Topic: Tascam DA30MKII error 03

[goodcooker]

Picked up a DA30MKII dirt cheap to transfer a handful of DATs and all the tapes are giving me the ERROR 03 message. Best I can find on the interwebz is that error message means that the tape is bad. I think it's unlikely ALL my tapes are bad. Could it be something fixable like that transport belt that used to give everyone fits?

Any help?

[larrysellers]

Look at this ---> https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.audio.pro/Jogv3ikJ4E0

Seems this deck doesn't like 90m dats

[drewloo]

There is a trick with tape to fool the deck into thinking it's a 60m tape. 

(from http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-31782.html)

LEDZEPZOSO
2006-12-28, 10:57 PM
What is the difference between the DA-30 and the DA-30 MKII? The DA-30 MKII looks much more visually appealing...

The initial MK II that came out was set up not to read 90 Meter tapes. You can send the units to Tascam to have them upgrade the unit or do like I do. On the back of a DAT tape they have a bunch of holes/ sensors, one of the holes is used to determine if the DAT is a 60 or 90 meter. Cover the hole and it will trick the unit into thinking your 90 Meter is a 60 meter. (This is real easy to do, when I got my MKII I did not know about this. Spent 5 minutes with google and was able to find out about this fix).

There is also a Ledzepzoso here, probably the same person.

[goodcooker]

There is a trick with tape to fool the deck into thinking it's a 60m tape. 

(from http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-31782.html)

LEDZEPZOSO
2006-12-28, 10:57 PM
What is the difference between the DA-30 and the DA-30 MKII? The DA-30 MKII looks much more visually appealing...

The initial MK II that came out was set up not to read 90 Meter tapes. You can send the units to Tascam to have them upgrade the unit or do like I do. On the back of a DAT tape they have a bunch of holes/ sensors, one of the holes is used to determine if the DAT is a 60 or 90 meter. Cover the hole and it will trick the unit into thinking your 90 Meter is a 60 meter. (This is real easy to do, when I got my MKII I did not know about this. Spent 5 minutes with google and was able to find out about this fix).

There is also a Ledzepzoso here, probably the same person.

Tried this and by covering all the holes on the back of the tape it would load and set the counter to zero then any transport button pushes would result in a message that says TAPE, then nothing.  I'll fool around with it some more this weekend and see if I can get the deck to cooperate. Maybe I can try covering the holes one at a time...there are a total of four.

[drewloo]

When I compare 60m and 90m tapes it looks like the 2nd hole over (going from left to right, with the door facing down) on the 90m tape is different/deeper than any of the holes on the 60m tape so it might be that one.