A couple of stupid Q's

[stuwee]

-noteeth- Can a bulk tape eraser de-mag tape heads and the other stuff? If so, how do you do it? Acoustic suggested one when I asked about a de-mag.

[MacGyver]

how could you get such a bulky thing close enough to the heads to be effective?

[Scorpion8]

Nope. Two different beasts. A head de-magger has small prongs that look like a tuning fork to get into the tape head region. A bulk de-magger for tapes is more like a big transformer that generates a much larger field.

[stuwee]

That's what I thought, maybe Acoustic knows a trick? or *dunno* or gettin'*old*:D

[Acoustic]

Stu.. Scorps, as usual, correct.... you need a good Annis instrament to get that job done. There Han-D-Mag's http://www.rbannis.com/products/handmags.html are world famous and TOTL. I got mine off the bay for about $50. Keep in mind that a head that is in dire need of demagnetizing is a high end killer on your tapes. And what I mean it actually erases the high end. So if you think, when you lose your highs and finally get a demagnetizer they will come back. Nope. Sure if you make new tapes then they'll be back but the tapes you play on a machine that needs demaging... the lost high end is gone forever.*yikes*

[stuwee]

Stu.. Scorps, as usual, correct.... you need a good Annis instrament to get that job done. There Han-D-Mag's http://www.rbannis.com/products/handmags.html are world famous and TOTL. I got mine off the bay for about $50. Keep in mind that a head that is in dire need of demagnetizing is a high end killer on your tapes. And what I mean it actually erases the high end. So if you think, when you lose your highs and finally get a demagnetizer they will come back. Nope. Sure if you make new tapes then they'll be back but the tapes you play on a machine that needs demaging... the lost high end is gone forever.*yikes*

OMG, that's too funny! *butt* Han-D-Mag, ANNIS, Long and Short versions, looks like a butt plug. :-oo:-oo I thank everyone for helping, and the info on the highs being permanetly erased, both mine have killer high ends for now so I'm not damaging any of my "babies" I found a cool old vintage one, I'm gonna try to get it.*quiet*

I take it, IIRC you hover it around all the metal parts in the tape path right?

[Acoustic]

OMG, that's too funny! *butt* Han-D-Mag, ANNIS, Long and Short versions, looks like a butt plug. :-oo:-oo I thank everyone for helping, and the info on the highs being permanetly erased, both mine have killer high ends for now so I'm not damaging any of my "babies" I found a cool old vintage one, I'm gonna try to get it.*quiet*

I take it, IIRC you hover it around all the metal parts in the tape path right?

I thought you'd get a kick out of the name of the company!! And yes you demag all the metal parts in the tape path. Probably the most important part of the usage of a demager is: You turn it on (or plug it in) with the unit at least 3-4 feet away from the deck (arms length, outside of the magnetic field)... then bring it to the deck, pass it close to the heads, capstans etc... then take your hand back away from the deck (outside the magnetic field) and then turn it off (or unplug) the demagnetizer. Turning it on and off within the field or close to the heads can permanently magnetize your heads. And BTW... the name's Andy here.

[stuwee]

I thought you'd get a kick out of the name of the company!! And yes you demag all the metal parts in the tape path. Probably the most important part of the usage of a demager is: You turn it on (or plug it in) with the unit at least 3-4 feet away from the deck (arms length, outside of the magnetic field)... then bring it to the deck, pass it close to the heads, capstans etc... then take your hand back away from the deck (outside the magnetic field) and then turn it off (or unplug) the demagnetizer. Turning it on and off within the field or close to the heads can permanently magnetize your heads. And BTW... the name's Andy here.

Hi Ya Andy, I'm Craig! :D-noteeth-

[Scorpion8]

Hi Ya Andy, I'm Craig! :D-noteeth-

Hello, my name is Jim, and I'm a tape-aholic. Hiccup! I have a real problem ...

Group hug time! :D

[Acoustic]

Hello, my name is Jim, and I'm a tape-aholic. Hiccup! I have a real problem ...

Group hug time! :D

Hey Jim.... me to, a confessed tape-aholic also... but I have a *reel* problem.:D

[Scorpion8]

ps - And stuwee, there are no stoopid Q?'s in our land. Ask, learn, contribute. Simple! :D

[MacGyver]

indeed, like this stupid Q; how effective are those demag cassettes?

[niklasthedolphin]

Demag cassettes are bad stuff.

When you use the defluxer to demagnetize your tape path, the machine is supposed to be turned off to prevent severe damage to the deck.

You can't run those cassette demagnetizers with the deck turned off.

"dolph"

[Scorpion8]

Demag cassettes are bad stuff.

Welllllll..... 99% true. They are not the best item for home use, as home machines tend to have bigger heads with larger residual magnetic fields. However, for a Walkman or car stereo with smaller playback-only heads, they are extremely useful. I have two of them just for that purpoise. In the Walkman or boombox, you would remove the batteries to keep the deck from turning on. Most of these are operated by the PLAY pushbutton that slides the headblock into contact with the demagger to trigger it ON. Likewise your car stereo.

But Dolph is correct in saying that for your home system, get a bigger one designed specifically to do that job. I've used a Teac one for the last 25-some years and it works great. You hear LOTS of good stuff about those Annis HandiMags.