"chris hipkiss" wrote in message . uk...
Thanks David,

I have only cleaned the moving bits with contact cleaner so far.....not
wanting to get any stuff on the head that might cause probs.

Well, be certain that you have used something that did not leave a
residue. You might want to go over it again with something like
alcohol to insure there is as little possible residue as possible.

I resisted the temptation to get in there with WD40

Ahh... been reading again, eh? bg

Some mechanical fault causing tapes not to load ,it just keeps throwing up
error message numbers 1 ,3,5 and its even given an 87 error message !!

Does it do this on both new tape as well as used?

I don't have my manual handy or time to check the web, but error 1 is the
most basic 'load' error. You can get this when there's a problem with
the tape (too tight even) or the shell, or when the mechanism fails to engage
the tape and wrap the head properly. I can usually lose this error by a few
seconds of FF or RW after restarting the DAT, or just reloading the tape
a second time.

I have taken the deck to bits so that I can see what is happening but to no
avail.

Have you inspected both transports *simultaneously* in order to compare
all of the moving parts on each deck? There's a small, white plastic sleeve
that surrounds one of the lifters that's sometimes apt to come lose if the deck
is turned upside down.

I have spoken to Tascam UK and they tell me that deck mechanism replacement
is the easiest answer.(£400.00)

I don't know if I buy that theory on a dual well DAT deck. The last time I sent
an DA-30 mk-II to Tascam, I got a complete alignment that included a couple
of new small parts, and a new D/A convertor chip. Shipping included, this
only ran be about $160 US.

I was kinda hoping that someone would have a machine in the same condition
and I could purchase a good deck etc.

Mechanical adjustment sounds good, I didn`t know that the decks could be
adjusted??

Well you're not supposed to... basically so they can make their service money,
but also because it takes some precise test equipment to do correctly.

Can you tell me more ?

Not really.... preventative maintenance by way of regular cleaning is my
only specialty. g I'm not afraid to use the Sony 'dry' head cleaning tapes
every so often (like before I start every new recording to DAT, I will exercise
the new tape by FFing to the end and rewinding to losen the 'pack', and then
run the dry tape cleaner for a few seconds before starting the project).

E-Bay is another 'out' for trying to save money on a brand new deck. DA-302s
are closing at around $400 US... look for a reputable seller with a return policy.

I still think a reliable service center could repair the problem if it's mechanical
in nature; and there's still the chance you might discover more when watching
both bays operate simultaneously.

Luck....

--
David Morgan (MAMS)
http://www.m-a-m-s DOT com
Morgan Audio Media Service
Dallas, Texas (214) 662-9901
_______________________________________
http://www.artisan-recordingstudio.com