T3D Re: Storage

[Bob_Maxey@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

>>Unfortunately that's not so.  NASA has already lost much of the data
>>from the early space probes to bit rot because they no longer own
>>functioning tape drives (of the correct type) and can not purchase
>>them because the various manufacturers are long out of business and no
>>one else has functioning copies.  They have racks and racks of tapes
>>with the metal oxide literally flaking off that they will never be
>>able to read again, and could not read at the time they discovered
>>that the media was deteriorating due to lack of proper functioning
>>equipment.


Actually, Struder-Revox makes (or made) a tape transport that will handle
any tape. The last time I read about the drive it was used to recover data.
I do not doubt NASA has problems, but the engineer that installed equipment
in the now defunct Osmond Studios here in Utah, was part of the group that
installed equipment and provided personnel for the effort the National
Archives (?) went forward with some time ago. They recovered some of the
earliest tapes still in existence. I would think that with all the
collectors out there, they could have found someone to help.

I do agree that as time marches forward it will get harder and harder, so
if one is interested in saving data, they need to make sure they do so
before problems like oxides flake off.

If it is computer data, there is a bigger problem indeed. At least with
music, some loss is not exactly acceptable, but tolerable.

Incidentally, I have a problem with a bunch of old Transcription Records.
They measure 16 inches in diameter and were designed for radio stations.
They contain promotional materials, songs and other stuff. I still
occasionally look for a cheap turntable to play them on.

I think the best thing to do is keep the originals safe, make sure they are
processed properly and store digital copies as best as you can. As
technology improves, this will get easier. Hundreds of thousands of
computer users out there still use floppy disks and they might find issues
with degraded magnetic media in the future.

So what do I do with all those wire recordings?

RM



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End of TECH-3D Digest 536
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