[QuadList] quad videotape stock question

[Don Norwood]

Hi David:

Almost all quad tape is 1.5 mil except for a very small amout of 1.0 mil 
that was available at one time.  So the thickness is the same as 456 Audio 
tape which is also 1.5 mil.  It's very easy to confirm the thickness with a 
micrometer and it matches the specifications published by the manufacturers. 
Just to be double sure, I've looked at the old catalog sheets and the length 
of tape for quad or audio tape (1.5 mil) is the same for a given reel size.

There are differences among quad tapes as far as the flexibility of the base 
material.  For instance, Fuji seems stiffer to me than 3M 400, and some of 
the early brown oxide, non-backcoated tape (late 50's - early 60's) seems 
stiffer still.  I don't know how you measure the flexibility, it's just a 
feeling to me rather than something I can confirm, but the thickness is 
still the same on all of them.

Also, there's the vacuum guide position adjustment.  Way more range there 
than would be needed even if the tape were twice as thick as normal.  So not 
really certain what's going on with the tape you have, but unless it has 
SSS, it should run through the transport but just not work very well as far 
as performance is concerned.

Don Norwood
Digitrak Communications, Inc.
www.digitrakcom.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Dean" <dixie at westpoint.tv>
To: "'Quad List'" <quadlist at quadvideotapegroup.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 10:00 AM
Subject: Re: [QuadList] quad videotape stock question


>
> Hi Don
>
> I thought I had answered that with the durations of 15" reels, 1 hour for
> audio, 1.5 hours for video, I have been asked to transfer a roll of Ampex
> 456 Audio, and it is very noticeably less flexible as well as being a lot
> thicker. On a machine it does not work at all causing heads struggling to
> spin etc. I realized it was audio tape after 10 secs so no permanent 
> damage
> done.
>
> My 5 cents
>
> David Dean
> Westpoint Television
> Now with Snell Shakeout
> 0208 742 3400