Topic: Who is buying DAT decks and why?

[tdg455]

Hello,
 
I’m not sure if I’m posting this in the right spot but anyway I have some old DAT decks that haven’t worked in years, a Tascam DA 302 dual dat and a Panasonic SV-3800.
I wanted to sell them and was surprised to see non working decks like my Tascam going for $200 on eBay.
I’m just wondering if people are still recording in this format or is this fueled by nostalgia for old formats?

Tom

[crunchy]

My guess would be to transfer old tapes. I have a good chunk of tapes to transfer and my DA-P1 needs some repairs, but I'm having a hard time justifying paying to fix it or paying the prices for working unit. Since these are not made any more a working unit is more valuable to someone in need.

[billydee]

I sold my old non-working SONY D3 portable DAT recorder on Ebay a couple years ago and was shocked at how quick it was snatched up. The buyer was from the Philippines.

[old and in the way]

Also a parts machine . A few yrs ago i bought a hhb pdr 1000  so i'd have a machine for parts in the event one broke paid 150.00 and both still work . A couple dozen dats left to transfer and then? Never know though might run into a batch of dats  and need one . Actually the hhb was a top of the line portable back in the day and made fine tapes.

[tdg455]

Yeah I’m sure there are plenty of dats still not transferred, I have plenty. I have a Sony ZA5ES that is still working.
The dual dat is what puzzles me.

[DSatz]

I'm transferring all my old DATs in order to discard them, and am glad that I had more than one player on hand. Of the two that I assumed would be the most reliable, one (a Sony DTC-75ES -- a full-sized "desktop" unit) crapped out entirely (wouldn't load tapes), while the other one (a Sony TCD-D10 Pro, which cost $2800 in its day if I recall correctly) clearly produces more audible errors than the less imposing, small portables. (That recorder is basically one long story of continuing disappointment.)

If none of these had worked, I would definitely have gone looking for the quickest possible replacement.

[Melanie]

I just bought a fostex PD4 from Doug In Seattle, a really nice forum member. I still have lots of transfers to do, the Fostex is prob. the most reliable deck I've used in a while. Between Melanie's DATs and mine it will take a while, I have two other decks I will prob. get fixed,  two tascams. Once they are transferred I'll prob. sell all but one Bob

[Scooter123]

For DAT Transcriptions.  Nah, I sure wouldn't want to record on this format anymore. 

The DATs are a mess (tape flips) and they are unstable when stored for long periods of time. 

[firemt66]

I have one more dat tape to transfer and then I'm very willing to sell my sony D8

[johnmuge]

My Sony DTC-ZE700 has developed a problem and no longer will load tapes. I still have a Denon DTR-80P and a Sony D7 which were both tuned up by Paul @ Pro Digital with basically 0 hours on them since being serviced. I guess the Denon is coming out of retirement for transfers.  I still have a bunch of stuff to transfer.

[lerond]

A buddy mentioned to me the other day that Paul passed away recently; anyone have other recommendations for trustworthy DAT repair service?

[goodcooker]

A buddy mentioned to me the other day that Paul passed away recently; anyone have other recommendations for trustworthy DAT repair service?

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=194528.0

[Ozpeter]

Actually the hhb was a top of the line portable back in the day and made fine tapes.

That's the last functioning DAT machine I have left.  I think I have some others in the garage somewhere - maybe I should sell them.  I have hundreds of DAT tapes of classical concerts I was paid to record, but the chances of anyone now wanting a copy of them is close to zero (and having moved internationally I doubt whether the clients now know where I am). 

But I have a memory of the one time I re-used a reel of olde worlde tape, when I realised just before heading off to a recording that I didn't actually have any new ones in stock.  Having thus wiped it, the musician involved in the wiped recording from several years before requested a copy a few days later... I forget what lie I told him... since when I have kept every reel of tape, every DAT tape, every minidisc, and every hard drive, and probably would even if I transferred the original material to a newer format.  I suspect they will be buried with me when the time comes.