🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Dec30.071318.8763@mel.dit.csiro.au> gre253@mis.csiro.au (Steven Green (+61 6 276 6813)) writes:
> In article <1992Dec20.001558.7861@iitmax.iit.edu> tranhun1@elof.iit.edu (Hung Q. Tran) writes:
> >
> >I always see the 100-110 minute tapes usually cheaper than the 90 
> >minute tapes.   Are they necessarily delicate?  What difference
> >is there between the quality of a 90 min tape and a 100 min tape.
> >
> >thanks tran

> I've been using TDK MA-110's for a little while now. My impressions to date
> have been _very_ good. They reproduce brilliantly and seem fairly robust.
> I've used quite a few in my car and the handly the wear-and-tear of that
> environment without any problems.

On the other hand, I've had problems with the MA-110's in both car
and my old Kenwood deck at work.  I'd guess it's basically a question
of how good of shape your decks are in.  If you get a clean wind on
the cartridge and the deck is running good, with no slippery old
belts then you should have no problems.  If the tape doesn't wind up
smoothly or the deck doesn't have enough clean torque, you may hear
that draggy action or extra wow/flutter towards the end of the tapes.

Expecially with auto tape players and portables, the safest bet is
still using 60-70-90 minute tapes.  If you want to use longer tapes,
get a few and beat on them for a week or two.  You may find that
they work nice the first couple times and then go downhill as the
tape winds less cleanly and drags more...

As far as quality, the old story was that most > 90 minute tapes
were only available in TYPE I (standard oxide), but with the CD era
you can get high-bias and metal tapes in extended length.  They
still have to use a thinner base, so in addition to the mechanical
issues, there may still be an issue with print-thru.

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,     work:   to be avoided at all costs...
but no way officially representing:   uucp:   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
Commodore, Engineering Department     domain: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com