If the tape is very thin, like .5 mil, it will not have the output of a
thicker tape. That was my experience using Scotch 290. It came in 1800
feet on a 5" reel, 3600 on a 7". Of course on my Sony machines the bias
was wrong also.

joe salerno


On 3/4/2011 3:11 PM, Shai Drori wrote:
> Or maybe the tapes shed goo on your heads and you're not getting contact
> like you should?
> Shai
>
> On 04/03/2011 04:41, Richard L. Hess wrote:
>> Because the tape is wound oxide out and you're trying to record
>> through the backing? Just a guess...
>>
>> Because it's very thinly coated instrumentation or logging tape? Just
>> another guess which I believe less than the first one...
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Richard
>>
>> On 2011-03-03 8:49 PM, Dan Nelson wrote:
>>> I found several dozen reels of 1/2 inch black oxide 1.5 mil tape in
>>> my storage shed from at least 20/30 years ago.
>>> They are 10" pancakes with cardboard seperators with scotch printed
>>> on the master carton of 12 but no type number where the paste on
>>> sticker was is missing.
>>> On my Ampex 440 with "0" in i get like -20/30 out. I tried re-biasing
>>> and altering the bias has no effect on the output level....
>>> Any one have a clue why tape would act this way if stored for 20
>>> years bulk ???
>>> many thanks
>>> dnelson
>>>
>>
>
>