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100.36.131.73
I have a bunch of reel tapes (80, actually) coming. Hopefully they should be delivered in the next couple of days. Don't know for sure exactly what's in the shipment, but there are at least some commercial two tracks in there. It's been extremely cold here in DC (yes, I know, it's even colder elsewhere) with single digit temps at night. Common sense is telling me that if the tapes are extremely cold when I get them, I probably should wait 24 hours (or more?) to let them acclimate gradually before I go fooling around with them. I would be particularly worried about the 2 tracks breaking, since they can be so fragile. Any experience or advice regarding this would be greatly appreciated. They're going to be pretty cold if they sit on the truck overnight. They're coming USPS.
I'll post an update when I get them. There may or may not be some interesting things in there. I kind of took a flyer on this one. I hope my gut was right!
Follow Ups:
Personal experience (with cassettes back in the 80's/early 90's) was to let them acclimate to room temp overnight- any condensation, etc. will have dried by morning.
I do the same with any gear/kits/parts that I have delivered, even in the summer- I let them warm/cool to room temp overnight before even attempting to use them...
Dman
Analog Junkie
Two things, in no particular order:
1. Let them come to room temperature gradually.
2. Separate the acetate from the polyester.
3. Separate the back-coated polyester from the non.
4. Bake the back-coated at 133 degrees F for four hours.
5. Don't do anything with the acetate except on a VERY gentle transport.
Ok, that's three extras. You're welcome.
:)
If he damned things ever show up, that's about what I plan to do. I'm mostly worried about the two tracks. That's a good point about not starting and stopping them except on the leader tape. The transport on my deck is quite gentle. I've played lots of old 2 tracks, and to this point, the times that tapes have broken all turned out to be the result of old splices that failed (knocking on wood here!).
It sounds like you expect some to be acetate (2 tracks).
If so, you should always be very careful on the first play of those but that can really be said about any old tape that's important to you.
Put lots of leader at the ends so there is no stop/start while the older tape is being played.
In general, regarding temp. extremes, you should be careful not to store tapes where temperatures swing a lot.
The main reason is the strain it puts on the tape pack.
The expansion and contraction of the tape pack which occurs with temperature swings will loosen and tighten the pack. With acetate backed tape, this can lead to edge curling or in extreme cases, tape breakage.
With poly backed tape, it can cause slight stretching usually at the beginning (if the hold down tape is secure).
The best reason to let them warm up, I'd opine, would be to eliminate any condensation on the tape.
That said, thermal equilibrium is always a good thing...
all the best,
mrh
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