[Milsurplus] RE: Transcription Disks

[mikea]

On Mon, Apr 29, 2002 at 09:14:12PM -0700, ed sharpe wrote:
> Greetings!
> 
> yes, 16 was a slow speed for transcription usage. if you really wanted some
> fidelity though you used  faster speeds.  the 16 would cover a longer period
> of time...
> sort of like the 3 speeds on a reel to reel tape  unit... fast sounds better
> slow covers more time..

Three, yes -- or more, or fewer. 

One Ampex instrumentation tape drive I used to maintain and use
had speeds from 15/16 ips through 120 ips. Of course, it also
filled an 84" high rack, weighed 450 pounds, and used 9200-foot
reels of 2" tape, and had a top end of about 1.5 MHz at 120 ips.
The tape path used air bearings throughout, and it was made like
a (rather large, heavy, but beautifully precise) Swiss watch.

And it was reel to reel. ;=)

-- 
Mike Andrews
mikea@mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin since 1964