Hi all, I have a question. I have been using a Sony TCD-D100 DAT recorder, for about 3 years recording dolphins & underwater sound in the field (~ 4 months a year). Being used on a small boat it was exposed to salt air.
Early this year I began my analysis, and as such, using the DAT about 5 days a week for around 6 hours, playing back the sounds as well as fast forwarding and rewinding to find specific time stamps. In early June the DAT chewed a tape and then within a couple of days, stopped winding the tape on. I took the DAT into a service centre who replaced a 'badly worn drum assembly' and '2 x cracked gears'. Fair enough as I had been using the DAT fairly continuous for a number of years and it was no doubt in need of a service. However, 3 � weeks later in the middle of my analysis, the DAT stopped working again, i.e. would not wind the tape on. I took the DAT back to the repair centre who reported that the drum was badly worn again * the same problem! The technician explained that it must by my tapes that are causing the problem through contamination. Although I find it difficult to believe that the problem has occurred again after only 3 � weeks of use, which was not continuous, perhaps 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week. The service centre nor Sony will now replace the faulty drum. Has anyone else experienced problems such as this? Or does anyone have any advice as to why the problem has occurred? Or had problems with contaminated tapes? Thanks, Michelle Lemon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michelle Lemon B.Sc.(Hons.) Ph.D. Student Marine Mammal Research Group Graduate School of the Environment Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, 2109 Ph. +61.2.9850.7982 Fax. +61.2.9850.7972 Mobile. +61.(0)417.672.979 Email. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web. www.gse.mq.edu.au/research/mmrg/
