Data Casettes?

[Startropic1]

Can data be written to modern blank audio cassettes with the data cassette deck?

[nbla000]

I think so.

[DanSolo]

It certainly has worked fine on the C64 with everything I bought up until about 2 or 3 years ago when they stopped selling them in my town.

[English Invader]

Yes, plain audio cassettes work just fine. I used them when I was just starting out with the VIC last year.

You can find them on eBay easily enough.

[Mayhem]

Just don't make them too big, it strains the tape motors. Try for C30 and less...

[OBSysteme]

I've hear reccomendations on avoiding C90 or longer tapes for the reason that the tape band is too thin and might make the programs unreadable with age ? If you plan an everlasting relationship with you Vic-20, avoid C-90 and over tapes ?

Nice remark on the over C-30 tapes and the motor issue, I never realised that.

I guess C-60 tapes would not be so bad if they are high quality cassettes with a minimum of friction (top-cassette-case designs) ?

[folkoh]

I've hear reccomendations on avoiding C90 or longer tapes for the reason that the tape band is too thin and might make the programs unreadable with age ? If you plan an everlasting relationship with you Vic-20, avoid C-90 and over tapes ?

Nice remark on the over C-30 tapes and the motor issue, I never realised that.

I guess C-60 tapes would not be so bad if they are high quality cassettes with a minimum of friction (top-cassette-case designs) ?

Ahem. One comment from the peanut gallery.

I've used only C-60 and C-90 tapes back in 1982, because my pocket money did not allow to buy all these C-15 and C-30 tapes "designed for the special use with the datasette". The industry wanted us to buy expensive short "data-tapes" and the reasons they gave us were the same mentioned here.

All I can say is: My C-60 and C-90 tapes have always worked fine, even after many many years and so does my 28 year old datasette. Just don't use chromdioxide tapes, they lead to load errors after some time of using them.

No worries,

Folko

[OBSysteme]

Folkoh: thanks for the insight !

[Boray]

Can data be written to modern blank audio cassettes with the data cassette deck?

Why wouldn't it?

[OBSysteme]

I love programs on cassettes, they are so durable, despite what people say.

I rescued at least 700 floppies so far, from people storing them in horrible conditions and many are rotten, but all old cassettes i've found always worked.

[orion70]

I agree. I read somewhere - can't remember exactly where - that despite its reputation, tape is one of the most affordable and durable media.

[bokvamme]

My experience doing tape dumps are that tapes (Only vic-20/c64 tapes tested/dumped) are very durable IF you have a c2n that is cleaned / aligned and you store the tapes in a not too damp/moist environment and a tempurature that don't vary too much over short intervals.
Personally I think tape is a better media than floppy disk for durability.