7.4.1
Table 5-2
Tools Required for Maintenance
Tool Names Parts No. Used for
OTARI Cleaningn Kit ZA-51B Cleaning the Head
Isopropyl Alcohol Included in Cleaning the Tape Guide, Capstan
ZA-51B Pinch Roller, Capstan Shaft
Head Eraser Any Demagnetizing the Head, Guide
Lubrication Oil PZ9E003 Lubirication for Capstan Motor
5.2 Demagnetizing
Demagnetizing (sometimes called degaussing, although that term is more
often applied to bulk tape erasure) is a necessary procedure and should be
performed before every recording session and prior to performing any
alignments. Demagnetizing should always be done with extreme caution.
DEMAGNETIZING CAUTION: To avoid damaging the MX-5050, always make
sure the POWER switch is off before proceeding. The AC field created by the
demagnetizer is extremely powerful and could seriously damage the
electronics if they are on. Make sure that all recording tapes, especially
alignment tapes, are removed from the vicinity of the MX-5050.
Never turn the power to the demagnetizer on or off unless it is at least
1 meter (3 feet) away from the MX-5050. When the demagnetizer is turned
on or off, an extremely strong moving magnetic field is created which could
possibly place a permanent magnetic charge on parts of the machine. The
demagnetizer would not be powerful enough to remove these charges under
normal circumstances, and the parts might have to be removed and
discarded. Use only a demagnetizer with high flux density; inexpensive "Hi-Fi"
type demagnetizers can leave residual fields that will cause more harm than
benefit.
1. Turn off the MX-5050 POWER switch.
2. With the demagnetizer at least 1 meter (3 feet) from the MX-5050, plug the
demagnetizer into the AC mains and turn it on.
3. Slowly move the demagnetizer toward the Supply Tension Arm until the tip is
approximately 3 mm (1/8") away from the arm.
HEAD
DEMAGNETIZER
Figure 5-1
Demagnetizing the Head