TK50 tapes for "free"

From: Jerome Fine <jhfine_at_idirect.com>
Date: Mon Nov 6 17:40:05 2000

>Chuck McManis wrote:

> I've got about 20 TK50 tapes that are available for no cost. The catch is
> that they are in Sunnyvale CA and if you can't come pick them up then
> you'll need to pay postage to your address. These tapes have been bulk
> erased and can be used in either the TK50 (95MB) or the TK70 (295MB) tape
> drive, the caveat is that if you initialize one on a TK50 drive, then the
> TK70 will read it but not write it, if you initialize it on the TK70 drive
> then the TK50 won't be able to read it. I refer you back to the archives to
> refresh your memory that magnetically the specs for CompacTape I and
> CompacTape II are identical.

Jerome Fine replies:

About a year ago, I acquired a number of TK50 tapes which I also bulk
erased so that I could use them as TK70 tapes. I am pleased to say that
the experience has been positive, although I have not had occasion to
use the tapes as much as I had hoped. So much for future plans.

Also, a few of the tapes I acquired were totally blank, so I was immediately
able to use them in a TK70. So much for DEC saying that the TK70
must use a CompacTape II - OK, DEC never actually said that, they
just say that such and such is the only media they sell for the TK70.

However, while we are on this same topic, I thought I might ask?

If a tape is used in the TK70 for writing - which means that the TK50 will
not be able to read the data - is it still possible to put the tape in a TK50
drive and start using it as a TK50 tape? Namely, does the TK50 drive
object to using a tape that has been written upon in a TK70 drive?

I will try it out myself, but if I know what to expect (namely that some
TK50 drives can't do it - or perhaps all of them), then I will not keep
messing up good TK70 tapes which now also can't be used in a TK50.

Sincerely yours,

Jerome Fine
Received on Mon Nov 06 2000 - 17:40:05 GMT