[NBLUG/talk] OT: Bulk erasure

[Andru Luvisi]

On Wed, 2 Apr 2003, Sebastian wrote:
> > P.P.S. BULK ERASER!!!
>
> Thanks for the reply Andru,
>
> Indeed, I wish to perform some bulk erasure using a bulk eraser... ;)
>
> As you said, the software method does take a long time, and with the tapes
> I have no working drives that can actually write to them. I wonder how
> such a bulk eraser, which I assume is essentially a magnetic device,
> compares to a big whopper of a magnet, such as those found in auto
> speakers. Would it even work? And I wonder whether it would work on disk
> drives too?

BULK ERASERS (can you tell that I like this subject?) have fluctuating
magnetic fields with the goal of randomizing the magnetic fields on the
media.  As Eric said, a big magnet will just change the average one way or
another (which may make it unreadable in a normal drive) but will not kill
the patterns.

I expect that you could find a place to buy BULK ERASERS by doing a google
search for BULK ERASERS.

Andru
-- 
Andru Luvisi, Programmer/Analyst

Quote Of The Moment:
  Appel's method avoids making a large number of small trampoline bounces
  by occasionally jumping off the Empire State Building.
                  -- Henry G. Baker, "Cheney on the M.T.A."