<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body><div>It's also fun if they install a tape into the tk50 drive with the info pamphlet that they always shipped with them. It couldn't retract the tape, and you couldn't pull the paper out because of the tight fit. Time to disassemble the drive, again.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div id="composer_signature"><div style="font-size:85%;color:#575757" dir="auto">Sent from my Galaxy Tab® A</div></div><div><br></div><div style="font-size:100%;color:#000000"><!-- originalMessage --><div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks@gmail.com> </div><div>Date: 3/17/17 1:21 PM (GMT-07:00) </div><div>To: simh@trailing-edge.com </div><div>Subject: Re: [Simh] VAX 8200 </div><div><br></div></div>On Fri, Mar 17, 2017 at 2:35 PM, Gary Lee Phillips <tivo.overo@gmail.com> wrote:<br>> Looking at what images I can find on the web, TU-80 seems correct. The one<br>> we had was just generally flaky, I guess. It was 1600 bpi, 2400 foot tapes,<br>> yes.<br><br>2400' tapes (1.5mil thickness) were standard but sometime later,<br>thinner (1.0 mil?) 3600' tapes came out. I have read tape drive<br>instructions that say not to use those tapes in this machine. I<br>wouldn't be surprised if most DEC tape drives didn't like thinner<br>tape.<br><br>> The MicroVAX we added later came with a TK-50 that never had any problems.<br><br>That was not a universal experience. We had a couple of TK-50 drives<br>and we found them semi-reliable. They mostly worked, but we had<br>occasional spectacular problems. I had to dismantle the drive more<br>than once to manually rewind a tape back into the tape case. We also<br>lost a few of the pickup barbs. I have a fresh NOS one - I need to<br>CAD it up and experiment with various plastic films to see about<br>lasering some replacements. Once the tip bends, it needs to be<br>replaced or it will fail at some random but inconvenient time.<br><br>-ethan<br>_______________________________________________<br>Simh mailing list<br>Simh@trailing-edge.com<br>http://mailman.trailing-edge.com/mailman/listinfo/simh</body></html>