Subject: paper tape questions

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed Apr 2 15:14:50 2003

Hi--

I was wondering, is all blank papertape media interchangeable? 
I know that it can be made of paper or mylar, 
and that it comes fanfolded and on spools, 
but are there variations that would block interoperability, 
like varying widths? 

In particular, I'm wondering if any one can tell me if the 
tape offered up on ebay at 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2519056219&category=11805

will work in my friden flex-o-writer sps...

(for that matter, if anyone here can help me find sps user and
repair manuals, that'd be lovely... I'd like to know the pinouts on
the i/o ports on the side, and I need to repair one of the carriage
return straps...)

  --thanks in advance
  --akb

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From: Joe <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed Apr 2 16:40:30 2003

I know that PT was available in both 7/8" and 1" widths. Probably others as well. AFIK 7/8" was used for 5 bit stuff and 1" was used for 8 bit.

    Joe

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From: "Bruce Lane" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed Apr 2 17:14:28 2003

Hey, troops,

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 02-Apr-03 at 17:41 Joe wrote:

>I know that PT was available in both 7/8" and 1" widths. Probably others
>as well. AFIK 7/8" was used for 5 bit stuff and 1" was used for 8 bit.
>
>    Joe
>

	It all depends on the punch involved. For example, many punches required oil-impregnated tape. Others did not. I also recall that it took a punch with a specially-designed block to handle the mylar stuff.

	The widths are standardized for both 5-level (Baudot) and 8-level (ASCII) code. I remember all this from my days servicing Teletype machines (boy, did I just date myself...)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner & Head Hardware Heavy,
Blue Feather Technologies -- http://www.bluefeathertech.com
ARS KC7GR (Formerly WD6EOS) since 12-77 -- [email-masked]
"I'll get a life when someone demonstrates that it would be superior
to what I have now..." (Taki Kogoma, aka Gym Z. Quirk)

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From: Ethan Dicks <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri Apr 4 12:12:19 2003

> but are there variations that would block interoperability, 

Besides the width (7/8" vs 1" vs other (12-channel paper tape for
printer carriages)), there's an issue of oiled vs non-oiled.

Generally speaking, oiled paper tape is going to be read in a
slow, mechanical reader and is punched in a slow punch (think ASR-33)
and non-oiled paper tape is going to be read in an optical (fast)
reader and is punched in a faster punch that is lubricated as part
of its normal maintenance cycle (think PC04/PC05).

Mylar tape is nice when you expect to read things many, many times,
but punching lots of it can dull your punch if it's expecting nice,
soft paper.

I can't tell you what's appropriate for your application.  I do know
that you can still buy fan-fold and spools of paper tape from commercial
sources.  I *think* that $20 per roll is too high for what they are
selling, but if I'm wrong, I'm sure plenty of folks will chime in.

-ethan

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From: [email-masked] (Tony Duell)
Date: Fri Apr 4 12:15:21 2003

> but are there variations that would block interoperability, 

There are 3 standard widths..

11/16", used for 5 level tape, often buadot or murray coded
7/8", used for 6 level, 7 level and 6 level 'typesetter' tape
1", sued for 8 level tape.

The last one is the common one used on computers. The middle one is 
particularly difficult to find.

Most punches and readers not part of teleprinters can handle all 3 
widths, possibly with adjustable guides. Punching typesetter tape needs a 
special punching head (the feed hole is offset in the direction of tape 
movement), and sometimes a special read head too. 

> will work in my friden flex-o-writer sps...

My Flexowriter uses 1" tape, if that's any help.

-tony