ERASE HEAD WONT ERASE ON TEAC 80-8 PLEASE HELP??????????????

[kiln_house]

I recently acquired a 1/2" TEAC 80-8 track and I am bouncing tracks from a TEAC 3340 4 track....everything has been going smoothly until I decided I didnt like a mix and I went to rerecord the song over on the tape....much to my dismay the original take would not erase except on tracks 2 and 4 (135678 all still held signal though slightly muffled) I tried wiping the tape and teh sam ething tracks 2 and 4 erased nicely everything else still there? I am using new reels of EMTEC 911 tape...I have cleaned the heads and still no better? What can I do to fix this or do I need a new Erase head and where do I get one?
Thanks

[poopdealer]

Most likely not. You probably need to calibrate the erase bias on those cards.

[Chris_Meck]

yep. that's a bias issue. I had one of those machines, and had that problem once.

Get your manual out, it's tech-time!

[kiln_house]

Dont have the manual does anyone know where to get one online? What exactly is involved with Biasing the Erase Cards? Is it as simple as locating the card in the machine then twisting knobs with a screw driver?

[poopdealer]

i know i found the manual online a year ago. Don't remember where though, I'm sure it's not that hard to grab. Calibrating is a little harder than just twisting a bias pot with a screwdriver. You'll need to take a little time to read it through and you might need a Teac card extender, which are next to impossible to find. I generally get by without one though. Just turn it off, tweak the pot, plug it back in, turn it back on, get a VU reading. Time consuming, but do-able.

Here's a tip: don't pull the cards unless the unit is powered down.

[kiln_house]

Can you explain the VU meter reading thing? Ive never had to fix an erase head before...

[skywavebe]

Hi TN Master;
I am new here but not new to Teac. I worked over there (Chicago Factory Service).
The problem you are having may be due to the adjustment of the erase depth setting. Also if the bias traps have been messed with this could be another cause. This is usually encountered when a novice has been playing with the controls. If this is not the case, then I would also offer that there are relays in that unit that could use a cleaning with a burnishing tool and treatment with Preservit or whatever they changed the name to these days.
I have worked on many of these decks in the past but they seem to be rare in my service business now. Tascam 38 and TSR-8 units are more likely a call.
Let me know if you need more help. Manuals, when I don't have them, I get them from Stereomanuals.com Rick Stout the owner, does a superior job of making them.