[GreenKeys] paper tapes and rubber bands = bummer

[Chris Elmquist]

Yes...  I agree that a non- or minimal-contact approach is the way to
go for these old tapes.

The only downside to a home brew optical reader is that you have to pull
the tape through manually and some of these tapes are really long--  eg,
8K BASIC for the 680 is a roll about 5" in diameter with a 1/2" center,
so you'd be pulling tape for a long time.

The appeal to the old mechanical reader on the M33 is that it is
automatic.

I haven't gotten back to trying to remove or dissolve the rubber band
remenants on the tapes yet but I hope to soon.

Chris NØJCF


On Thursday (08/07/2008 at 07:17AM -0700), Michael O'Day wrote:
> Chris,
>  The optical reader is definitely the way to go. In my
> former life, I have worked with both mechanical and
> optical tape readers, and have had the unfortunate
> experience of having more than one of my older program
> tapes jam up (and get shredded)in a mechanical reader.
> As I recall, the sprocket holes were also used as the
> "index pulse" to trigger the reader. Just make sure
> that the tape is being fed straight through the
> reader, and remains at a right angle to the reader
> sensors.
> 
> Mike
> N9ODM
> --- "Paul A. Pennington" <paulpenn at knology.net> wrote:
> 
> >     Chris;
> > 
> > > Those tapes are not in bad shape other than to
> > have this
> > > gooy rubber band remnants all over them.  I
> > obviously do not want to feed
> > > that stuff through my tty33 tape reader :-)
> > 
> >     I just remembered a device from about 1976 that
> > may help you read the 
> > tapes without gunking up your ASR-33:  the Oliver
> > Engineering OP-80 paper 
> > tape reader.  It uses optical sensing only, and the
> > tape does not touch 
> > anything important.  Here's a article showing how to
> > build one easily:
> > 
> >
> http://www.retrotechnology.com/herbs_stuff/s_paper.html
> > 
> >     Besides, your old tapes are likely going to be
> > pretty soft after using 
> > the solvents on them.  The ASR-33 reader pins are
> > likely to go right through 
> > the paper and mis-read.  That won't be a problem
> > with this optical reader.
> > 
> >     Paul Pennington
> >     Augusta, Georgia
> > 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > GreenKeys mailing list
> > GreenKeys at mailman.qth.net
> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/greenkeys
> > 
> 
> 
> 
>       

-- 
Chris Elmquist
mailto:chrise at pobox.com