UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > Specific Vintage Equipment > Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players

Notices

Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 6th Oct 2017, 8:08 am   #1
jascha
Hexode
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Kent, UK.
Posts: 332
Default Reel to Reel tape identification help!

Hi everyone,

I received 2 5" tapes today still sealed in their bag and would like to know what brand they are please. I never came across this tape before and have seen most of them probably by now, but not this one. The backcoating is a pink colour but it's not AFGA PER525 as there's no print on it. The tape is Standard play tape. I attach photos of course. Could it be zonal? The boxes are blue with no writing on them! Strange one!

Thanks guys
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8868.jpg
Views:	184
Size:	58.9 KB
ID:	150395   Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8869.jpg
Views:	174
Size:	40.7 KB
ID:	150396   Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8870.jpg
Views:	266
Size:	48.8 KB
ID:	150397   Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_8871.jpg
Views:	197
Size:	27.6 KB
ID:	150398  
jascha is offline  
Old 6th Oct 2017, 9:39 am   #2
Marotick
Triode
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Posts: 15
Default Re: Reel to Reel tape identification help!

The reel looks like Scotch.
Jack
Marotick is offline  
Old 6th Oct 2017, 9:44 am   #3
cheerfulcharlie
Heptode
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK.
Posts: 708
Default Re: Reel to Reel tape identification help!

They could be tapes used by the radio and TV industry for sound location recording..before digital?

These industries obviously used vast amounts of tapes and therefore brand identity was not important..but Zonal was one manufacturer they used.

The radio industry tended to use them in their Uhers while TV used them in their Nagras.
There is still plenty of NOS still around and if they are as stated they will have been made to a spec and be very good quality.
cheerfulcharlie is offline  
Old 6th Oct 2017, 10:49 am   #4
Ted Kendall
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 3,657
Default Re: Reel to Reel tape identification help!

The batch codes, box colour and reels indicate Zonal 675. This was BBC type 200, equivalent to Agfa 468. Odd to see a pink back coat, but the mirror finish to the oxide puts it later than the type 100 Zonal.
Ted Kendall is online now  
Old 6th Oct 2017, 11:16 am   #5
jascha
Hexode
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Kent, UK.
Posts: 332
Default Re: Reel to Reel tape identification help!

Wow! Where does this info come from? I took a guess that it was Zonal but pink? It's a new one to me! I shall test it against BASF 468 and see how it performs bias-wise! I have a Zonal tape that's blue. I have not come across BBC type 200 so far and Google is not giving me much info either. Many thanks guys
jascha is offline  
Old 7th Oct 2017, 8:33 pm   #6
Tractorfan
Dekatron
 
Tractorfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.)
Posts: 3,177
Smile Re: Reel to Reel tape identification help!

Hi,
A friend of mine used to work for the Beeb at Bush House and used coloured tape a lot. I have a reel of green matt backed tape and some blue.
Cheers, Pete.
__________________
"Hello?, Yes, I'm on the train, I might lose the signal soon as we're just going into a tunn..."
Tractorfan is offline  
Old 8th Oct 2017, 7:29 am   #7
Ted Kendall
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 3,657
Default Re: Reel to Reel tape identification help!

The green stuff is Scotch 262 and the blue one of the Racal products, both BBC Type 102.
Ted Kendall is online now  
Old 8th Oct 2017, 8:51 am   #8
jascha
Hexode
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Kent, UK.
Posts: 332
Default Re: Reel to Reel tape identification help!

These forums are wonderful. One can wind the clock back anytime! I too have the Green & Blue stuff. The Green stuff was also used a lot by Italian Rai Radio as some of mine came indirectly from there. Did the BBC have any other types than the ones mentioned here? I know they used also the Black Zonal 675 & Agfa PEM468. Any other coloured backcoated tape that one knows of? I can mention the Yellow BASF PES40 & Turquoise BASF LGR40 (that have no printing on them).
jascha is offline  
Old 8th Oct 2017, 9:38 pm   #9
jamesperrett
Octode
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Liss, Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 1,870
Default Re: Reel to Reel tape identification help!

Quote:
Did the BBC have any other types than the ones mentioned here?
I have a few location recordings for Tomorrow's World from the 1970's which are on Scotch 207 (just a standard black back coating though).
jamesperrett is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:42 am.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.