It wouldn't account for all of it , but bias requirements might be different from your norm. Bob Cham >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 >> > >-- >Richard L. Hess email: [log in to unmask] >Aurora, Ontario, Canada (905) 713 6733 1-877-TAPE-FIX >http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm >Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes. -- Bob Cham KTRU FM Houston