Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ncar!gatech!mcnc!ecsgate!ecsvax!seals From: seals@uncecs.edu (Larry W. Seals) Newsgroups: comp.periphs.scsi Subject: Re: DAT versus 8mm Tape Summary: Taking your chances... Message-ID: <1990Nov16.142537.3571@uncecs.edu> Date: 16 Nov 90 14:25:37 GMT References: <272DB1E1.9737@orion.oac.uci.edu> <9850005@hpcpbla.HP.COM> Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service Lines: 24 As to taking your chances with non-Exabyte tapes: We received several recommendations from other sites on our choice of 8mm tapes to use instead of Exabyte (we objected to the price too). The general opinion favored Sony P6-120MP tapes. On the strength of these, we purchased 3 boxes (30 tapes) and proceeded to rotate them into our backup cycle. We realized our mistake when we lost 10 tapes out of the first 20 (picked from different boxes). It was quite disconcerting to come in to work and find that the backup had crashed during the night. Our field service tech looked over the problem and said that while he could adjust the unit and we could reduce the error tolerance threshold on the backup software, he wouldn't recommend it. He also advised against re-using any of the tapes said that failed. So maybe now I'll invest in said that 8mm camcorder I've been looking at. I've got plenty of tape to use. *********************************************************************** Larry Seals @ Trailing Edge Software - "When it doesn't have to be the very best!" "If Pro is the opposite of Con, what is Congress the opposite of?" ***********************************************************************