Thanks, Mark! I tried pretty much the same technique with rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip. For the Q-tip, I used more a of a blotch technique to avoid any potential fibers tearing off. I also made two passes over the heads, as the first pass definitely helped the image come through, but there was still a lot of noise. The second pass got the image to look clear as day. I hope this helps anyone else with the same problems
Honestly, I prefer QTips because I think they do a better job and I do the same thing as you. I just get a lot of crap from “professional” when I do use a Qtip so to keep the nasty comments down, I use the swab. Keep botching my friend!!! Thanks for watching!
hi! sorry if this is weird. i've also had this problem with the camera and want to clean it, but i live in Chile, so getting those chamois swabs is even more expensive lol. i thought of using Qtips, but don't know how to do it in the most safe way. as i'm not a native english speaker i'm not sure what you mean by a "blotching" technique, would you mind to explain a little further? i'd be so gratefull!! thanks in advance :)
@@ferrioseco5139 No problem! What I mean by blotching is to firmly press or hold the q-tip onto the area instead of swiping. Ideally, this should prevent cotton fibers from tearing off of the q-tip. Good luck!
Hi Mark, thank you for this … I have exactly the opening scenario, same camera you demonstrated. Delighted that it worked initially and then horizontal lines appeared, realised needed to clean but issue sourcing cassettes as you mentioned. Unfortunately I tried to delicately clean with a fine small brush. Barely tipped but since that the cassette compartment won’t close so I must have disturbed some part of mechanism. I literally found your video 5 mins after. So sad as It has taken me years to get these tapes to play. I hope you might be able to help, have taken photos & video of issue but don’t think I can upload through this medium . Please let me know if there is a way of sending to you. Kicking myself I missed this very instructive vídeo first 😢😢
I just bought that exact model and came in today. wooohooo! Do you which cables I need to transfer videos from camcorder to 2020 Macbook Pro with USB C port?
@@TheMediaNerdMT I worked during the video payday in tv from 1978 to 1997. We always were taught that tape cleaning cartridges when used up once throw it away. Sorry to upset you. Thanks for your channel. Very informative and leader in the industry.
Please do not use rubbing alcohol! Often has oils in it. Use 90% instead. No oils and it dries faster. However don't use alcohol on the rubber parts. It can dry them and damage them. Also there are some even better cleaners i know of like acetone but they will kill plastic parts. Finally another good reason for not using the tape style cleaners is they are very abrasive, by design and can wear the heads over time.
Thanks for the comment. Most people watching will only need to clean there camera maybe once or twice to get the transfer job done so a little rubbing alcohol is not going to hurt anything. Also, by the time it takes to put the camera back together, hook up the camera up for transfer, I think the 70% will have enough time to dry. I have been using alcohol like this for years as well and have not seen any effect from oils that may be in 70% (but it does depend on what type of alcohol as well). I have been told by another person that tape cleaners can damage heads but I have been using tape cleaners for over 20 years and have never had an issue with my heads getting damaged. I have looked this up and don't see the proof. Again, most people watching this video have small jobs to do so these precautions don't really matter.
Thanks Just got an old HI8 early Christmas. USED Cleaners $50-$60 NEW HA $75 to you are out your *&^%%$)# mind....I am CHEAP and this works works very well probably better than the head cleaning tapes. Just my .02 cents worth I like the higher grade Isopropyl ETOH (alcohol) that is me, video and choices are still awesome.
![[How To] Best Way To Clean Tape Heads On Any Camcorder](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wfKcMoWL0pU/mqdefault.jpg)
![[How To] Best Way To Clean Tape Heads On Any Camcorder](/img/tr.png)
Thanks worked a treat!
You're welcome!
Thanks, Mark! I tried pretty much the same technique with rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip. For the Q-tip, I used more a of a blotch technique to avoid any potential fibers tearing off. I also made two passes over the heads, as the first pass definitely helped the image come through, but there was still a lot of noise. The second pass got the image to look clear as day. I hope this helps anyone else with the same problems
Honestly, I prefer QTips because I think they do a better job and I do the same thing as you. I just get a lot of crap from “professional” when I do use a Qtip so to keep the nasty comments down, I use the swab. Keep botching my friend!!! Thanks for watching!
hi! sorry if this is weird. i've also had this problem with the camera and want to clean it, but i live in Chile, so getting those chamois swabs is even more expensive lol. i thought of using Qtips, but don't know how to do it in the most safe way. as i'm not a native english speaker i'm not sure what you mean by a "blotching" technique, would you mind to explain a little further? i'd be so gratefull!! thanks in advance :)
@@ferrioseco5139 No problem! What I mean by blotching is to firmly press or hold the q-tip onto the area instead of swiping. Ideally, this should prevent cotton fibers from tearing off of the q-tip. Good luck!
@@ferrioseco5139 "Blotching" would mean lightly tapping the sensors on the play head. Do not rub back and forth.
Great Job! Thanks for watching!
With this I also solved the " reinsert cassette error " of HC42E thank you.
Glad to hear the video helped you. Thanks for watching!
Ultra nice video. There's other TH-cam channels that do what you do. BUT, none has a video on a deep cleaning of a camcorder.
Thanks
Cool, thanks for continually watching my videos!
정말 도움이 되는 비디오입니다! 고맙습니다
정말 천만에요!
Hi Mark, thank you for this … I have exactly the opening scenario, same camera you demonstrated. Delighted that it worked initially and then horizontal lines appeared, realised needed to clean but issue sourcing cassettes as you mentioned.
Unfortunately I tried to delicately clean with a fine small brush. Barely tipped but since that the cassette compartment won’t close so I must have disturbed some part of mechanism.
I literally found your video 5 mins after. So sad as It has taken me years to get these tapes to play.
I hope you might be able to help, have taken photos & video of issue but don’t think I can upload through this medium . Please let me know if there is a way of sending to you.
Kicking myself I missed this very instructive vídeo first 😢😢
You may contact me through my website
as of may 6th, there's no available link for the 456 thc-2 head cleaning solution! if there's any alternatives please let me know!
You are just going to have to do a search for the product. It comes and goes.
I just bought that exact model and came in today. wooohooo! Do you which cables I need to transfer videos from camcorder to 2020 Macbook Pro with USB C port?
I would use a firewire cable. since firewire cables are old school now-a-days, you may need an adapter for the c port.
@@TheMediaNerdMT thanks I got a FireWire to usb a to usb c adapter. It didn’t support usb a I think.
I was under the impression tape cleaners only work once not 5 or 6 times? Am I wrong ? Thanks
I guess it depends on the tape cleaner. Most will run a few times like I had said in the video.
@@TheMediaNerdMT I worked during the video payday in tv from 1978 to 1997. We always were taught that tape cleaning cartridges when used up once throw it away. Sorry to upset you. Thanks for your channel. Very informative and leader in the industry.
@@laserfilmlab you didn’t upset me at all. Thanks for watching and supporting my channel!
Please do not use rubbing alcohol! Often has oils in it. Use 90% instead. No oils and it dries faster.
However don't use alcohol on the rubber parts. It can dry them and damage them.
Also there are some even better cleaners i know of like acetone but they will kill plastic parts.
Finally another good reason for not using the tape style cleaners is they are very abrasive, by design and can wear the heads over time.
Thanks for the comment. Most people watching will only need to clean there camera maybe once or twice to get the transfer job done so a little rubbing alcohol is not going to hurt anything. Also, by the time it takes to put the camera back together, hook up the camera up for transfer, I think the 70% will have enough time to dry. I have been using alcohol like this for years as well and have not seen any effect from oils that may be in 70% (but it does depend on what type of alcohol as well). I have been told by another person that tape cleaners can damage heads but I have been using tape cleaners for over 20 years and have never had an issue with my heads getting damaged. I have looked this up and don't see the proof.
Again, most people watching this video have small jobs to do so these precautions don't really matter.
Thanks Just got an old HI8 early Christmas. USED Cleaners $50-$60 NEW HA $75 to you are out your *&^%%$)# mind....I am CHEAP and this works works very well probably better than the head cleaning tapes. Just my .02 cents worth I like the higher grade Isopropyl ETOH (alcohol) that is me, video and choices are still awesome.
Thanks for watching.