On 2/8/22 14:14, Wayne S via cctech wrote:
Searched a lille bit for Western Magnetics. Here’s a site that has some
surplus heads, even a western magnetics onebut probably not the correct one.
There is a corporate charter record for Western Magnetics in Minnesota dated
1964. Maybe this is the same company. There’s also a tape head from Michigan
Magnetics. Maybe a merged company?
https://www.surplussales.com/Equipment/magnetic-tape.html
Sent from my iPhone
On Feb 8, 2022, at 13:05, Ron Pool via cctech <cctech@classiccmp.org> wrote:
So it sermsdectape heads are special. I don’t think Dec would have the desire
to make them internally so they probably contractef with a company already set
up to do that. Who were the big tape head manufacturers at that time? Does
anyone know?
A photo of the back of a TU56 DECtape head can be seen at
https://www.pdp8online.com/tu56/pics/head_label.shtml?small .
The head has a label on it that reads:
Western Magnetics
Glendale Calif.
Record
7282
I've never seen a TU56 in person and have no idea if they have separate read, write, and
erase heads or some other combo. The "Record" notation on the above head's
label hints to me this might be a write head.
I found that and other DECtape photos at
https://www.pdp8online.com/tu56/tu56.shtml .
-- Ron
Thanks. Hadn't seen the Minnesota information. Found some references
but not actual company info. Did find a reference somewhere it Canada,
but I couldn't tell if it was original or successor company. At any
rate, no web presence nor telephone numbers found (yet.)
I've dealt with the SurplusSales (of Nebraska) many times. His prices
are usually pretty high (not obscene, but just not 'surplus' prices I'm
used to.) However, he is a first-rate dealer and when he says something
is so, you can count on it. Never had problem with anything I was
willing to *PAY* for. I scanned the list you provided and found only a
few 'digital' devices, unfortunately. I suspect from 7 and 9 track mag
tape drives. I will scan his site and send him a ping so he'll be on
the lookout.
-Gary
