Category: accessible Devices
I have several audio and vhs cassettes that I want to erase. I've heard of bulk tape erasers which are basically electronic magnets and have even tried one once. I've also seen these two square nonelectric magnets that were designed for the same purpose but haven't tried them. So which is better and which brand would you recommend? I'd really like to keep this under $50, the cheaper the better. But I also want something that will completely erase the tape and that's easy to use.
I actually had some experience with that back when I worked at a radio station in Portland, Oregon. It was the local outlet, for lack of a better term, of National Public Radio. Specifically it was a subdivision of Oregon Public Broadcasting called Golden Hours, which catered mainly to senior citizens and people with disabilities. In fact you needed a special receiver to even listen to the station. But back when I worked with them they were still using those huge reel-to-reel tapes. These consisted of a roll of tape housed between two metal disks about the size of a record. Sometimes those tapes needed to be erased so they could be reused. So they had an eraser (probably one of the electronic ones you described). It consisted of a small, though somewhat heavy, wooden casing with a button on the front of it. You'd place the tape you wanted erased on top of the machine and then press and hold the button, rotating the tape a few times to be sure you covered every inch of it and completely erased the content. And though it might not have been strictly necessary I always flipped the tape over and repeated the process to make absolutely sure everything was completely erased. I know it could also do video cassettes as well, you just slid them across the machine. I would assume, though I never tried it, that it would be able to handle audiocassettes as well. Of course I couldn't tell you how much such a unit would run you, and GOlden Hours, if indeed they're still in business, dropped the reel-to-reel and video casette formats they had been using the year after I last worked there in favor of minidisks. I have no idea what they'd be using now, probably some form of digital media. Then again since their readers are mostly volunteers from the community who probably might still record onto cassettes I wouldn't know for sure.
Those can definitely erase regular audio cassettes if they're strong and large enough for reel to reel. The ones with wood are probably very expensive. But I'm sure there are some plastic versions out there now, some for desktop and use and some for hand use. Would you happen to remember the brand of the eraser?
No unfortunately, and I don't even think I asked. You're right though in that it was probably fairly spendy since it was mostly wood. The only other eraser I ever saw was just a little magnetic one that a vision teacher had where you just slid the tape through on both sides and it erased everything.
After stopping for awhile, I'm once again searching for a good eraser. I'd prefer something under $40 and handheld. Recently, I've also heard the term degausers. What, if anything, is the difference between those and bulk tape erasers? I've been looking on Google with no luck. Would the manual ones be considered bulk tape erasers? Also, I've heard that some erase not only audio and video tapes but 3.5 and 5.25 floppy disks as well. Some even work with hard disks! But I'm sticking to the basics on here...
Well the way I understand it is that any magnet with a strong enough pull could erase or at the least damage the material on tapes or disks. I'm no expert since I never really had the nerve to try it.
I think I got it! What I need is a neodymium magnet. I read on a forum that these will erase a audiocassette or vhs within a matter of seconds! And They're also great for floppy disks. The following site was recommended due to their low cost, which, even after four years, still holds. it may take a minute to load.
http://www.magnet4less.com/index.php?cPath=1&gclid=CKiGgvDUxKQCFZxo5Qod2n4UjA
The person on the forum used the cube, which comes with three stackable magnets, but the above page has several types and some are cheaper than others. Still, the prices aren't different enough to seriously affect which one I buy but I am curious which is the best for the task. Does the size of the magnets matter? That is, since I'll be deleting audio and video tapes, should I get bigger ones? In any case, $10 is a hell of alot better than $300 or even a $10 tape eraser that has to be turned off for 20 minutes at a time.
i have a tape eraser sitting around here collecting dust .. know nothing about it other than its a big square or rectangular thang with a handle and a button you press when u hold it against atape for a second or two to erase it. don't remember if it needs to be plugged in.
Would you be willing to sell it or at least to see about the brand and model so that I can look for it online? And would those magnets damage the tape in undesirable ways, so that it might not play once recorded on again for example, or will it just delete whatever is on it?
yeh i will sell it i'd have to look up the brand and waht not though to let you know mroe. never used it but supposed to just be for erasing not for making it unusuable
Well, I certainly don't want to make my tapes unusable. *smile* I want to erase them cleanly so that they can be reused, or if they're really in bad condition, thrown out.