Re: Cleaning video heads etc
It's also worth mentioning, if you're cleaning the video heads, the rest of the tape path will most likely need a good clean too, especially the tape entry & exit points on the lower drum.
Often the muck migrates from the FE head to the lower drum tape entry point, builds up & then it's smeared around the video head.
The signs of dirty video heads, playback can look as if the tracking has been maladjusted. Poor picture in playback when 'paused' or when playing a tape & rewind has been selected, as in, picture review mode, picture looks grainy/unwatchable. On a HiFi machine, with a mucky drum, it'll toggle between mono & HiFi, even with a good tape. If it's S-VHS too, the S-VHS indicator may erroneously flicker with normal tapes in playback mode.
As has been said, for cleaning use chamois pads on sticks, isopropyl, gentle pressure and rock the drum. Once done, clean the rest of the upper & lower drum plus, the rest of the tape path.
For worn heads, 'its' own recordings will play back with black & white horizontal streaks on peak whites, much like playing an S-VHS recording on a non S-VHS machine.
Hope this helps,
Mark
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