From: ehsjr@verizon.net   
      
   On 12/10/2025 6:14 PM, Cursitor Doom wrote:   
   > On Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:58:21 +0000, liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid   
   > (Liz Tuddenham) wrote:   
   >   
   >> Cursitor Doom  wrote:   
   >>   
   >> [...]   
   >>> He said, "Give the heads a good clean,   
   >>> then." I said, "They don't look dirty." He said, "Give 'em a good   
   >>> clean anyway and see if that fixes it." So I did (not having any faith   
   >>> it would help in the least, however). Nevertheless, full recording was   
   >>> instantly restored!   
   >>   
   >> I asked if you had cleaned the heads right at the beginning of this   
   >> thread.  The tineiest of gaps between the head and the tape can have   
   >> quite drastic effects on reproduction and even worse ones on recording.   
   >   
   > I'm not seeing it for some reason. Can you give me the message ID?   
      
   On Wed, 26 Nov 2025 09:55:24 +0000, liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid   
   (Liz Tuddenham) wrote:   
      
    > Cursitor Doom  wrote:   
    >   
    >> I've been trying to trace an issue with a Uher tape deck in respect of   
    >> extremely  low audio gain during recording. I was delighted when I   
    >> spotted a resistor in the AGC section with a tiny blow-hole half way   
    >> down its body. I was able to confirm this when I removed it for   
    >> examination under a stereoscope. There was even a bulge under the hole   
    >> where some pressure had clearly built-up immediately prior to the   
    >> blow.'Easy fix!' I thought; 5 minutes and it's done. However, I was   
    >> baffled when it tested spot-on its 1200 intended ohms! WTF?? Something   
    >> must have pulled excess current through that component and the obvious   
    >> culprit was the BJT it was the series resistor for. However, once   
    >> again, it tested fine! I just never have encountered an outcome like   
    >> that before. Anyone had similar?   
    >   
    > Have you cleaned the tape heads?   
      
   Yes, but not for that reason as the fault just suddenly manifested out   
   of nowhere.   
      
      
      
      
      
   >   
   >> Another cause of those symptoms, which is sometimes discovered by   
   >> complete beginners, is having the tape twisted so they are trying to   
   >> record or play though the backing material.  Some tapes that have   
   >> 'bootlaced' can have an entire twisted section in the middle of an   
   >> otherwise right-way-around tape.  I have also seen spillages due to   
   >> putting the spools on upside down, so they unwound under power instead   
   >> of winding up.   
   >>   
   >> The most confusing decks of all are those with non-standard tape paths   
   >> and winding systems.  One Truvox deck ran the tape from right to left   
   >> and several early machines had anticlockwise takeup spools that wound   
   >> the tape oxide-outwards.   
   >   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)