Best way to clean an LD lens?

Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

On Thu, 09 Dec 2004 23:35:22 GMT, James Taylor <taylor.jams@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>Hi guys - just want to know what's the best way to clean an LD lens? Will a
>standard lens cleaning CD do it?


Only of you want to be absolutely sure it's ruined.

Scraping off dust (read: small abrasive rocks) at high speed is death
for a LD player.

It is very likely the lens being dirty is causing your problems; maybe
a one in 50 chance. Trashing the lens with a cleaning disk won't help.

If you must clean it, take the cover off and use a q-tip and some denatured
rubbing alcohol.

Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

Unless it is dirty and you are having trouble DON"T TOUCH IT. LD's spin at
a very high rate, much different then CD's. Believe me the there is enough
air flow that any dust is removed. With a LD player, using it pretty much
keeps the lens clean.

Now if you are a heavy smoker then you can get a smoke film on the lens you
will need to clean.

Kurtis


"James Taylor" <taylor.jams@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:_i5ud.1971$u%2.1492@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...
> Hi guys - just want to know what's the best way to clean an LD lens? Will
> a
> standard lens cleaning CD do it?
>
> Thanks,
>
> James
>
>
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.808 / Virus Database: 550 - Release Date: 08/12/2004
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

On Thu, 09 Dec 2004 18:00:39 -0600, TCS <The-Central-Scrutinizer@p.o.b.o.x.com> wrote:
>On Thu, 09 Dec 2004 23:35:22 GMT, James Taylor <taylor.jams@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>>Hi guys - just want to know what's the best way to clean an LD lens? Will a
>>standard lens cleaning CD do it?


>Only of you want to be absolutely sure it's ruined.

>Scraping off dust (read: small abrasive rocks) at high speed is death
>for a LD player.

>It is very likely the lens being dirty is causing your problems; maybe
god damn keyboard dyslexia. s/likely/unlikely
>a one in 50 chance. Trashing the lens with a cleaning disk won't help.

>If you must clean it, take the cover off and use a q-tip and some denatured
>rubbing alcohol.

Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

Be careful here. Pioneer lenses have a coating on the surface of the lens.
Alcohol, video head cleaning fluids, etc. can remove that coating. This is
why Pioneer dictates that the lens be cleaned with a lens cleaning fluid
like that obtained from a camera store.

Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

get one of those cd-rom lens cleaners like you use for a computer, and use
alittle warm water and soap. run it for just a few seconds and it should
come clean. if your lens is gunked up with glue from the adhesive used to
glue individual platters of certain poorly made discs together, you may have
to go the more drastic open-it-up-Q-tip route. use the same solution they
sell with most audio head cleaning kits with lint-free cloth or cotton
swabs, not your bargain swabs that are made with paper. never use the stuff
that comes with those pop-in cassettes, that's OK in you car tape player,
not for your laserdisc player. the ones sold now for dvd-rom are better than
older cd-only, you might spend $20 but it;s worth the extra few dollars and
time if you have to open the chassis of your player. don;t use saliva
directly, though you can use warm breath if you rinse your mouth well and
drink a couple glasses of clean water before you begin. good luck with
it--- 
"Kurtis Bahr" <kbahr@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:gZ6dnQHAQL4egSTcRVn-ow@comcast.com...
> Unless it is dirty and you are having trouble DON"T TOUCH IT. LD's spin
> at a very high rate, much different then CD's. Believe me the there is
> enough air flow that any dust is removed. With a LD player, using it
> pretty much keeps the lens clean.
>
> Now if you are a heavy smoker then you can get a smoke film on the lens
> you will need to clean.
>
> Kurtis
>
>
> "James Taylor" <taylor.jams@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> news:_i5ud.1971$u%2.1492@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...
>> Hi guys - just want to know what's the best way to clean an LD lens?
>> Will a
>> standard lens cleaning CD do it?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> James
>>
>>
>> ---
>> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
>> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
>> Version: 6.0.808 / Virus Database: 550 - Release Date: 08/12/2004
>>
>>
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

ldservice wrote:

> Be careful here. Pioneer lenses have a coating on the surface of the lens.
> Alcohol, video head cleaning fluids, etc. can remove that coating. This is
> why Pioneer dictates that the lens be cleaned with a lens cleaning fluid
> like that obtained from a camera store.

Nice to know. What does this coating do? BTW I agree with TCS, you DON'T
WANT a piece of rubber/foam/whatever banging into your lense at high
speed X times per second. It is exactly the kind of "mechanical stress"
you get warned about in manuals.

Oliver

Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

The few times a have had to clean a lens I used a chamois swab as it won't
leave lint behind and the Radio Shack Professional Head Cleaning Solution as
it has less residue than the Denatured Alcohol or other cleaning Alcohols.
You only need to let it touch down gently as this will clean, rub hard and
you could damage the focus or tracking coils on the lens.

Kurtis


"Oliver Brose" <brose@despammed.com> wrote in message
news:cpevnk$u5k$04$1@news.t-online.com...
> ldservice wrote:
>
>> Be careful here. Pioneer lenses have a coating on the surface of the
>> lens.
>> Alcohol, video head cleaning fluids, etc. can remove that coating. This
>> is
>> why Pioneer dictates that the lens be cleaned with a lens cleaning fluid
>> like that obtained from a camera store.
>
> Nice to know. What does this coating do? BTW I agree with TCS, you DON'T
> WANT a piece of rubber/foam/whatever banging into your lense at high speed
> X times per second. It is exactly the kind of "mechanical stress" you get
> warned about in manuals.
>
> Oliver

Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 00:54:16 -0500, Kurtis Bahr <kbahr@comcast.net> wrote:
>The few times a have had to clean a lens I used a chamois swab as it won't
>leave lint behind and the Radio Shack Professional Head Cleaning Solution as
>it has less residue than the Denatured Alcohol or other cleaning Alcohols.
>You only need to let it touch down gently as this will clean, rub hard and
>you could damage the focus or tracking coils on the lens.

Better yet, leave the lens alone. It's damn rare that dirt is the problem.
More usually the problem is track misalignment, crud on the track assembly, low
laser output, or one of the three servos (speed,track,focus) has gone bad.

Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

"Oliver Brose" <brose@despammed.com> wrote in message
news:cpevnk$u5k$04$1@news.t-online.com...
> ldservice wrote:
>
> > Be careful here. Pioneer lenses have a coating on the surface of the
lens.
> > Alcohol, video head cleaning fluids, etc. can remove that coating. This
is
> > why Pioneer dictates that the lens be cleaned with a lens cleaning fluid
> > like that obtained from a camera store.
>
> Nice to know. What does this coating do? BTW I agree with TCS, you DON'T
> WANT a piece of rubber/foam/whatever banging into your lense at high
> speed X times per second. It is exactly the kind of "mechanical stress"
> you get warned about in manuals.
>
> Oliver

According to Pioneer the coating is there to help with beam shaping. If the
coating is gone (or reduced) crosstalk is the result. Therefore, no
"solvent" type chemical (alcohol, head cleaning solution, etc.) should be
used. If applied to the lens you take your chances on degraded performance.