RE: [AV Media Matters] Regular winding/rewinding of tape and film

[clarkjc@jmu.edu]

Okay, Jim & Jim and everybody.

Now that this one is on the table, I have a related
question--unless it's covered in your answer and I simply
didn't understand it.

I've been led to believe that another(?) reason for
rewinding tapes periodically is to leseen/avoid
"print through" of the signal between adjacent layers (at
least on audio tapes).

Is this actually a separate issue to be concerned with--or
no more likely in backcoated tapes that don't receive
periodic rewinding?

Thanks in advance,

Jeff
**********
Jeff Clark
Director
Media Resources (MSC 1701)
James Madison University
clarkjc@jmu.edu
540-568-6770 (voice)
540-568-3405 (fax)

On Mon, 14 Jun 1999 14:19:22 -0700 Jim Wheeler
<Jimwheeler@aol.com> wrote:

>
>The idea of rewinding tapes every six months or so came from a report
written
>for NASA around 1960.  In my 40 years of experience as a tape engineer, I
>have never seen anything to support rewinding.
>
>In a study that Ampex made for the U.S. Air Force in 1978, we concluded
that
>backcoated tapes did not require rewinding.  For non-backcoated tapes
stored
>at a low temperature, rewinding was not required.
>
>If you properly rewind the tape when you first put it in your archive AND
>your archive is cool and dry, I believe you should never rewind it.
>
>The reason the old report recommended rewinding tapes was to prevent
>layer-to-layer blocking and pack distortions.  The 1978 study showed me
that
>blocking does not occur if the tape tensions are not excessively high and
>pack distortions can be countered.
>
>Jim Wheeler
>
>Moderators Comment:
>I fully agree with the other Jim on this (wow). My experience is that if
>periodic rewinding is done it is normally done with the worst piece of
>equipment in the facility - the one most likely to have been beaten to
>death in an editing facility, worn guides, and not able to work in a more
>profitable way - and therefore sent to rewind purgatory.  Often using this
>type of equipment will create more damage then if things were left alone.
>My feeling is - "if it ain't broke don't fix it".... if a tape is examined
>and determined to have a bad wind, then it should be corrected on a
>properly working machine in good repair - otherwise it should be left alone.
>
>jim
>
>
>
>