TV/Boom Box  (160-0119)    Tape Tips and Techniques    Faxback Doc. # 7795

Storing Your Cassettes

Use these suggestions for storing your cassettes:

    Keep your cassettes away from excessive dust and dirt.

    Do not expose your cassettes to moisture or high humidity.

    Keep your cassettes away from strong magnetic fields that can be
    generated by other electronic devices (transformers, motors, and so
    on).

    Store your cassettes in protective plastic containers.  Your local
    Radio Shack stores offers a complete selection of tape storage
    containers.

Tape Erasing

Each time you make a recording, the previous recording is automatically
erased.

If you want to erase a tape without making a new recording, set the
TAPE/RADIO/TV to TAPE.  Press RECORD.  The deck erases the tape as the
tape passes the record head.

If you want to quickly erase several tapes, you can use a bulk tape
eraser.  It erases an entire tape on both sides in a few seconds.  You can
find bulk tape erasers at your local Radio Shack store.

Accidental Erasure Prevention

All cassettes have erase-protection tabs.  When in place, these tabs let
you record on the tape.  Once you have removed them you cannot press
RECORD.

To avoid erasing or recording over Side A (or 1), break off the Side A tab
with a screwdriver.  If you wish to protect Side B (or 2), remove the Side
B tab.

To record on the tape again, place a piece of strong plastic tape over the
erase-protection tab holes.

NOTE:  Removal of the erase-protection tab does not prevent the bulk
       eraser from erasing the tape.

CAUTION:  When using a cassette that has had the erase-protection tabs
          broken off, do not try to force the RECORD button.  Doing so
          might damage the recording mechanism.

Tape Tension

Before loading a cassette, tape up any slack in the tape by turning the
tape hub with a six sided pencil.  (Avoid touching the tape.)

CAUTION:  If you do not remove excess slack, the tape might become tangled
          in the record/playback mechanism.

If you play one cassette several times, the tape can become tightly wound
on either hub.  Before playing the tape again, fast-forward the entire
tape and then complete rewind it.

A tape that is tightly wound can become tangled, cause tape distortion, or
uneven tape movement.

Long-Play Cassette

Long-playing cassette (longer than 90 minutes) use very thin tape.
Because of this, the tape is more easily caught in the capstan or pinch
roller.  To prevent this, proper maintenance of the tape-handling parts is
necessary.

CLEANING THE TAPE MECHANISM

Cleaning and demagnetizing the parts of the cassette deck that come into
contact with the tape prolong the life of your tape and maintain its high
quality sound.

After repeated use of your cassette deck, dust, lint and tape oxides
accumulate on its tape-handling mechanisms.  For best performance and
sound quality, clean all the tape-handling mechanisms after approximately
every 20 hours of use.  You can use recorder cleaner and cleaning swabs or
a convenient head-cleaner cassette.  All these cleaning products are
available at your local Radio Shack store.

To prevent unwanted noise, use a tape head demagnetizer to remove residual
magnetism.  Tape head demagnetizers are available at your local Radio
Shack store.

CAUTION:  Never touch the record head with any kind of metal object.  This
          could magnetize or damage the record head.

(ALL-10/10/94)