1/2" tape cleaner?

[Ashley Carder]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brad Parker <brad at heeltoe.com>
> Sent: Aug 18, 2005 1:58 PM
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: 1/2" tape cleaner?
> 
> 
> Ashley's plea for empty dectape reels made me think I should ask here...
> 
> I'm looking to find a 1/2" tape cleaner.  Anyone on the east coast have
> one they don't need?
> 
> I'd also be curious to hear from Ashley (or others) how reading old
> DECtapes goes - do you ever have "sticktion" problems? or see stick-shed
> syndrom?
> 
> (ah, I remember watching os/8 load off a dectape unit connected to an 8/i
> running tss/8...  It had 4 8/l's slaved off it and 'served' the dectape drive
> up to which ever asked for it)
> 
> -brad

I think that Al Kossow has lots of experience reading old DECtapes based on
the good DecTape archives that he has on bitsavers.  Al,  can you share a 
little of your experience and insight with the rest of us?  How well do these 
things hold up 30-35 years later when they are actually being read and
written to on a TU56?

Ashley