Storage for 1/2" open reel tape

[Dave Wade]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> On Behalf Of Chuck Guzis via
> cctalk
> Sent: 06 April 2019 01:46
> To: Paul Koning via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: Storage for 1/2" open reel tape
> 
> On 4/5/19 5:31 PM, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:
> 
> > If this works, which is most of the time, it's a great time saver.  As an
> operator you just hang the reel on the spindle, hit "load" and walk away to
> the next task.
> >
> > I think IBM may have originated this magic; several of the later DEC tape
> drives supported it as well (TU77 and TU/TA78, if memory serves).
> 

Honeywell had it on their systems as well. It was great when it worked but sometimes a tape wouldn't load....

> Univac had an interesting setup for Uniservo tape drives--I see a lot of reels
> with a short (maybe 6") "leader" with a hole spliced onto tapes.
> I'm not sure how that worked--but on many, if not most of the reels I've
> seen, the splicing tape has dried out and the little leader just falls right off.

IBM and Honeywell tapes usually had a little dimple in the end so it didn't stick down. 
There was a special tape cutter you could get that rounded off the end and put the dimple in,

> 
> --Chuck

Dave