I think the participants on this thread were being humorous as well as I
am right now.  However this poses the old entropy problem.  If ALL the
capstans were manufactured before a certain date, then there will come a
time whan ALL of them will have gone bad.

Assuming that they don't make new ones anymore AND there is no madcap used
equipment reseller that keeps an infinite supply in hermetically sealed
entropy proof containers.  Wherefore then, will you get one that you can
use when they have all gone bad?

(This parallels an old Arthur C. Clarke science fiction short story.
What will mankind do when all the stars have burnt out?)

On Mon, 21 Sep 1998, Tony van Muyden wrote:

> Sorry everyone to butt in to this thread. But I could not resist.
> To use anything else like the original rubber on the tapedrive capstans
> is not a solution for a fix. the best solution is to repair the drive
> with an original capstan wheel !  Our experience shows that by using
> anything else, the drive will make a noise like a jackhammer when it
> moves tape, due to the uneven surface. The similar effect can be
> observed if clients leave their tapes in the drives !  Yes it also
> applies to any tapedrive like DDS's ! Never, ever leave, tapes in drive
> longer than absolutely necessary, as it is very hard on the drive, as
> our repair experience has shown. Just my CDN $ 5.00 worth of advice.
> :-).
>
> Tony van Muyden @ eurodata.ca   EMail= tonyvm @ eurodata.ca
> The impossible is simply not possible (TM)(C) (Anthony van Muyden 1949-
> )
> My comments,views are my very own and do not reresent etc., etc.
>

Tracy Johnson
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