As someone that has worked with computer tapes for nearly 40 years, I have to question the sanity of this. These
tapes are *HOW* old? What was their intended lifespan? While we all
like to keep our hardware as original as possible, does it really make
sense to try to run systems in this day and age with QIC tapes?
Well, you gotta use something to back up those ESDI drives.
I'm finding the TK50's and TK70's to be pretty good, the big massive
problem with them is those two pulleys having the grease dried up. Since
one of them runs the tape tachometer they need to spin freely and smoothly.
Count the turns on the top bolt as you remove it, take off the pulleys,
lubricate or replace the bearings, reassemble, good for another 20 years
or so.
QIC.... Yeah that's not going to work well. Times change.
