"Richard Mace" wrote:

Hi,
I have recently picked up a SONY DAT machine and
I am looking for suitable tapes. Would I be able to use
DAT "computer data backup tapes" for example, the DAT72. If so, how much
recording time would they provide?

The computer tapes are generally longer than the audiotapes, and therefore thinner.
The audiodecks are calibrated for audiotapes, and the audiotapes are shorter and
therefore much thicker, so the computertapes will break. Buy them as short as
possible.

My machine is a SONY DTC55ES (Japanese domestic version, purchased in Japan)
This is similar to the DTC 700 but without the serial copy management stuff,
I believe.

DAT tapes were never cheap, not by any stretch of the word. If you plan to use only
computertapes, it would be beneficial to recalibrate the decks tension as it is the
tension and thin tape that breaks them, the tension needed means the thinner tapes
break more often and are worn too fast.
I suppose you can get lucky, but generally longer tape tapes means a higher risk of
breaking, it doesn't matter where on the tape it breaks, by universal law it will be
at the most inconvenient time to do so and the most inconvenient place on the tape.
And also universally it will happen much more often with tapes which hold the only
copy of the material rather than a backup copy.

YMMV but don't count on it.

Mikkel