DLT's are not flying head technology. They are like 9trk, QIC, i think travan, colorado. The heads do not spin ( i had to think about it ), as the heads move up & down to change tracks. But the DLT 8000, now, also place the heads at an angle to tape direction, as well as going up and down. I dont even think there is an idler pully, just a tach. I'd like to know if there is 'continual' tension on the tape while it is loaded ( on a dlt )( Like that of a DEC Tape, or 9trk ) but I do not know.
But for whatever technology reasons the schemes that tape mechanisms have evolved, they all rely on knowing what 'state' that they are in. When you have a power outage, turn off the drive, lightning, whatever, you may find that the tape left inside the mechanism to be of little use to you. Quantum says dont do that, AND i'd bet that the legal staff of the other drive manufacturers will never certify that you will always recover a tape left inside the mechanism. Gene Heskett wrote: >> I'd love to see the tapes stored and used at or slightly below 50 > degrees F, and <50% relative humidity as the tape is many times > less abrasive then. Some TV stations have even gone so far as to > store their tapes in a small room adjacent to the control room > which is maintained in the 40 degree and <40% range. Everyting > lasts longer, a lot longer. But i suppose that if you needed a tape right away, you'd have to wait for the temp rise, otherwise ud get condensation on the kolder tapes. > > The tape makers themselves recommend it too, and have data to
