On 18May21:1718-0500, Edward Gould wrote: > > In these days, sometimes the first few inches or feet of tapes could become > > damaged > > > > so it would not be possible to load the tape and even less read the tape > > label or the data after that. > > I remember there was a little tool to make a clean cut or "clip" of the > > half inch tape > > > > so that it could load cleanly on the tape drive. > > Then you had some JCL to put a new label on the tape. > I don’t go further back than the 360’s, but IIRC the > tape reals also needed a reflector. I have never heard > of a reflector being applied, anyone?
In my operator days in the early '70s I repaired dozens. There was a tool to cut the end of the tape into a half-circular edge (helpful for the new-fangled self-threading 3400 drives (slow! An op could mount, thread, wrap the end into the take-up reel, and punch the LOAD button within two seconds of the glass opening, the machines needed at least six). Then you unrolled about four meters and applied a new reflector strip. Voila: an unlabeled tape in need of a leading tapemark. I seem to recall doing that to the other end of one reel and had to remind myself that the strip went against the opposite edge of the tape from the front reflector. -- <not cent from sell> May the LORD God bless you exceedingly abundantly! Dave_Craig______________________________________________ "So the universe is not quite as you thought it was. You'd better rearrange your beliefs, then. Because you certainly can't rearrange the universe." __--from_Nightfall_by_Asimov/Silverberg_________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
