Here is something that can be VERY difficult to find nowadays!
While we generally used to clean our professional 2 & 4 track cassette machines manually, followed by a demagnetising routine because we liked to see what "rust" was accumulating across the heads and the rollers but for a 'quick n easy' tape path clean up, these cleaning tapes were also used by professionals and consumers alike.
These cleaning tapes provide a simple cleaning solution for most cassette machine users.
Many enthusiasts or archivists still use cassette machines to "pull off" that old audio recording which may only be on cassette tape and to achieve the best possible results, the heads in particular must be clean.
This HAMMARD cleaning tape looks to have NEVER been used until today when I made a quick "test run" to check the mechanical operation of the tape and spot examined the cleaning tape at random intervals along the length of the tape.
SPECIAL NOTES:
This is a "limited use" dry cassette tape head cleaner.
This means there are no liquids used, the cleaning is undertaken by a specially made "cleaning" tape rubbing across the tape head face(s) and it has a finite useful life.
It provides a safe, "quick n' easy" head maintenance solution but should only be considered as part of a maintenance routine for your beloved cassette machine.
Three areas need careful attention and maintenance when using a cassette machine regularly:
Head cleaning
Head demagnetising
Pinch Roller & tape guide(s) cleaning
Every 40 hours of use (or whenever you can hear something isn't right e.g you notice a loss of high end response or even tape transport movement being irregular or noisy) the above basic maintenance should be undertaken.
This HAMMARD head cleaner only looks after the face of the heads - the tape material is intended to gently run across the head face and remove oxide/dirt build up.
The tape has limited ability to clean the pinch roller(s) and for head demagnetising, it will be useless! For demagnetising you need to obtain (or even make) a demagnetising wand.
The primary purpose in life of this tape cassette is to ONLY clean the heads.
The number of "cleans" is limited to approximately 50 "sessions" of head cleaning i.e run one side only until the tape end, then stop. Next time run the tape backwards (to the start of tape) and so on ... the useful life of the cleaning tape can vary wildly due to the oxide and other rubbish the tape picks up while travelling across the heads. It is a good idea to stop the cleaning process at various points of travel and see if there appears to be a rust build up on the cleaning tape.
This tape travels in either direction for one minute and 30 seconds.
Once the tape has accumulated material after repeated use (you will see that the tape is no longer clean), STOP using it ... it's mission is complete, it now needs to go to "tape heaven" as it's purpose in life is done and to continue using it would be like cleaning your vinyl record with a dirty rag - you may cause more damage than you started with!
HAMMARD Cassette Head Cleaner
Circa 1980's ~ 1990's
Hammard is not the manufacturer, this is rebranded product from an OEM but just who is unknown
Country of origin is unknown (most likely either Japan or China)
Number of cleaning "runs" to date: 1 (for test purposes)
This is '1' because I ran the tape from end to end, just to check the mechanical movement of the tape was fine and examined the tape at periodic intervals to check it's "cleanliness".
Comes with the outer protective case.
NOTE: Don't like the idea of running a slightly abrasive cleaning tape across your heads? The alternative is to use a long soft tipped wand with suitable head cleaning fluid, check the soft tip for the amount of "rust" coming off the head face until nothing further is removed. Don't forget to pay attention to the pinch roller using a suitable cleaning solution which will not affect the rubber and the tape path guides.
I could not find any 'tape use' record card with this cleaning tape, it should be there but it is missing so the user will need to record the number of uses on a custom made "log book" i.e sheet of paper!
Insert this cassette tape into the machine.
Play the cleaning tape (Note: there is no background music while you wait!) until the tape reaches the end of travel - this while take approximately 90 seconds. Once the tape reaches the end of travel the machine will either stop or start to play backwards (if auto reverse is engaged) in the latter case, stop the tape manually at this point.
Remove the cleaning tape and make a "test playback" using a "audio source" tape. If the head was dirty, you may well be amazed at the difference in sound particularly the "high end" frequency response.
If you feel it could be improved further, repeat the above process.
Record the fact you have used the cleaning tape on your "cassette cleaning log" that your have created.
Since checking this cleaning tape I have now sealed it in plastic to protect from dust & dirt.
