ConvertaQuad-style

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winopener

2K Club - QQ Super Nova
Since 2002/2003
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
4,208
Hi,
got some tapes with that kind of shell - same notch as Q8 shells, but it is closed on the front. Is this something like the ConvertaQuad shells? Never seen a CQ, so i'm forced to ask.
 
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Not quite. The Columbia "Convert-a-Quad" blank recordables had a little white plastic doo-dad that slipped into the slot, effectively plugging it.
 
I have two of these. One has the "Fugs" the other is lost in one of those boxes over there. At any rate the Fugs is stereo. And I bet your tape is too.
 
I have a few convertaquad blanks. they can be used as stereo or quad recording tape. I figure the recording time will be half of what is listed though because you only get two times around versus 4 times around with stereo 8 tracks. Should I assume a new unwrapped tape is cued up and ready to go, or not?
 
You can only assume it is cued up if you see the sensing foil in the openings. Like any old tape that is unused for decades, it is wise to run it through once to redistribute the pack and make sure the tape stock isn't sticky and the foil is holding up well. The foil may drop off which gives you the opportunity to repair it so it won't fail mid-recording. Better decks tend to have a switch to allow you to eject the cartridge at the foil after 1 track or at the end of two/four tracks(with the latter, just choose track 2/4 manually then play or ffwd to end).
 
If your machine ate the tapes, clean the heads and drive system really well before you try any tapes again. Tapes get eaten because of a dirty and sticky tape path.
 
...with stereo 8 tracks. Should I assume a new unwrapped tape is cued up and ready to go, or not?
definitely not. the shells should be opened, tape tensioned checked, rotted pads replaced, sensing foil splice replaced, and preferably the roller and tape hubs cleaned and (very) lightly lubed. once that is done, the tape should be good for another half-century or so if kept in a stable hvac-controlled environment (assuming no damage preciously occurred, like tape shed from heat damage due to improper storage).
 
that's 2 brand new ones so far that the player started eating right away.
that is very common; probably due to 'wedding cake', wherein the inner part of the tape on the spool rises up from inside the tape pack and causes the tape to jam inside the shell. one should always do the maintenance first; once that is done, one can them jam the tape in the deck and roll :) obtw, having a tape 'eaten' is almost always the fault of the tape and not the deck.
 
Side note about sealed tapes - I bought about 8 old but still sealed 8tracks, they all needed work, like they'd been tumbled around over and over. Tape pulled up in a cone as described above so it wouldn't spool out, pack too tight or too loose, sometimes a loose bunch of tape ready to jam the moment it goes in a machine, etc etc.
 
I got a some sealed that had nasty wet swollen pinch rollers, I dried out one one of the rollers but was still too big. Had to break the capstan opening larger to get clearance for the swollen pinch roller to make this cart usable, still have 8 more of these. I've had 2 out of 4 nos tdk ad series carts which were loose inside and running slow, the hub splits into two pieces and has spring loaded locking mechanism so these were nightmare to repair but they are really good quality when working properly. Some tapes are safer to buy used.
 
furui_suterioo
Swollen pinch rollers are about to release deck-damaging liquified rubber goo! In my experience, that's when to open the tape and change the roller, before that stuff happens.
 
furui_suterioo
Swollen pinch rollers are about to release deck-damaging liquified rubber goo! In my experience, that's when to open the tape and change the roller, before that stuff happens.
The goo was already released inside the cart still wet. I actually let the roller dry out for about two weeks till there was no sign of moisture anymore so I think its safe now. I can't seem to find rollers of the same size though, might end up making them myself.
 
melted ampex rollers can be replaced with later rca rubber or plastic plastic rollers. grt 'module 8' melted rollers are a problem as they seem to be unique. there are repair tips on the interwebs; someone somewhere is making a rubber replacement that fits over the original grt m8 roller hub. 91% alcohol will clean up the melted roller goo nicely, but be careful as that stuff gets everywhere and is nasty.

for the tdk quad blanks, i choose to remove the entire braking mechanism. those tdk blanks do not like heat, but their raw tape stock is the best 8-track tape i've discovered.
 
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