Nice ½” Calibration Tape

  • Thread starter Thread starter Beck
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Beck

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This seller has a TEAC YTT-1144 calibration tape -- very hard to find. These tapes used to cost hundreds of dollars new when they were available.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290004829091

It says, “Free shipping” in the text of the listing, but has a shipping cost where eBay lists shipping. Grab it before he changes the text! :D (he probably just forgot to zero the shipping from a previous listing... ebay saves it).

It will work on everything from the TEAC 80-8 to the TASCAM MSR-16, Fostex B/E/G 16 models and Otari MX5050/8… anything ½”, 15 ips with IEC equalization.

This is nearly identical to MRL 31J229, which is currently $210.00 new.

Here’s the rub… from the serial number it has to be from around 1980. This means a likely sticky-shed issue. However, this is one area that baking a tape for current/future use makes sense. Once it’s restored it will work properly. In a home/project studio you won’t need to check your machine more than once a year. Even if you have to bake this tape 4 hours once a year this is a good deal.

I bought one of these dated 1981 out of curiosity some time ago. I baked it in my Snackmaster dehydrator and it worked flawlessly. My TSR-8 was setup with a new and very pricey MRL calibration tape, but when I checked it with my 25-year old TEAC tape it was dead on perfect.

So if you’re on a budget and have discovered the joys of baking, this might be something to consider. :)
 
What kind of hub is that? It doesn't look like it has the regular center hole.
 
what's all this talk of baking tapes? excuse my ignorance. tape gets sticky after being stored for long periods of time?
 
Some Ampex tapes made during certain years do. They have a problem known as "sticky shed" where they will goo up your tape deck. The problem can be solved by baking them.
 
SteveMac said:
What kind of hub is that? It doesn't look like it has the regular center hole.
Click to expand...

That’s just the aluminum center of the box. The tape has a standard NAB hub like you get with current Quantegy tapes, but the reel is only 8-inches in diameter, which also makes it look different.

Here’s a better picture with the hub moved off of the center holder.

:)
 

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price: US $65.00
Buyer: kts1257
Ended: Jul-06-06 15:00:19 PDT
Shipping costs: US $11.40
UPS Ground
...

A pretty good deal, eh?.......... ;)
 
TravisinFlorida said:
what's all this talk of baking tapes? excuse my ignorance. tape gets sticky after being stored for long periods of time?
Click to expand...

We've discussed it here from time to time... search for "sticky" under my user name. Here’s a link to one of the better-known sticky-shed sites. By the way, Ciletti updated it this year after I emailed him about the perils of spooling before baking, rather than the other way 'round. I'm not in complete agreement with his procedure, but the advice to bake just enough to spool the tape is better than before.

Baking unevenly spooled tape doesn’t trouble me because the whole pancake loosens and falls to the bottom reel flange during the process.

http://www.tangible-technology.com/tape/baking1.html

:)
 
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Speaking of which,...

if/when I get my 38 up & running (needs mil-spec adjustment of the right reel-table), I've determined that most of my tapes from the early 80's need baking. I've been resistant about the tape-baking idea, but it may be the best thing for these marginal tapes now.

I've been thinking about getting some sort of food dehydrator at Walmart, as was discussed about 2 years ago, by Beck, Ghost & others. I think I'm almost ready to do it!!

There's no good excuse why my 38's been down for years with a minor adjustment, but that I'm "lazy" and I've lost some of my focus on my many "fixit" items in the past couple years. I don't feel I have a lot of time for fixit projects any more, but I should fix my 2 Tascam 38's and get back on "track".

One 38 needs a mil-spec adjustment of the reel table. My other 38 just needs a record-amp calibration,... (as the other calibrations were done to that point, a long, long, long time ago). In fact, I may touch up all the calibrations, from end-to-end,... but if only to find the time!!!

I also struggle to find time to "tinker" around on my instruments, and "producing" any recording of tangible value is currently just out of my reach. I have my stuff staged & almost ready to go on projects,... but I'll admit,... I'm often creatively blocked & I have a "motivation" issue on certain things.

Anyway,... Walmart,... here I come!!!!

/DA
 
Snackmaster Express,... here I come!!!

Do you think that dehydrator would work for multiple tapes in one pass? It looks big enough to hold about 4 reels (with vertical spacing). What'd'ya think,... single-tape-bake or multiple-reels-simul-bake???

Yeah, music, recording, fixit projects & motivation. I'm trying to get it together! I often still pick up the guitar (almost daily) just to "tinker", but the more highly concieved "production" is just beyond my energy & focus right now. I'm slowly moving back to "production" mode again,... surely. A little here & a little there is okay. It doesn't have to be an "epic" masterpiece or anything,... just something to set the reels spinning again!!! Cassettes too,... let's not forget cassette 4/8-trackin'! I'm into it all. Gosh,... can't forget the "new" 1"-16-track I still need to set up & put through it's paces!!!

That,... and more!!!

Aah, so much gear and so little time!!!!! :eek: :rolleyes: ;)


Thanx again!!
 
Beck said:
That’s just the aluminum center of the box. The tape has a standard NAB hub like you get with current Quantegy tapes, but the reel is only 8-inches in diameter, which also makes it look different.

Here’s a better picture with the hub moved off of the center holder.

:)
Click to expand...


Ohh, OK ;)
 
With the stock unit I would do two 1/2-inch reels at a time, but you can buy extra trays, which I did so I could do more. I keep every other tray empty for good air circulation. Same for 1-inch reels, but for 1/4-inch reels it would be ok to put one on each tray.

In the last year I’ve dumped some hobbies so I can concentrate on fewer things. It’s been brutal – most of my ham radio stuff and wind generators, etc sold on eBay. :(

I had to just start selling or tossing things I hadn’t really used in years. I keep thinking I might use this or that someday, but that day never comes.

It’s tough deciding what you must do when you can do many things.
 
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Yeah, no doubt.

Thanx again!................ ;)
 
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