5
TAPE TIPS
Restoring Tape Tension and
Sound Quality
After you play a cassette tape several times,
the tape might become tightly wound on the
reels. This can cause playback sound quality
to deteriorate.
To restore the sound quality, fast-forward the
tape from the beginning to the end of one
side, then completely rewind it. Then loosen
the tape reels by gently tapping each edge of
the cassette on a flat surface.
Caution: Be careful not to damage the cas-
sette when tapping it. Do not touch the ex-
posed tape or allow any sharp objects near
the cassette.
Erasing Tapes
To record over a cassette tape, simply record
as usual. The cassette deck records over the
previous recording.
You can quickly erase both sides of a cassette
tape using a RadioShack bulk tape eraser.
Note: If you use metal or high-bias type tape,
the recorded sound might not be erased prop-
erly.
Preventing Accidental Erasure
Cassette tapes have two erase-protection
tabs — one for each side. When a tab is in
place, you can record on that side.
To prevent accidental erasure of a tape re-
cording, use a screwdriver to remove one or
both of the cassette tape’s erase-protection
tabs. This prevents
RECORD
from being
pressed.
If you later decide to record on a tape side af-
ter you have removed the erase-protection
tab, place a piece of strong plastic tape over
that side’s erase-protection hole. Be sure you
cover only the hole originally covered by the
erase-protection tab.
Caution: Removing the erase-protection tabs
does not prevent a bulk eraser from erasing a
cassette tape.
Cleaning the Tape-Handling Parts
Dirt, dust, or particles of the tape’s coating can
accumulate on the tape heads and other parts
that the tape touches. This can greatly reduce
the performance of the cassette player. After
every 20 hours of tape player operation, follow
these steps to clean the tape-handling parts
or use a RadioShack cassette deck cleaning
kit.
1. Remove the batteries and disconnect any
other power source.
2. Open the cassette compartment door and
press
PLAY
to expose the tape-handling
parts.
3. Hold down the erase-
protection tab sensor
inside the cassette
compartment, then
press
RECORD
to
expose the record/
playback and erase
heads.
4. Use a cotton swab dipped in tape head
cleaning solution or denatured alcohol to
gently clean the capstan, pinch roller,
tape guides, and tape heads.
Erase-Protection
Tab Sensor
Tape Guides
Erase Head
Record/Playback
Head
Pinch Roller
Capstan
14-861a.fm Page 5 Tuesday, September 19, 2000 3:26 PM
