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From: adamson@ITD.NRL.NAVY.MIL (Brian Adamson)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.emusic-l
Subject: Humming on 8 track (Solution)
Message-ID: <9002132207.AA08468@css.itd.nrl.navy.mil>
Date: 13 Feb 90 22:07:18 GMT
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	Thanks to Doug Kopp, member of this list, I was able
to fix the humming problem I was experiencing on my tape
recorder.

	It may happen to you, so I'll give a brief describe.

	I heard a 60 Hz hum whenever I monitored the tape head
of my 8 track on certain tracks. It sounded like feedback sort of
and only occurred intermittently.

	Anyway, Mr. Kopp's son had experienced a similar problem
with a cassette deck.  He traced down the problem and found
a faulty (dirty) electro-mechanical relay which switches rhe
the heads between record and playback.  He used tuner tonic
solvent and the scratchy surface of a matchbook as super-fine
file to clean the little relay and fixed the problem.

	Well, I disassembled my 8-track (major apprehension here),
found the relays, popped them open, sprayed the little buggers,
and voilla!. . .no more hum.

	Could have been costly, but $2.19 for Radio Shack Tuner
Tonic ain't bad.  (Also took the noise and static out of the
amplifier I use for a studio monitor when sprayed on the
Volume and Balance potentiometers.) It's miracle cure,
no snake oil for sure.

			Brian Adamson