[Info-vax] MicroVAX/VMS newbie, couple of questions

[Bill Gunshannon]

In article <sVxum.63358$la3.21642 at attbi_s22>,
	"John E. Malmberg" <wb8tyw at qsl.network> writes:
> Tone007 wrote:
>>  > ISTR that all lights flashing on a DLT drive means that there is a
>>> hardware problem.  I think it has something to do with a broken or
>>> misconfigured "leader" that's supposed to hook up with the tape in your
>>> cartridge.
>> 
>> Well, maybe it's just angry because it doesn't have a tape.  I grabbed
>> a blank on eBay, I'll see if the drive wants to do anything with it
>> when it comes.  If not, I guess I'll be sticking with 5.4!
> 
> I would not put a tape in a TK or DLT drive that has lights flashing if 
> it allows it.  It will probably eat it.

If it has lights flashing you should not be able to open the door.  If
you can, I concur with the above because it is seriously broken.

Of course, when lights are flashing it is not usually getting a tape
in that is the problem, it is getting a tape out!!  :-)

> 
> If you are lucky, just the internal leader has come loose and someone 
> will know how to put it back on.
> 
> When I had systems with those type of drives, Field service would 
> replace the leaders once a year as a preventive maintenance.
> 
> The TK70 requires a CompacTape II.  And if it is used, it needs to have 
> been formatted in a TK70 drive, not a TK50, or you will need to be bulk 
> degauss the tape, which will need a very strong degaussing tool.

I have two things I use.  One is a Radio Shack audio/video tape degauser
which usually does the trick.  The other is a 2 foot long bar magnet
used to bias the tablet on a Tektronix 4100 series CAD stations.  :-)
That never fails.

> 
> The TK50 and TK70s are the pre-DLT models.
> 
> It is possible to insert a DLT tape in a TK70 drive if you push hard 
> enough.  If you are careful, it is even possible to remove the tape 
> afterward, but I do not remember if the tape or drive survived it.

I would have expected that direction to work and even be able to
re-format the tape.  It is the other direction I wold have expected
to do damage.

bill

-- 
Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
billg999 at cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton   |
Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include <std.disclaimer.h>