MagTek InSpec 9000-2005 - Manual (Page 17)

Section 2. Installation
7
CLEANING
Accurate signal amplitude measurements (described in Section 3) depend on high quality contact
between the Tester’s magnetic head and the magnetic stripe under test. If the head does not
make good contact by even a small amount, the resulting signal amplitude measurement value
will be lower than it would have been with proper contact. A separation between the head and
stripe of only 0.0005 inches (13µm) can lower the signal amplitude result by 50%.
Aside from surface distortions on the magnetic stripe or card, contamination is primarily
responsible for poor head to stripe contact.
Offset powder sometimes used in card manufacture to prevent blocking (powder can cause a
significant decrease in amplitude and can contaminate the read head giving false readings for
many cards.)
•
Packing materials; fibers from containers
•
Hologram/Signature, Panel/Magnetic media particles “flash” not adhering to the card as
intended
•
Cards can also become statically charged making them attract airborne dust.
Card Cleaning
To optimize test results, MagTek recommends cleaning the magnetic stripe cards with ammonia-
based glass cleaner before testing.
Caution
Do not clean magnetic stripe cards with alcohol or damage to the
magnetic stripe may occur.
Head and Roller Cleaning - Standard Card, P/N 96700004
The Tester can only provide reliable results if it is clean. As a result, the Tester will issue a
warning after 50 card read cycles. When the warning is received, the cleaning procedure should
be performed. The warning will appear for each card tested until the cleaning procedure is
performed.
Use the cleaning card and clean the head as follows: