Teac A-3300S - Page 18

Normal condition reel
The use of a good quality reel is an important point in
preventing damage to the tape edge or uneven stretching.
Always use reels of the same diameter.
Reels which damage tape
Reels warped in the shape of a bowl will bend the tape,
resulting in the so-called uneven stretching, and are some¬
times encountered even with new reels.
The reel may be warped in a Yo-Yo shape due to tight
winding. This will not occur in reels made of hard plastic
or whose hub is perfectly fitted.
If the hub is not truly perpendicular to the flange, the
wound tape will be pressed against the flange resulting in a
seaweed form of tape.
Judging tape condition by how it travels
Head
Tapes which snake up and down between the guides
and over the heads will inevitably lead to level fluctua¬
tion and azimuth misalignment.
Head Capstan
Snaky motion of unevenly stretched tape indicated by
arrows.
Hang down a length of tape to check straightness
X X X X O
Tape Storage and Handling
Magnetic tape recordings are superior to phonograph discs
because, with proper care, they can be kept and replayed
for many, many years without degradation. During play¬
back, the biggest danger to the recording is a magnetized
or dirty point on the deck, such as a head or capstan.
Care for the recording and the tape must be continued
even after playing it by following these guides:
1. Protect the tape from dust
Keep it in the plastic bag and the original carton.
2. Protect the tape from heat
Do not place it on top of audio components. Store it in a
cool room but also avoid freezing temperatures. Keep it
out of direct sunlight.
3. Protect the tape from stress
Tremendous pressure is built-up on the inner windings of
tape. This pressure is acceptable unless you apply ad¬
ditional stress Dy bending or squeezing the sides of the
reels. This problem is increased if the windings are irregular.
Frequent starts and stops will cause uneven winding pres¬
sure and the tape will be unevenly wound from side to
side within the reel. Slight pressure on the sides will then
break or crack the edge of the tape. Therefore, always
prepare your tapes for longterm storage by re-winding
them using the playback operating speed. The FAST
speed applies somewhat more tension to the tape.
Head Pinch Roller
Unevenly stretched tape which travels either higher or
lower than the true path of the tape will in extreme cases
drift off the pinch roller.
4. Protect the tape from strong magnetic fields
Just as a Bulk Eraser will remove the recorded material,
so will a permanent magnet or the voice coil of a speaker
destroy your favorite recording.
5. Protect the tape from humidity
Fungus growths will cause irreparable damage to the tape
if stored in damp places. Keep the tape in the original
plastic bag, but insure that it is dry before storing.