seeking advice on moving PDP 11 and related gear

[dwight]

In a day when digital cameras are available, always take lots of pictures.
Even short videos with voice description is a good idea.
Bring snack baggies with a sharpie pen to put notes as to where
to put the pieces back, for small parts.
Of course, do the minimum necessary to removing pieces. Worry
more about securing things. Tie wraps can help a lot. If your worried
about original, use colored tie wraps that look out of place.
Dwight

 
> Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2015 16:40:55 -0700
> From: ggs at shiresoft.com
> To: General at main.local; main.local:On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts cctalk at classiccmp.org
> Subject: Re: seeking advice on moving PDP 11 and related gear
> 
> 
> 
> On 7/3/15 9:39 AM, Noel Chiappa wrote:
> >      > From: tony duell
> >
> >      > OK, I've done it many times, but ... I had the drives out in under 5
> >      > minutes. It is not that hard...
> >
> > With a previously un-seen rack, it is _not_ guaranteed to be that easy, as
> > Bill D and I can attest!
> >
> >
> > So I will echo the advice to take tools. Lots of tools.
> My recommendation is to (once all of the cables, drive heads, etc are 
> properly secured) is to have a lift
> gate truck (my preference is for a "rail lift" as opposed to a "tuck 
> under") and just load the entire rack
> that way.  It relieves the stress of trying to disassemble the rack on 
> site.  Of course lots of cardboard,
> shrink wrap and straps are required.
> 
> The other trick that I've done (of course I do have a large pickup 
> truck...but only works for 2 H960 style
> racks at a time) is to have *lots* of helpers and lift/lay the rack in 
> the bed of the truck (ie lift it so that you can
> use the tail gate as the fulcrum so the rack lays on it's back/side in 
> the bed of the truck).
> 
> Now that I have an equipment lift that is capable of lifting ~500lbs, I 
> don't try to de/re-rack anything by
> hand.  Typically any of the items in that go in racks are at least 
> 100lbs and except for items higher than
> about mid-point in the rack, there isn't sufficient leverage (unless you 
> have 2 or 3 people) to remove or
> replace any of these without chance of injury.
> 
> TTFN - Guy
>