Subject: Re: Cassette Media

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri May 16 10:30:52 2003

In a message dated 5/14/2003 9:09:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
[email-masked] writes:

> I just aquired a ClubMac tape drive that I want to test. It is a rebadged 
> Teac MT-2ST/N50 cassette drive. I'm hunting around for info, and it looks 
> like that uses a 600XD cassette.
> 
> A regular audio tape cassette fits in it. Does anyone know if I can use 
> regular audio tapes? Maybe a particular style of audio tape? 
> 
> I really just want to test the drive to see if it works, so if an audio 
> tape will work long enough to write some data and read it again to make 
> sure the drive functions, that should be enough. I don't really want to 
> plunk down $15 for a data cassette for it to find that the drive is dead.
> 
> 

I have a number of data cassette tapes still in original packaging. A maxell 
CS-600XD says 600feet length, 16,000ftpi and D/CAS-86 compatible. Have no 
idea what that means. 
--  
Antique Computer Virtual Museum
www.nothingtodo.org

---

From: chris <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri May 16 10:38:10 2003

>I found a little information that may give a cluue.  Go to
>
>    http://www.cybergenetic.ca/ebook/wrh13.htm
>
>and scroll down to the section headed "D/CAS".  My tapes have the big
>notch described.  I think the coercivity of these tapes is about 600
>oersteds (which makes them Class II); normal audio tape is about
>280-320 (Class I).

Interesting about that notch. I tried fitting an audio cassette tape in 
mine last night, and it inserted and allowed me to close the drive (flip 
the locking handle to the locked position). The link indicates that I 
shouldn't be able to close the drive without that notch being present.

I didn't examine the mechanism as it locked, so it is possible that it 
has a fail safe and although the handle showed locked, the transport in 
fact wasn't. Or of course, the previous owner may have forced it locked 
on an audio cassette and broken the transport. I guess I need to open the 
drive again tonight and take a look.

It does give me hope that you think the tape might be in the range on an 
Audio Class II tape. Those are easy and cheap to come by around here. The 
local Tower Records sells them in lengths from 30 minutes to 120 minutes, 
with all sorts of odd "match the CD" lengths in between. They are usually 
in the $1 to $5 each range depending on brand, quality, length, and 
number in a pack. I should take a look there tonight, I almost wouldn't 
be surprised if they sell D/CAS tapes (if they were used in audio 
equipment at any point, chances are Tower has a few of them).

-chris
<http://www.mythtech.net>