[rescue] bulk erasing DLT tapes (or, more specifically, NOT)

[Robert Darlington]

I have about 400 DLT tapes if you guys want them.  I upgraded to
DLT-S4.  No more weekly backups taking 9 days to complete across 12
tapes in an 8 tape changer.  I went from 9 days for a weekly backup to
35 hours when I moved to the new drive.  Weekly backups now fit on 1
tape.  This is now down to 12 hrs 45 minutes with most of the data
moved to a new server, and I imagine I'll get this down to 5 or 6
hours once the new tape drive is attached to the file server instead
of copying it across the network.  Damn HP u320 card doesn't want to
talk to the Quantum tape changer for very long.   Time to buy an
Adaptec I think.

-Bob

On Jan 19, 2008 4:41 PM, Curtis H. Wilbar Jr. <rescue at hawkmountain.net> wrote:
> Ethan O'Toole wrote:
> >> I don't see how a chipper-shredder would help Curtis reuse his media.
> >>
> >
> > If you bulk erase DLT tapes, they won't ever work again... will they? I
> > thought there is header and info on the tape that if erased will cause the
> > drive to reject the tape.
> >
>
> DLT is bulk erasable.  one of SDLT or LTO is too (one uses optical
> tracking on the
> back side of the tape, the other uses magnetic tracking written on the
> tape... a bulk
> erase being fatal to the latter of course... via wikipedia you can find
> out which uses
> optical tracking vs magnetic tracking).
>
> If Patrick has a degausser that draws 12A and works fine, then mine
> should be
> around the same size.... what's the deal with mine not erasing... <sigh>.
>
> "Real" (professional) degaussers rated for DLT cost thousands....  (I
> could buy a lot
> of tapes for that price... new even....).  Anything I've found on the
> used market so
> far has either no published specs to determine if it should do DLT.  I'm
> thinking of
> taking the plastic 'top' off so I can get the tape closer to the magent
> ("big honkin
> transformer" (with only a primary winding :-) )).
>
> -- Curt
>
>
> >
> >
> > --
> > Ethan O'Toole
> > My flickr photos  : http://www.flickr.com/photos/ethanotoole
> > My youtube videos : www.youtube.com/user/telmnstr
> > My Homepage       : users.757.org/~ethan
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