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
>>
>