Hi,

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> From: Erno Palonheimo <esp@netti.fi>
> To: port-vax@netbsd.org
> Subject: TK50 problems
> Date: Monday, January 11, 1999 2:43 PM

> I just got a TK50 tapedrive and the controller card for my MicroVAX II.
> Alas, there was no cable. I tried to hack together a cable but it was not
> of too much success. When I try to boot from MUA0, it keeps on reading
> the tape for a moment, then it says 'DEVOFFLINE' and halts there. What
> gives? Is the cable failing, or is it somewhere else? Before this
happens,
> the red light on the tape drive starts to blink.

Prsuming the cable is ok, this sounds like you have some dust/dirt in the
drive, or the tape is bad. Cleaning the drive is not so difficult. just
open the metal casing, the you see some LEDs. (3 on the top, 1 on the
bottom off the drive) Clean them. Sometime it is enough to blow some high
pressured air in the direction of the LEDs. This should help in most cases.

cheers,
emanuel