11 Mar
2005
11 Mar
'05
8:23 p.m.
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 18:07:56 -0500
Paul Koning <pkoning at equallogic.com> wrote:
I can remember that in the crude old days in the COM (Computer Output to
Microfilm) shop I worked in from 1978-84, operators would do things like
tape swatches of Kimwipes tightly over the head of the tape drive, to
get hold flaky tapes down tighter against the head. If you've never
held a Kimwipe pressed to the tape/head while the drive flitted back and
forth get a customer's flaky tape to read, you've not worked in data
processing hell. It actually worked.
(I worked as an operator in Computer Micrographics, basically as a
combination 'tape mounting monkey/film processor who operated the
machines that made microfiche from customer data delivered on big reels
of tape.' Fascinating operation it was, and hanging around the CEs was
what convinced me to enroll in Tech School. One of the brands of camera
we had used the PDP8 as the processor. I fondly remember that there was
one drive that was special because it would read the 6250 bpi tapes. We
also had drives with combo 7/9 track heads)
>>>> "Tom" == Tom Jennings <tomj at wps.com> writes:
> We use Kimwipes where I work. (General
Dynamics AIS)
Tom> I have those too, I was thinking specifically about swabs
for
Tom> hard-disk heads. Currently I wrap kimwipes around a popsicle
Tom> stick (aka craft sticks, very useful things to have in a lab!).
That's how it was done. I don't remember any swabs; when heads needed
cleaning the FE's would wrap a Kimwipe (tm, presumably) around a stick
just as you described.
paul