Topic: My HD-P2 is Rusting!

[JackoRoses]

In reviewing this thread, what hasn't been consistently discussed or determined is whether or not leaving batteries in the unit after the show has an impact on the rusting phenomenon.  Do those that haven't experienced the problem use batteries and/or have they ever left them in for extended times?  Since the simple presence of humidity has been ruled out, I'm betting that there's a small electrical current being induced by the batteries which is the motive force for the corrosion.  Remove your batteries after the show, as I'm sure the manufacturer recommends, and that may resolve your problem.

I've never used the battery compartment on my P2, I've always used dvd batteries.

[guysonic]

If everything metal (likely exception of Gold plate) inside/outside is corroded, then possiblilty where ever the parts and/or the deck was assembled has corrosive atmosphere contaminating everything in that area and activated other places by least amount of condensing atmospheric  moisture.  If this the case, NO solution but to always keep the deck 'bone dry' or more practical to return to the manufacturer for complete deck replacement hoping they will be responsible to look into manufacture dates, location, and other related clues.

I once worked in Mountain View, California in the early 1970's at Fairchild Semi with several buildings.  One was a semicondutor plant that discharged vapor from certain processes everyday at certain times.  This vapor discharge started literally peeling the paint off cars parked in the lot! 

Mysterious until the link from the chemical discharges and the peeling paint was established and prompt changes made to manufacturing practices stopped all occurances.

Your deck's damage might be caused something similar.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Did Tascam ever give you any help with this?

[mattmiller]

Did Tascam ever give you any help with this?

To this point, no.  But I've failed to follow-up with them.  The service manager was leaving for vacation right after I talked to him, but said he'd make some calls to some engineers about the problem.  I gave him a few weeks (a week of vacation and a couple of weeks to look into it) and then planned to call him back.  But I got busy and kept putting it off, partly because, with several shows coming up, I wasn't sure what I would do if he offered to have me send it in for them to look at.  I'm definitely going to call him next week, after a couple of shows this weekend.

[dude2010]

Mine is rusting too on the outside, screws, XLRs, RCAs - but works fine.
Can get the backcover of, by unscrewing the 9 screws there - but the front and top won't go!! I tried everything now, and applying more force, will break the plastic. Does anyone have a guide to dismantling it? Then I'll upload highres pictures for everyone!

[it-goes-to-eleven]

This is clearly a manufacturing defect... And a very odd one, and a very serious one.

I wonder if there is some component that outgases in a problematic way?

I wonder if TASCAM is still in denial about it?

[hi and lo]

I wonder if TASCAM is still in denial about it?

Probably. They have a nice service dept tho! 

[dude2010]

Clealy corrosion on connections are visible, this unit has been stored dry! NEVER used outdoors!

Thank god, inside it is as new.

[H₂O]

Do you ever leave batteries in it or leave it plugged in?

[mattmiller]

Those pictures look so familiar.

I wonder if TASCAM is still in denial about it?

Probably. They have a nice service dept tho! 

As of a year or two ago, Jim (represented to me as their head service guy) refused to admit to me that it could possibly be a manufacturing defect, despite all the evidence I presented to him.  He told me he would discuss it with the engineers in Japan and get back to me.  He never called me back.  My unit still works fine, but I went ahead and bought another one (used) on here just a couple weeks ago to replace it.

[ilia_2s]

Hello to everyone!

I specially registered here to share my thoughts on this subject. Several months ago I bought a used tascam
HD-P2 (made in 2006). Of course I had read many forums before buying it, but I couldn’t suppose
that the problem of rusting is so huge. As you may have guessed, the device I got was also
rusted.

A lot of people write that rust on the their HD-P2 is not affect to the functionality, but I
can't agree with it, because by physically viewpoint the rust must do conductance worse! I faced
with it in battery module, And forced to replace a battery module, because a rust increased
resistance.

Next, I decide to reply on this forum, because only here I found enough true ideas about reasons
of this problem. Of course I can't agree with all opinions, for example that the reason is salt
or humid air or galvanic effect, because, as says one of members, we would have a lot of similar
problems in the large count of other devices.

Nevertheless, someone expressed great assumption, that rust may arises not in humid environment
only, but also in acid environment. Also, I do not suppose that acid can out from batteries or be
present at tascam's factory, but I used this mean as main, and conjecture that acid can go out
from parts of recorder. A bit of googling allowed me to come to a conclusion that it can be a
plastic parts oneself (PVC colouring agents or components or can emit HCl in some cases).

I took a litmus paper in lab for test my assumption. I placed some pieces of paper inside
recorder (for whole experiment it placed in a cupboard in my flat), some pieces I put in a
plastic packet with old battery module from my Tascam. I pulled out all test stripes across a
month approximately. Stripes that are contacted with a body insede of recorder became painted most of all.

I have no possibilities for further research, and I am not good at industrial chemistry, but I
think that my reasoning will be helpful. My final assertion is that the reason of problem is outcome from violations in the technology of production of device case.

Maybe someone will be interested in this problem. We need a gas analyzing lab to be fairly sure in type of outcoming acid. Also some test can reveal a problematic chemical component in body composition. (PVC or paint) (РВ-P2 is a little blue on photos, but my recorder have this color only inside. It's gray outside, and i think that paint could faid and emit some acid also).

[darby]

I for one did not have that issue with my 6+ year old P2.
Several years back I worked as a material handler in a plastics manufacturing plant.
I'm no chemist, but I still remember one product we made that was made from a similar blue colored plastic.
It wasn't the plastic, but the colorant I added to it that really had an awful odor (think BONGWATER) 
I always thought that my P2 had a similar odor about it, especially while using it.

[ilia_2s]

darby, Thank you for nice comment! This is really important. I do not say anything about odor, but it was a first thing that I noticed when opened my parcel. This odor is really strong and awful, but it's new for me and I can't compare it with smth. that I smelled early.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Send it to Dave.  He'll get down to the bottom and figure it out

http://www.eevblog.com/episodes/