DECTape head problem

[Wayne S]

I’ve often wondered if the tape heads from consumer tape devices such as cassette or 4-8 track tape players could be used or be made to be used as replacements. Anybody ever try that?

Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 7, 2022, at 11:51, Michael Thompson via cctech <cctech at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> 
> 
>> 
>> 
>> From: Gary Oliver <go at aerodesic.com>
>> Subject: DECTape head problem
>> 
>> In debugging my DECtape interface lashup, I found that one of my head
>> has two open windings.? Specifically, one channel has an open 'ground'
>> with the other two lines apparently the full winding of the channel.?
>> The second channel failing has no continuity between any of the three
>> lines.? I have tested the other head and it has all the requisite
>> continuity so I'm hoping I can at least get a single spindle running.
>> 
>> Has any ever attempted repair of one of these?
>> 
>> -Gary
>> 
> 
> At the Rhode Island Computer Museum we found several DECtape heads on TU55
> and TU56 drives with open connections. A volunteer got one head X-Rayed so
> we could see the solder joints between the tiny wires for the head coils,
> and the larger twinax wires that go to the relay board. We couldn't see any
> damage to the wires or solder joints.
> 
> We tried heating the potting material to soften it, and digging it out to
> get to the solder joints. While digging at the potting material you can't
> see the tiny wires, so they will likely get damaged.
> 
> We considered using a solvent to remove the potting material, but thought
> that it would eat the enamel off the head coil wires and damage them beyond
> repair.
> 
> So far we haven't found a way to repair the heads.
> 
> Michael Thompson