Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2014 June 12

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June 12

Female Marine Infantry Weapons Officer

Hello all, Has there ever been a female Infantry Weapons Officer? If so, does anyone know when the first one was commissioned? If not, is there an earliest time there could have been one? Also, is it even remotely likely that a Infantry Weapons Officer would have training on flying a helicopter? I know Warrant Officers will fly, but I don't know if a Gunner would ever have that skill set. Thanks! Hobit (talk) 01:12, 12 June 2014 (UTC)

• Got an answer from another source--no there hasn't. The enlisted background needed to get this position isn't open to women yet. No good sources, but I'm fairly sure it's correct. Thanks! Hobit (talk) 16:46, 13 June 2014 (UTC)

In what organization? —Tamfang (talk) 21:48, 13 June 2014 (UTC)

Sorry, to what are you referring? Marines if I understood correctly. Hobit (talk) 16:18, 15 June 2014 (UTC)

Specifically, the United States Marine Corps, as indicated in the link provided by the OP. -- ToE 16:25, 15 June 2014 (UTC)

Videocassettes

Can multiple types of videocassettes be played in VCRs, or are they only able to play VHS tapes? I know each player can do just one type, but I can't tell if "VCR" is meant for just VHS players or other types too. The Videocassette recorder article mentions other formats too, but is it mentioning them because they could be played in their own VCRs, or because they required players that competed with VCRs? 2001:18E8:2:1020:114D:7C6F:FA83:BE0 (talk) 20:05, 12 June 2014 (UTC)

VCR is not specific to VHS. The Betamax players are are VCRs. I'm not sure if there were any VCRs that could do both formats. RudolfRed (talk) 20:20, 12 June 2014 (UTC)

Nowadays, VCR is a generic term for a video cassette recorder. There are several tape formats, including VHS, Betamax and V2000; VCR originally meant a particular format from Philips. These formats are completely incompatible with each other - and not just because the physical dimensions of the cassette are very different. For example, if a VCR says "Betamax" on the front, you won't be able to fit a VHS tape through the slot - it's far too wide. What's more, you can't open up a Betamax cassette and a VHS cassette, exchange the tape spools and expect that they will then play in the "wrong" machine. --Redrose64 (talk) 20:25, 12 June 2014 (UTC)

"VCR is not specific to VHS." That's what I meant. I thought maybe it was, or had been, a trademarked term for just VHS players, like "personal computer" once was. I've just found a stash of non-VHS tapes from the 1980s (lots of different formats...) and am trying to figure out what they are. 2001:18E8:2:1020:114D:7C6F:FA83:BE0 (talk) 20:39, 12 June 2014 (UTC)

"Lots" of different formats? How many? I would think they would mostly be Beta, which was not as popular as VHS, hence it died. (Good luck finding a Betamax to play them.) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:39, 12 June 2014 (UTC)

The likelihood is that you either have VHS cassettes, Betamax cassettes, Super VHS cassettes or Super 8 cassettes. In all cases, only VHS cassettes will play in a VHS VCR. Although a Super VHS cassette can be used in a VHS VCR in conjunction with an adaptor. The Rambling Man (talk) 21:44, 12 June 2014 (UTC)

Take them to a place that converts videotapes to CD/DVD. It might cost you $15 per tape to discover they contain nothing of even the slightest interest for you, but, hey, life's an adventure in its rich panoply of surprises, not to mention daily opportunities for self-actualisation. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 21:53, 12 June 2014 (UTC)

OP, you might be interested to know that there were (are?) VHS-C tapes which were smaller than standard VHS tapes. You could buy an adapter which was a standard VHS shell that you could put a VHS-C tape into and be able to therefore play the VHS-C tape in your standard VHS VCR. Dismas|^(talk) 06:00, 13 June 2014 (UTC)

The way I heard it growing up, a VHS is for VCRs, and everything else with tape is for VTRs, even other cassettes. I was misled, but it's too ingrained in me now to change. InedibleHulk (talk) 08:37, 13 June 2014 (UTC)

All you have to do is break off the little tab, and presto, you can record over it. Clarityfiend (talk) 11:00, 13 June 2014 (UTC)

Aye, once. When blurred vision could be cured by tinfoil and the whole point of a satellite dish was pointing it. Things got much more complicated on DVD and ExpressVu. But if I ever really need to remember the truth about VCRs, I guess a screwdriver couldn't hurt. Maybe just bang the top a bit. Thanks for the reminder, Fiend! InedibleHulk (talk) 12:25, 13 June 2014 (UTC)

Er, breaking off the tab prevented recording on a VHS cassette (I've still got two working VHS machines - one Panasonic, one Sony - and a whole heap of tapes that I'll transfer to DVD someday). To record over a record-protected tape, you put some sticky tape over the hole. --Redrose64 (talk) 13:11, 13 June 2014 (UTC)

Part of me knew that. Tape may be a hassle to store, but it still beats brain memory on a humid day. Thanks for the re-reminder. InedibleHulk (talk) 14:27, 13 June 2014 (UTC)