Accessing a TK50 or TK70 from RT

[Jerome H. Fine]

 >Rod Smallwood wrote:

> >On 13/06/2016 02:33, r.stricklin wrote:
>
>> The metal tape path rollers are used as tachometers to make sure the 
>> tape is feeding at the correct speed. If the tape drags over them, 
>> the firmware will consider the transport jammed and abort. A drop or 
>> two of light machine oil over the axle has been enough to get the 
>> rollers moving again on my TK50s where this failure mode has occurred.
>>
>> There are multiple failure domains involved. Lubricating the feed 
>> roller spindles doesn't solve the sticky tape problem.
>>
>> ok
>> bear. 
>
> We have a winner !!! yes that's what I did.
> I had a small bottle of oil that came with my electric razor (Braun 
> pronounced Brown not Brawn)
> It even had a fine nozzle.  This is what you do.
> Press each roller down (They are sprung) if they do not spring back up 
> quickly.
>  then press down again to reveal the top of the shaft.
> One tiny drop only where the roller meets the shaft
> Do not spin or press the rollers.
> Of course it doesn't fix the sticky tape problem.
> But it will stop good tapes going in the trash.

Thank you BOTH for that information.  My experience
with TK70 media did not have that happen often enough
that I realized there was a problem.  But I will try to
remember to check the rollers next time.

> I have also been trying bulk erasing tapes and  had partial success.
> I used a six inch magnet that holds my  mobile antenna onto the car.
> On INIT it no longer says write protect but it still falls over after 
> about a minute

I am holding in my hand a cylinder that is about 2 1/2" long
and about 2 3/4" in diameter.  It probably weighs about
5 lb.. and if I remember correctly it was the voice coil
from an old speaker that was so badly damaged it no
longer worked.  So a permanent magnet needs to be
fairly strong.  I suggest that you might try to move your
magnet in a circular motion of about 4" in diameter while
toughing both large sides of the TK70 plastic container.
If you achieve partial success with a minute or two, then
maybe 5 minutes or even 20 minutes might be fully
successful although I would agree that 20 minutes for
every tape is too long.  But it would at least prove that
the method works in principle.

Jerome Fine