Blue tape retainers

[Dennis Boone]

 > I am curious: NOS tapes that I bought in the last year or so came
 > with the foam blocks, but I don't recall ever encountering either a
 > foam block or the magic plastic tape "back in the day" on tapes from
 > the rack that I handled as a backup operator. I presume that if they
 > came with blocks, they were discarded when the tapes were
 > unpacked. Is it really necessary to secure the tape end in normal
 > use, or is it just needed during shipping to keep the tape from
 > getting loose on the reel during transport?

For my money, there ought to be one always, though careful handling in a
controlled environment can probably get away with skipping them.
Shipping is where the worst stresses occur, of course, so is the most
important.  I've received a number of tapes for imaging over the last
few years, and I don't think a single one had anything to keep it
packed.  One such tape had slipped an outer chunk of the pack around the
inner rest, producing a hard crease.  Needless to say, there was a read
error there.

De