N Cook:
The brass roller that you removed was put there by the manufacturer to help
smooth out the tape flow BEFORE the entrance roller guide and has absolutely
NOTHING to do with cleaning the tape as you surmised. This roller is
usually after the full erase head but sometimes before. Removing it will
impair the already less than stellar performance in terms of increased high
frequency jitter or time base errors in the video.
--
Best Regards,
Daniel Sofie
Electronics Supply & Repair
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"N Cook" wrote in message
...
Less than a year old but requiring frequent head
cleaning because of noisy picture replay.
Is this another supposed head cleaner gizmo?
Next to the supply side tape guide, on the curved-slotted
pathway, is a brass cylinder that touches the active
side of the tape , rotating with its motion, for no apparent reason.
I removed it, assuming it is some idea of a duff tape cleaner.
Anyone familiar with these ?

I tend to always remove those nasty foam supposed
head cleaners, on placcy arms that engage with the spinning heads ,
as seem to CAUSE dirty heads.

Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://home.graffiti.net/diverse