[rescue] VS80 DLT tape drive question

[Mr Ian Primus]

--- "Curtis H. Wilbar Jr." <rescue at hawkmountain.net>
wrote:

> The RS eraser.... NO GO !  I gave it 30 seconds on
> the top,
> 30 seconds on the bottom, I can still READ ! the
> tape....
> 

Hmm. I was afraid of that. Well, you need to find
something that puts out a stronger magnetic field than
the eraser you have. A TV degaussing coil might be a
good thing to try next. You can also make a tape
eraser out of a really big transformer. Simply find a
nice big heavy transformer, and knock all the
laminations out of it. Separate all the laminations
and line them up the same way. (they alternate, you
want to have them all pointing the same way). Stick it
all back together and hook up a mains cord. Wrap the
whole mess in duct tape. Instant bulk eraser. Don't
leave it on too long though.

> 
> What sort of bulk eraser would be required to do DLT
> tape ?
> 
> Or since DLT has been around long enough... just try
> finding used
> DLT8000 formatted media or unused media... ?

Any used media should be fine, you just need something
to erase it. Experiment with stuff that generates an
electromagnetic field, try making your own, etc.
Basically, just look for things with nice big coils of
wire.

Actually, perhaps you could use the magnet out of a
hard drive, mount it to a bracket on an old DLT4000
drive with a head problem (but will still load tape)
such that it will almost, but not quite, touch the
tape as it goes by. Load the tape, then unload it.
That _might_ do it. All you really need to do to get
the drive to recognize it and rewrite it is to screw
up the initial header at the BOT. That should work,
but no guarantees - I've never tried it.

Hmm, or maybe if you duct tape the cartridge to the
side of your car's alternator... <grin>

-Ian