Rescue update: DEC RC-25s + / was Re: DEC cartridge ID

[Mike Ross]

On Mon, Jun 8, 2015 at 2:22 PM, Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, Jun 7, 2015 at 9:44 PM, Mike Ross <tmfdmike at gmail.com> wrote:
>> That should be trivial. I've never laid hands on an RC25, but there
>> must be a microswitch that detects when a cartridge is installed, and
>> is accessible for bodging...?
>
> The problem is if you would do that, the heads on the empty cartridge
> would load and smack together.   The RC25 has one motor spindle, one
> positioner, and two pairs of heads.  I suppose if you found a way to
> wedge the upper and lower arms of the removable cartridge so the heads
> weren't damaged, you could use the fixed platter alone?
>
> If you didn't, it would be as bad as forcing an RL02 or an RK05 to
> load with no platter mounted.

Ugh OK, I've never laid hands on one as I said; for some reason I
thought the cartridge on these was a sealed unit containing the heads,
like some IBM drives, e.g. 3340...

Mike

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