On 2025-06-24 14:45, Wayne S via cctalk wrote:
P.S.
mylar/plastic was used for read many tapes. That is a tape that is going to be
red many times and usually holds some critical program. The center sprocket
really could eat up paper tapes. That’s why some material with durability was
needed.
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 24, 2025, at 11:41, Wayne S<wayne.su...@hotmail.com> wrote:
There’s really a disconnect on between reading and punching paper tape.
For making blank tape that can be used in a punch, you can cut a roll of
something down to a proper width, but the paper has to be thicker than cashiers
paper. The real trick is that the paper has to be perforated in the middle
before use. That’s how it’s “dragged” thru the punch/reader. I haven’t seen
anyone mention how to do that.
If you can manage to do that, then you could also oil the paper and use it on a
punch.
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 24, 2025, at 11:29, Frank Leonhardt via cctalk<cctalk@classiccmp.org>
wrote:
On 24/06/2025 02:01, Doc Shipley via cctalk wrote:
On 6/21/25 15:13, ben via cctalk wrote:
Lack of paper tape is was why I was asking about a replacement.
The same goes for TTY replacement.
Late to the conversation, but the CNC machines I operated in the early '80s
used mylar tape, I always assumed in defense against very harsh shop conditions.
I have no idea whether that's still a product but it seems it would be easier
to get made than a suitable paper tape. My guess is that any thin, opaque
laminate would do if it can be punched
I used "plastic" tape on an Elliott 803 in the 1970s - it was common for things
like compilers as it lasted a long time. The readers didn't mind it at all but the
punches weren't so keen. IIRC they were run slowly for copying to plastic and cleaned
afterwards.
Whether this was common practice I wouldn't know. People hereabouts might.
Absolutely! I used to maintain a Bell Canada Univac site where we had
1004 printer/card readers and the form feed spacing control used exactly
that, a little loop of mylar that ran around in sequence with the
paper. Never had to change it in the five years I was there!
All maintenance access to the mainframes was by 35ASR TTYs, and they
only used oiled paper tape, and the PDP-11 paging computer was loaded by
paper tape on an ASR33! Took 45 minutes to get back online if both CPUs
failed at the same time. After it happened once, we had a DEC tech on
call with a high-speed reader, contracted to have a non-Bell pager!
cheers
Nigel
--
Nigel Johnson, MSc., MIEEE, MCSE VE3ID/G4AJQ/VA3MCU
Amateur Radio, the origin of the open-source concept!
Skype: TILBURY2591
