21 Jul
2006
21 Jul
'06
6:30 p.m.
At least TPC files are slightly more portable than some
formats (RSX-11M+
Virtual Tape comes to mind).
Now if only there were some magic to keep a TK50/TK70/TZ30 drive working
for more than ten minutes. And by "working", I mean anything that doesn't
require disassembly of the drive and the computer to free a jammed tape.
Actually reading the bits is more than I could hope for :-)
Bob
21 Jul
21 Jul
6:44 p.m.
At least TPC
files are slightly more portable than some formats (RSX-11M+
Virtual Tape comes to mind).
Now if only there were some magic to keep a TK50/TK70/TZ30 drive working
for more than ten minutes. And by "working", I mean anything that doesn't
require disassembly of the drive and the computer to free a jammed tape.
Actually reading the bits is more than I could hope for :-) 
7:17 p.m.
On Friday 21 July 2006 18:44, Zane H. Healy wrote:
That's the one thing I dislike about the TZ30, it's a real pain to
disassemble to clean. I've never had to deal with a jammed tape, but
I typically clean the drive good prior to using it, and make sure
that the tape is properly aligned in the cartridge.
I really should put together a MicroVAX II with a TK50 to read some
of the tapes I have around here. If they're still readable.
Unfortunately a bunch have been stored under bad conditions.
Ya guys do realize that older DLT drives (possibly even DLT4000's) will
read TK50/TK70 media, I hope?
Pat
--
Purdue University Research Computing --- http://www.rcac.purdue.edu/
The Computer Refuge --- http://computer-refuge.org
At least TPC files are slightly more portable than some
formats
(RSX-11M+ Virtual Tape comes to mind).
Now if only there were some magic to keep a TK50/TK70/TZ30 drive
working for more than ten minutes. And by "working", I mean
anything that doesn't require disassembly of the drive and the
computer to free a jammed tape. Actually reading the bits is more
than I could hope for :-) 
7:47 p.m.
e.stiebler wrote:
Patrick Finnegan wrote:
If memory serves, the TZ86 can read TK50/TK70 but not write. I might be
completely mistaken, however.
Peace... Sridhar
Ya guys do realize that older DLT drives
(possibly even DLT4000's)
will read TK50/TK70 media, I hope?
You have to go further back, than the DLT400 ... 
22 Jul
22 Jul
4:40 a.m.
Sridhar Ayengar wrote:
If memory serves, the TZ86 can read TK50/TK70 but not
write. I might
be completely mistaken, however.
I'm pretty sure that your memory is correct. Beyond the
Tx86, the drives lost the backward compatibility. In
fact there was an N variant that lost the compatibility
in the x86 line too (I presume it cost less to buy,
or maybe the cost of the backwards-compatibility parts
rose too much during the lifetime of the drive).
Antonio
21 Jul
21 Jul
8:55 p.m.
Patrick Finnegan wrote:
You have to have the DEC version of the DLT2000 or older, IIRC. The Quantum
drives won't work, and I don't think I have any DEC drives...
Zane
Ya guys do realize that older DLT drives
(possibly even DLT4000's) will
read TK50/TK70 media, I hope?
You have to go further back, than the DLT400 ...
10:32 p.m.
Patrick Finnegan wrote:
Ya guys do realize that older DLT drives (possibly even DLT4000's) will
read TK50/TK70 media, I hope?
I have a TH4AA (a DLT-III drive, I believe) that's marked "Not TK50/70
Certified" - does it not really mean that, or am I just unlucky enough to
have one of the DLT drives that's not backward compatible?
And the real question is are the more modern DLT drives any more reliable
at reading TK50s than the older drives?
One problem is that the TK50 tapes don't seem to survive long term storage
very well. Most of the old tapes I have leave copious amounts of gunk on
the heads after even one pass thru the drive. In severe cases, the tape
actually becomes stuck (glued!) to the head to the point where the drive
motors aren't able to move it anymore. Then you have to disassemble the
drive, unstick the tape, clean the tape path, reassemble everything, and
then try to convince the drive to rewind and unload the tape for you.
Speaking of which, does anybody know why a TK70/TZ30 drive, when you power
it up and press the unload button, insists on spacing forward for ten or
fifteen feet _before_ it'll finally start rewinding?
Bob
22 Jul
22 Jul
1:56 a.m.
On 7/22/06, Robert Armstrong <bob at jfcl.com> wrote:
Now if only there were some magic to keep a
TK50/TK70/TZ30 drive working
for more than ten minutes. And by "working", I mean anything that doesn't
require disassembly of the drive and the computer to free a jammed tape.
Actually reading the bits is more than I could hope for :-)
I had some serious problems with an external TK50 drive that came with
an original Failed Circus upgrade of a uVAX-I to uVAX-II ($20K in
1985? 1986?) of that nature. What did it for me was to fix
intermittent contact of the drive motor cables to the mainboard of the
drive - they use 0.1"-spacing right-angle press-in-type connectors
(don't recall the brand), the same style (but smaller size) as what
fails in the original BA-23 power harness. Unlike the power supply
harness, I don't think it's an overcurrent issue per se, but after 10+
years, the contacts don't seem to be as reliable as when they were
new.
Getting good power to the motors fixed the problem _I_ had with tapes
getting stuck in that particular drive. YMMV.
-ethan
6580
days inactive
6581
days old
8 comments
7 participants
participants (7)
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arcarlini＠iee.org -
bob＠jfcl.com -
emu＠e-bbes.com -
ethan.dicks＠gmail.com -
healyzh＠aracnet.com -
pat＠computer-refuge.org -
ploopster＠gmail.com