Keep getting "remove cassette" message - help!

[Jon Palmer]

My Canon Xl2 is constantly stopping whatever I'm doing with a tape - whether it's recording or playing back in VCR mode. It started a few weeks ago and is happening more and more frequently.

We've just started to film a feature - filmed the first scene yesterday and now I'm trying to capture it it's threatening to chew everything up.

Can anyone hlp me diagnose the problem? My hairs falling out with stress at the moment....it really is the last thing I need. I had a friend who is a AV repairman look at the heads and he can't determine a problem.

Any suggestions?

[Terry Shaw]

Hi Jon,

I would try cleaning the heads and if that fails.... I would think that it has
to do with the tape transport system.

Goodluck

Terry

[Luc Fontaine]

Hi John,

To me it seems to be a tape transport mechanism problem. I have a ZR60 that I use as a deck and it started to do this lately. I know that the ZR60 is a model plagued with this problem. By chance my 3 months old XL2 is working just fine.

I would suggest that you send it back to Canon for repairs. From what I've heard they usually replace the whole mechanism. I hope it still is under warranty. If not they'll charge you. Unfortunately I have no clue how much this would cost.

When my ZR60 acts up like that I leave the tape in, then remove the battery or power cord then put the battery back or replug the cord and it comes back to normal. It never destroyed any of my tapes. From what I've read, it's the little gears in the mechanism that are not turning as they should and the resistance or drag it creates makes the camera software think the tape is jammed which triggers the ''remove tape'' message.

Hope this helped a bit and that you can fix that problem.

Best regards

Luc Fontaine

[Jon Palmer]

Thanks for the answers guys...

I'll clean the heads and if that fails I'll dig up the warranty and se if I can get it repaired/replaced.

Cheers