I have a Compaq (rebranded Sony) DDS-4/DAT40 autoloader in which until
now I have used only Sony tapes. These have never needed to be
retensioned or initialized before use, but none of the tapes in a
package of Fuji DDS-4 cartridges I just opened would work ("media
fault") until I retensioned and initialized them.
Since it now about time to pension off all my old tapes, I checked the
prices of replacements and found that IBM 59H4456 or Compaq/HP 152842
are the cheapest (both the same price and much cheaper than Sony) if I
buy a pack of 20 or 50. Dell 09W083 are a little more but still much
cheaper than Sony.
Do some brands of tape need to be retensioned and initialized before
use? Is there any reason not to use the IBM- or HP/Compaq-branded tapes
(probably made for them by somebody else anyway)?
"Percival P. Cassidy" wrote:
>
> I have a Compaq (rebranded Sony) DDS-4/DAT40 autoloader in which until
> now I have used only Sony tapes. These have never needed to be
> retensioned or initialized before use, but none of the tapes in a
> package of Fuji DDS-4 cartridges I just opened would work ("media
> fault") until I retensioned and initialized them.
DDS tapes don't support retensioning. The drive have a motor on each
reel and on the capstan, it can always directly control the tension of
the tape. Retensioning is only required for the QIC/Travan/SLR
technology where _both_ reels are driven indirectly by a single motor
via a belt.
> Since it now about time to pension off all my old tapes, I checked the
> prices of replacements and found that IBM 59H4456 or Compaq/HP 152842
> are the cheapest (both the same price and much cheaper than Sony) if I
> buy a pack of 20 or 50. Dell 09W083 are a little more but still much
> cheaper than Sony.
>
> Do some brands of tape need to be retensioned and initialized before
> use? Is there any reason not to use the IBM- or HP/Compaq-branded tapes
> (probably made for them by somebody else anyway)?
I know the issue that some DDS media need to be initialized before the
first use ("mt erase" have done the job for me). IMHO this is a logical
problem (missing signature, TOC or whatever) and says nothing about the
quality of the media itself.
>> I have a Compaq (rebranded Sony) DDS-4/DAT40 autoloader in which until
>> now I have used only Sony tapes. These have never needed to be
>> retensioned or initialized before use, but none of the tapes in a
>> package of Fuji DDS-4 cartridges I just opened would work ("media
>> fault") until I retensioned and initialized them.
> DDS tapes don't support retensioning. The drive have a motor on each
> reel and on the capstan, it can always directly control the tension of
> the tape. Retensioning is only required for the QIC/Travan/SLR
> technology where _both_ reels are driven indirectly by a single motor
> via a belt.
>> Since it now about time to pension off all my old tapes, I checked the
>> prices of replacements and found that IBM 59H4456 or Compaq/HP 152842
>> are the cheapest (both the same price and much cheaper than Sony) if I
>> buy a pack of 20 or 50. Dell 09W083 are a little more but still much
>> cheaper than Sony.
>>
>> Do some brands of tape need to be retensioned and initialized before
>> use? Is there any reason not to use the IBM- or HP/Compaq-branded tapes
>> (probably made for them by somebody else anyway)?
> I know the issue that some DDS media need to be initialized before the
> first use ("mt erase" have done the job for me). IMHO this is a logical
> problem (missing signature, TOC or whatever) and says nothing about the
> quality of the media itself.
OK. Ich werde die IBM oder HP/Compaq cartridges kaufen. Danke sehr fuer
Ihre Hilfe.
"Percival P. Cassidy" <nobody@notmyISP.net> wrote in message
news:ESO0i.133$7u.106@newsfe03.lga...
> On 05/10/07 05:36 pm Michael Baeuerle wrote:
>
>>> I have a Compaq (rebranded Sony) DDS-4/DAT40 autoloader in which until
>>> now I have used only Sony tapes. These have never needed to be
>>> retensioned or initialized before use, but none of the tapes in a
>>> package of Fuji DDS-4 cartridges I just opened would work ("media
>>> fault") until I retensioned and initialized them.
>
> OK. Ich werde die IBM oder HP/Compaq cartridges kaufen. Danke sehr fuer
> Ihre Hilfe.
>
> Perce
IBM and HP do not manufacture their own media. There are only a few media
manufacturers in the world, such as Matsu****a, TDK and Sony. Fuji may do
their own tapes too. IBM and HP relabel tapes from any of these, and usually
use a dual-source policy. There's no guaranty that the tape you buy from
them today comes from the same manufacturer as the tape that you buy from
them tomorrow.
> I have a Compaq (rebranded Sony) DDS-4/DAT40 autoloader in which until
> now I have used only Sony tapes. These have never needed to be
> retensioned or initialized before use, but none of the tapes in a
> package of Fuji DDS-4 cartridges I just opened would work ("media
> fault") until I retensioned and initialized them.
>
> Since it now about time to pension off all my old tapes, I checked the
> prices of replacements and found that IBM 59H4456 or Compaq/HP 152842
> are the cheapest (both the same price and much cheaper than Sony) if I
> buy a pack of 20 or 50. Dell 09W083 are a little more but still much
> cheaper than Sony.
>
> Do some brands of tape need to be retensioned and initialized before
> use? Is there any reason not to use the IBM- or HP/Compaq-branded tapes
> (probably made for them by somebody else anyway)?
I bought 50 shrink-wrapped IBM-branded DDS-4 tapes ("Made in Japan",
"tested and packaged" in PRC). Some had the "shutter" open (but it could
be closed manually). Of the 20 I have tried so far, I have found one
that generated a "media fault" message after the drive had wound it to
and fro for 6 minutes (seemed as though it could not find its place),
but "initializing" seemed to fix the problem (wasn't necessary with others).
On Tue, 19 Jun 2007 10:51:52 -0400, Percival P. Cassidy
<nobody@notmyISP.net> wrote:
>On 05/08/07 05:10 pm Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>
>> I have a Compaq (rebranded Sony) DDS-4/DAT40 autoloader in which until
>> now I have used only Sony tapes. These have never needed to be
>> retensioned or initialized before use, but none of the tapes in a
>> package of Fuji DDS-4 cartridges I just opened would work ("media
>> fault") until I retensioned and initialized them.
I had the same issue with Fuji tapes in Sony drives and gave up on the
combo. In my Seagate Scorpion 40 drive, Fuji would work but Sony would
reproducably give media faults. Resorting to Seagate and HP tapes, all
is swell.
Go figure.
Cheers, S.
>> Since it now about time to pension off all my old tapes, I checked the
>> prices of replacements and found that IBM 59H4456 or Compaq/HP 152842
>> are the cheapest (both the same price and much cheaper than Sony) if I
>> buy a pack of 20 or 50. Dell 09W083 are a little more but still much
>> cheaper than Sony.
>>
>> Do some brands of tape need to be retensioned and initialized before
>> use? Is there any reason not to use the IBM- or HP/Compaq-branded tapes
>> (probably made for them by somebody else anyway)?
>
>
>I bought 50 shrink-wrapped IBM-branded DDS-4 tapes ("Made in Japan",
>"tested and packaged" in PRC). Some had the "shutter" open (but it could
>be closed manually). Of the 20 I have tried so far, I have found one
>that generated a "media fault" message after the drive had wound it to
>and fro for 6 minutes (seemed as though it could not find its place),
>but "initializing" seemed to fix the problem (wasn't necessary with others).
>
>Perce
DDS tapes: variations between brands? 
Linear Mode
