ajs@hpfcla.UUCP (ajs) (03/01/85)
There was recent discussion on this, but I didn't see a complete answer.
So, I'll ask an old question a new way:
What's the best way to store video (and other) mag tapes, to protect them
from corruption due to magnetic fields?
In addition to putting them in something airtight (like a ziplock bag),
should you also wrap them in metal foil? If so, is there one type of
foil which protects against both static magnetic fields (from permanent
magnets) and alternating electromagnetic fields (say, from motors)?
I'm not looking for a 100% solution or a treatise on physics, just an
answer which is sufficient in practice. (Doesn't have to survive the
EMP from a nuclear blast, for instance :-)
I saw a mention of mu-metal, whatever that is. Would plain steel foil
be sufficient for both purposes? Is aluminum foil good for stopping
either type of contamination?
Please post your responses if you like; I don't expect too many.
Thanks,
Alan Silverstein, Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Systems Division, Colorado
{ihnp4 | hplabs}!hpfcla!ajs, 303-226-3800 x3053, N 40 31'31" W 105 00'43"fish@ihlpg.UUCP (Bob Fishell) (03/13/85)
> What's the best way to store video (and other) mag tapes, to protect them > from corruption due to magnetic fields? > > In addition to putting them in something airtight (like a ziplock bag), > should you also wrap them in metal foil? I have had no trouble with storing my videocassettes, audio cassettes, and open-reel tapes in the containers provided by the manufacturers. You DO have to be mindful of where magnetic fields are in your home, so you can keep your tapes well away from them. TV sets and video monitors emanate magnetic fields, as do loudspeakers and many kinds of motors. Ordinarily, keeping tapes four or five feet away from such sources will keep them safe. /_\_ Bob Fishell ihnp4!ihlpg!fish