[HECnet] Introducing myself... and my little network

[Bob Armstrong]

On 06/08/2012 03:53 PM, Rob Jarratt wrote:
I was once told that a TF series 
drive might be able to read past the error, but that TKs won't. 

  FWIW, The TFxx drives have DSSI interfaces.   The TZ drives are SCSI (e.g.
TZ85 or TZ87).   The TK drives (TK50, TK70) have DEC proprietary interfaces.
A TF8x drive isn't going to do you any good unless you have a MicroVAX with
a DSSI controller - a TZ8x drive can at least be connected to any VAX or PDP
with SCSI.   AFAIK there isn't any difference, other than the interface,
between a TF85 and a TZ85, or a TF87 vs TZ87.

  I don't think there's such a thing as a TK85 or TK87 - DEC dropped the
proprietary interface after the TK70s.   And I don't think there were any
DSSI drives after the TF87.   

  I know I have a TZ85 or TZ87 (maybe even both) somewhere but whether it's
any better at reading bad TK50s I won't even speculate.   BTW, If anybody has
a TF drive that they'd like to swap for a TZ, let me know.   I've got a rack
of DSSI drives (RF7x and RF3x) that'd love to have a little tape drive for a
cousin :-)

Bob