Patent ID: 7405895

Claim:
A magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus comprising: a rotary head drum around which a magnetic tape is wound for recording and reproducing signals on the magnetic tape, a tape loading mechanism including a tape loading operation that winds the magnetic tape around the rotary head drum and a tape unloading operation that unwinds the magnetic tape from the rotary head drum, a control unit for controlling rotation of the rotary head drum and operation of the tape loading mechanism; with the control unit including a monitoring unit that monitors rotational frequency of the rotary head drum at a tape loading operation, a first determination unit that determines the presence of dew condensation when rotational frequency of the rotary head drum is equal to or less than the prescribed value with a state where tape loading operation is conducted to a position at which the magnetic tape slightly contacts the rotary head drum, an operation unit that stops rotation of the rotary head drum when the operation unit determines the presence of dew condensation and that conducts the tape unloading operation using the tape loading mechanism, a second determination unit that resumes the tape loading operation using the tape loading mechanism when the first determination unit determines the absence of dew condensation and that determines the presence of dew condensation by periodically sampling decreasing rates of rotational frequency and renewal rates of the highest rotational frequency of the rotary head drum during the tape loading operation, and a stop control unit that stops rotation of the rotary head drum when the second determination unit determines the presence of dew condensation and that disables the tape unloading operation using the tape loading mechanism.