[Info-vax] Modern VMS (e.g. V8.4) tape installation?

[Richard B. Gilbert]

On 4/30/2012 1:27 PM, Ken Fairfield wrote:
> On Sunday, April 29, 2012 11:41:28 AM UTC-7, Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
>> On 4/29/2012 10:09 AM, Steven Schweda wrote:
>>>> Would a DDS tape also do, provided it could be prepared
>>>> accordingly?
>>>> (related to the other thread on the MV2000)
>>>
>>>      Also "do" what, exactly?  I seem to remember doing
>>> Standalone BACKUP using an Exabyte 8mm (8200?) tape drive
>>> (probably on a VAX 4000 model 300), but I wouldn't bet on a
>>> MicroVAX/VAXstation 2000 working with any tape drive other
>>> than a TK50Z-FA/GA.
>>
>> ISTR that most, if not all, of those "cartridge" tape drives were "high
>> maintenance".  The 8mm tapes were really high maintenance.
>
> I don't remeber having any trouble reading an 8mm tape,
> but I certainly agree that the tape *drives* were high
> maintenance (that's how I read Richard's post, even though
> it's not what he wrote).

I have no great quarrel with the actual tape!  When we come to
the cartridges and the drives. . . .  P.O.S.
>
> We had a pair of 8mm drives connected to HSC50's.  Pardon
> me, but I don't recall the 3rd party vendor who made those
> after two decades have passed...  I do recall very clearly
> that we were regularly swapping out one or the other of the
> drives.  They'd fail about once/month, IIRC.  (Don't ask
> me the failure mode, sorry, I don't remember.)

Be grateful that you got some minimal use from the tape-cartridge-drive
system!  IF you DID get any use from it!

<snip>