CD lens cleaner does anyone use one ?

My CD player is reading only 1 in 3 discs (new, old, scratched, not, whatever). Does a lens cleaner ever make a difference ? are they ever harmful to the system ? if they do work, is there a brand that works better ? Thanks for your time. Russell

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Originally Posted by rmcgeck

My CD player is reading only 1 in 3 discs (new, old, scratched, not, whatever). Does a lens cleaner ever make a difference ? are they ever harmful to the system ? if they do work, is there a brand that works better ? Thanks for your time. Russell

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I've only used one, an ooooollllld model from Labtec called the AM12, but it works quite well for me. I live in a dusty area and my stuff needs cleaning from time to time. The AM12 has 2 tiny sets of short, stiff little brushes on opposite ends of the disc that sweep dust off as they go over the lens. I've found I have to run it much longer than reccomended to be effective (generally I use it for 2-3 hours). When I take the disc out and look closely, I can clearly see the dust next to the brushes. It's never done any damage to any player I've used it on.
Mike

You can also try a blast of canned air first. Sometimes it's just a hair that's in the way and you just need it to move. Try randomly blowing it through the tray or take the cover off.

Hi,

I am using "Allsop Diagnostic disc and lens cleaner". It's a cd with carbon fibre brushes and also helps you fine tune your 2 channel or HT system.
No risk of lens damage.

Peace

Bernd

I take off the cover and clean the lens with Kodak lens cleaning fluids and lens tissues. I put a drop of fluid on the lens tissue and clean like I would a good camera lens.

...never used one, don't plan to own one, but after a similar thread not too long ago, I decided to have a look at the dimensions involved...

The only player I have access to the inner workings of is an El Cheapo port unit...whether or not other mechanisms or logistics are different is a guess but, there are specs to the medium that have to be somewhere in the ballpark I'd guess.

The laser carriage and lens is between 1/32nd in. to 1/16th in. lower than the deck surface within the disc area of the player that covers it's internal workings...the laser "carriage" moves and reads through a slot in this deck. The disc itself locks to the spindle and bottoms-out on it, approximately an additional 1/16th in. above that deck surface. A total distance of nearly 1/8th in. from disc surface to lens.

Now even if the "copper impregnated microfiber" bristles of the brush are of sufficient length to reach the lens dimension-wise, there's an awful lot of cleaning of that deck surface goin' on causing drag on the motor, which can't be good. If there is no "deck" obstruction in other decks, is it really a good idea to be spinning these brushes thumpa-thumpa-thumpa impacting, what I'm sure is a fairly delicate device in the form of the reading head and carriage...

Of course my observations are purely anecdotal in nature and my opinions subject to my own biases, but in this case (at least with the unit under examination) two plus two doesn't equal four...

jimHJJ(...FWIW...)