Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!dimacs.rutgers.edu!rutgers!deejay!gear!cadlab!staff
From: staff@cadlab.sublink.ORG (Alex Martelli)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aix
Subject: 1/4" tapes (was: AIX3.1 InfoExplorer/man pages gone and 1/4" tape drive problem)
Message-ID: <297@cadlab.sublink.ORG>
Date: 24 Oct 90 15:10:22 GMT
References: <2667.2721ed38@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu>
Organization: CAD.LAB, Bologna, Italia
Lines: 18

pemurray@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu (Peter Murray) writes:
	...
>comes with the system.  I was under the impression that all 1/4" tape
>is the same.

It isn't - there's something called 'Flux Transitions per Inch' (ftpi)
rating, which varies; I know of two levels in common use.  You have
probably been using 'DC600'-like tapes (or 'DC300'-like, if only 300ft
long); try 'DC6150'-like tapes, with the higher ftpi rating.  I am no
quarter-inch-tape expert, but believe DC6150's WILL be usable on any
drive, although DC600's will be cheaper on older or cheaper drives
that will only use their lower allowable ftpi-rating anyway.

-- 
Alex Martelli - CAD.LAB s.p.a., v. Stalingrado 45, Bologna, Italia
Email: (work:) staff@cadlab.sublink.org, (home:) alex@am.sublink.org
Phone: (work:) ++39 (51) 371099, (home:) ++39 (51) 250434; 
Fax: ++39 (51) 366964 (work only; any time of day or night).