reading tapes in bad conditions

From: Enrico Badella <enrico.badella_at_softstar.it>
Date: Fri Dec 10 02:05:20 1999

CLASSICCMP_at_trailing-edge.com wrote:
>
> Keep in mind that VMSTPCE, by default, does a rewind before doing
> the image, so your SET MAG/SKIP commands probably don't mean anything
> anyway. You need /NOREWIND to force it to not rewind.
>
> VMSTPCE also has the "/ERROR" switch to make it ignore erros. I
> suspect your tape drive thinks its too smart to read past an error though.

I did study carefully the help ;-) also some time ago I was able to recover
an apparently bad tape with set mag/skip=record:2 and vmstpce/error

> >I was thinking of strange suggestions like those to get stuck RD53 working
> >again.
>
> For 800 BPI, you can always move the start-of-tape marker past the
> crinkled tape. This will work for *some*, but not all, 1600 BPI tape

I've never done this before. How do you exactly move the SOT marker? Doesn't
look like something that can be peeled off. Do you cut the bad tape off
and glue it behinh the marker? Please give me some hints.
 
> >Eric, I guess you'll have to wait untill I have set up again the 3420 tapes;
> >these probably are old enough to not be too smart.
>
> What's the project, out of curiosity? I've only got a dozen 9-track
> drives here that might help :-)

Getting some iAPX 432 tools

e.

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Received on Fri Dec 10 1999 - 02:05:20 GMT