Mellotronists

--- john barrick <astroboy@...> wrote:

> My cheap head demagnetizer that I got on ebay
> arrived today (Realistic 
> 231X) and I was wondering if all demagnetizers are
> supposed to make a 
> horrendous racket.  This one barely makes any noise
> at all.  If I put it 
> next to my ear and turn it on, I can hear a faint
> buzzing, but that's 
> it.  Besides messing up your tapes with improperly
> degaussed playback 
> heads, is there any way to tell if this thing's
> working?  I know, don't 
> buy cheap crap on ebay, but I figured that something
> as basic as this 
> would be ok.
> 
> 
> john....
> 

Hi John-
    Had to go and find out if my Realcrap demagnetizer
was the same as yours.  Nope.  Mine is an old tan one,
smaller and cheaper, rated 61 watts.  It came with 2
screw-on wands (angled at the fore or aft).  Mine does
the same thing; no buzz until it is near ferrous.  It
demags a small screwdriver OK, though, but haven't
tried it on the 'tron yet.  Yours may have a cycle
time printed on it (example- 30 sec ON, 12 min OFF) as
mine did.  Heed that info, or it may burn out.  Also,
make sure there is a plastic cover on the end of the
wand for head protection.  If not, 1 or 2 layers of
shrink tube may work.

Basic, oft-repeated info here, wish it were in iambic
pentameter or haiku.  I find taking an ale break
between ON cycles helps pass time.  We Coloradoans
like Fat Tire ale.

    -Bruce Daily
    M400 #1221



 
____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a PS3 game guru.
Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games.
http://videogames.yahoo.com/platform?platform=120121