At 11:15 17-12-2000 -0500, NetBSD Bob wrote:

>Wilst on the issue of tape booting....
>
>1) I am beginning to have read problems on my TK50 drives (all four of them).
>   It appears that it is most likely a transport cleaning problem.
>   What is the good/better/best/proper way to clean TK50 (or even TK70)
>   tape transports?

	Very simple. I've had great success by doing the following.
	
	1). Pull the drive out of the VAX, remove the sheet-metal cover on the
backside (3 or 4 screws, if I recall).

	2). Remove the little black plastic guard in front of the head (1 screw).

	3). Unhook the pick-up leader and wind it out of the way on the take-up reel.

	4). Using 99% Isopropyl alcohol, and cotton swabs designed for tape head
cleaning (they don't shred nearly as much as Q-tips), swab the head back
and forth in the same direction as the tape travels. Do a couple of passes,
using a fresh swab for each pass, just to make sure you got everything.

	5). Dry off the head area with another clean (and dry) swab.

	6). Reassemble. You should be back in business.

>2) What is the proper way to erase TK50 tapes?  There is no operational
>   erase capability in the drivers.  I sense that IFF I could fully
>   erase the tapes, that might clear up some of the problems.

	Bulk tape eraser. The stronger the better.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
http://www.bluefeathertech.com  // E-mail: kyrrin@bluefeathertech.com
Amateur Radio: WD6EOS since Dec. '77 (Extra class as of June-2K)
"I'll get a life when someone demonstrates to me that it would be
superior to what I have now..." (Gym Z. Quirk, aka Taki Kogoma).