Grundig TB53 Test tape?

[mole42uk]

Does anyone know where I might be able to find a copy of the Grundig TB53 Test Tape?
It's specified in the Service Manual for the Grundig Reporter 500.

[camtechman]

It may be worth a request in the "Wanted" section.

[Ted Kendall]

Getting an original is highly unlikely, I should have thought. In what context is it used - azimuth, level, frequency response?

[mole42uk]

All of the above! TB53 has frequencies at 10,000 / 6,000 / 1,000 / 500 and 60 c/s all recorded "at a level of -15dB" using BASF LGH or LGS tape.

I have just bought an original Grundig Service Manual for the Reporter 500L/700L and Console 700C which has instructions for making tape TB53 but I remember there is something weird about these recorders, ISTR they record half-track on the lower half of the 1/4" tape. The manual supprts this by noting: "Always make sure that the bottom edge of the tape lines up with the bottom edge of the pole pieces of the Recording/Reproducing Head, and that the pole pieces of the Erase Head overlap 0.1mm below the edge of the tape."

Maybe if I could get a test tape recorded on a full-track machine, that would make the azimuth adjustment possible, or am I being too picky?

[brenellic2000]

Is the comment re aligning the bottom edge because the original German format was left to right upper track rather than the US/UK International left-right upper track of today?

[Ted Kendall]

OK - it's basically a squeak tape, and at that age would probably be 100uS characteristic. The closest thing to a reference level in Europe at that time would have been 320nW/m, so it should be possible to come up with a reasonable facsimile. White noise is sometimes quicker for azimuthing a mono head.

The 500/700 series did indeed record on the bottom track, although many were subsequently converted to the international top-track standard in this country.

[mole42uk]

Originally Posted by Ted Kendall

OK - it's basically a squeak tape, and at that age would probably be 100uS characteristic. The closest thing to a reference level in Europe at that time would have been 320nW/m,

ISTR something like the squeak tape when I was at the Beeb back in the 70's although I wasn't allowed to do any alignment!

Where could I get a reference tape these days, would anyone on here be able to make one? Maybe with white noise as well? Would a full-track recording work for head gap alignment, I think it would but it's a long time since I thought I knew everything about tape recorders!

Originally Posted by Ted Kendall

The 500/700 series did indeed record on the bottom track, although many were subsequently converted to the international top-track standard in this country.

The recorder in question was bought new by my parents and hadn't left the house until it was passed on to me so I'll be pretty sure that the heads haven't been converted.