Cleaning the tape heads – Quantum Audio drive DDS-4 User Manual
Page 45
Operating Your Tape Drive
Cleaning the Tape Heads
45
Cleaning the Tape Heads
If excessive dust or debris collects at the tape heads, your drive may not be able to read from or
write to tape. To avoid this situation, clean the drive’s tape heads:
•
After every 50 hours of operation.
•
If the Clean LED goes ON or flashes.
•
If the Media LED flashes when the drive is operating.
To clean tape heads, use a Seagate-qualified DDS cleaning cartridge. Certance offers a cleaning
cartridge, Model STDMCL, that can be ordered from http://shop.certance.com.
NOTE: Do not use an audio DAT cleaning cartridge, as the drive cannot recognize it. Also,
avoid liquids, swabs, and other methods other than those recommended in this section.
To clean the tape heads:
1.
Insert a Seagate-qualified DDS cleaning cartridge into the drive. The drive loads and runs the
cleaning cartridge for about 30 seconds.
NOTE: If the cleaning cartridge runs for less than 30 seconds and the Clean LED is flashing,
the cartridge has expired. Replace the cleaning cartridge with a new one and repeat step
1.
2.
When the cleaning cartridge finishes cleaning the heads, the drive ejects the cartridge auto-
matically.
3.
Remove the cleaning cartridge from the drive and store the cartridge in a safe place.
Most cleaning cartridges are good for roughly 30 cleaning cycles. When the cleaning cartridge is
used up, the Clean LED will flash rapidly and the cleaning cartridge should be replaced.
Observe the following guidelines when cleaning tape heads:
•
Each time the cleaning cartridge is loaded, a new, unused portion of cleaning tape is
advanced over the entire tape path. The drive does not rewind a cleaning cartridge. After
about 30 cleaning cycles, the entire tape is used up and should be replaced. The Clean LED
flashes when the cleaning cartridge needs to be replaced.
•
The DDS-4 and DAT 72 drives have a TapeAlert feature that notifies your backup software
application when the tape heads need to be cleaned or when a cleaning cartridge needs
replacement.