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Author Topic: An Unknown? Scotch 260?  (Read 6923 times)

Offline srjones10

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An Unknown? Scotch 260?
« on: December 14, 2014, 08:48:12 PM »
I ran across a box of sealed, unused tapes marked "Scotch 260," something I had never seen before. Is anyone familiar with this tape? I cannot find it on any of the usual sites of listings of Scotch/3M tapes. It is 1/4" x 2500' loaded on 10.5" NAB reel, apparently for audio use.

Thanks,

Steve

Offline ironbut

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Re: An Unknown? Scotch 260?
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2014, 02:47:28 PM »
Hey Steve,
Welcome to the forum.

I was looking at my listing of 3M reel to reel tape, and the numbers jump from 250 to 265.
250 was a pretty common audio tape and I have a number of reels (some sticky, some not so much). Some are 1/4" and some are 1/2" but they're all labeled 250.
In my list, the 265 is 1.05mil and is specified for "digital" (computers or early digital audio recorders I will guess since it was produced in 1977).
Now, the reason I mentioned the tape width before is that small number changes 141-142,154-156,295-296, for tapes introduced the same year, seem to indicate either differences in thickness and sometimes (but rarely) oxide type.
So, I would guess that it's "most likely" that it was the same tape as 265 but 2mil.

If you're super curious, you can check with the guys over on the Ampex list. You'd be amazed at the stuff those guys know (Bill Lunde (sp?) hangs there and he was in charge of some of the 3M tape formulations ).
steve koto
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Offline ironbut

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Re: An Unknown? Scotch 260?
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2014, 02:10:33 PM »
Steve,
I stumbled across the thread over on TapeHeads regarding this tape.
If you're asking about the one being sold on eBay, it's hardly worth the effort.
It would appear that this is some tape that Polyline put on a generic reel and was probably selling for low prices.
If it is 3M audio tape from that era, it will be backcoated and very likely to be one solid mass from sticky shed.
If you're thinking about buying it, it's a pretty expensive reel IMHO.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Scotch-recording-tape-on-10-5-Inch-metal-reels-new-old-stock-in-box-8-reels-/261701564029?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3ceea0f67d
steve koto
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Offline srjones10

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Re: An Unknown? Scotch 260?
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2014, 04:33:03 PM »
No plans to purchase, just curious about the type...