User's Guide

Chapter 4 Operating Your Tape Drive
Cleaning the Tape Heads
DDS-4/DAT 72 User’s Guide 52
To clean tape heads, use a Quantum-qualified DDS cleaning cartridge.
Quantum offers a cleaning cartridge, Model CDMCL, that can be ordered
from
http://www.quantum.com.
To clean the tape heads:
1 Insert a Quantum-qualified DDS cleaning cartridge into the drive.
The drive loads and runs the cleaning cartridge for about 30 seconds.
2 When the cleaning cartridge finishes cleaning the heads, the drive
ejects the cartridge automatically.
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.
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.
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
.