Try using the FreeBSD tar with the multi-volume flag (-M) and your record size.

Without the flag the writes are page aligned, with the flag the writes are offset some, either 512 or 1536 bytes (I forget which), and the writes will be split by the kernel physio function into a 60K and 3K write. (This is with the tar shipped with FreeBSD up to at least 4.2. Later ones may also do this, I have not tried them)

This magic number has nothing to do with the device. I've only used variable block mode and newer technologies, SDLT, LTO.

61440 was mentioned since that is the largest write that can be done without the physio function doing some surprising and annoying things to your write. 61440 is the size that, no matter its address alignment, can always be mapped with one page register.

If you are careful to page align all writes then you can write up to 65536 and have one record sent to the tape device.

(Actually, with a minor change to scsi_sa.c and limiting one self to newer SCSI HBAs you can go as high as 128KB for read/write)

An example:

Write 64512 bytes with a starting address of 4096. Physio will take this, see that the address is paged aligned, check that it can be mapped with one page register and perform one write.

Now lets write 64512 bytes but with an address of 5632. In this case physio will notice it is not paged aligned and adjust the starting address to be 4096. Now 66048 bytes need to be mapped which exceeds the default size of 65536. In this case physio will map the first 60K (64K to him because of the starting address change), write that and then map and write the remainder.

Now when one goes back to read 64512 bytes, the first read returns 61440 bytes and the second 3072 instead of just one read retuning 64512.

If your software has no problem with short reads and records being split into two, then don't bother page aligning. But, if you want to read exectly what you know you wrote then alignment is a must.