Recycled tape tester

[DanKarron at ucbvax.berkeley.edu]

Is there a program/script to verify old tapes (qic tapes) ?

I am sitting in a pile of old tapes we want to re-record/recycle.
I don't know the length of most, and I don't know which have real bad
spots on them, or which just have bad data on them.

I could use something to 

1) size the tapes and 

2) test (destructively) the condition of the media, with a
    write-read test over the entire length.

Also, since the tapes are not all rated for 10,000 bpi, is there a way
to run the write-read tests at progressively lower density to see if there
is any life in the tape at low density ? Some of these tapes predate
10,000 bpi drives.

Thanks!

dan.

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