Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 22:37:03 -0400 (EDT) From: Chuck Robey <chuckr@glue.umd.edu> To: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com> Cc: "Robert D. Keys" <bsdbob@seedlab1.cropsci.ncsu.edu>, FreeBSD-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: WangDat 3100 SCSI tape (cleaning always good) Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.00.9808122234290.371-100000@picnic.mat.net> In-Reply-To: <19980813124140.B1147@freebie.lemis.com>
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On Thu, 13 Aug 1998, Greg Lehey wrote: > On Wednesday, 12 August 1998 at 10:09:51 -0400, Robert D. Keys wrote: > >> On Tuesday, 11 August 1998 at 0:13:30 -0400, Chuck Robey wrote: > >>> Here's the log message: > >>> > >>> Aug 11 00:18:09 moon st0: MEDIUM ERROR info:0x5f000 asc:c,0 Write error > >>> sks:80,1 > >>> Aug 11 00:18:09 moon st0: MEDIUM ERROR info:0x1 asc:c,0 Write error > >>> > >>> The same error seems to occur every time, even though the tape was > >>> changed out (twice). > >> > >> This can also happen as the result of dirty heads or faulty > >> electronics--in my experience, at least as often as with bad tapes. > >> Is the drive new? If not, have you cleaned the head? > > > > In my experiences that probably points to a dirty tape drive head. > > > > I run a lot of different tape drives on my old junque, all ancient things, > > and there are two problems that seem to surface that folks might pay > > attention to. (speaking about older DC600, DC5160 type cartridge drives). > > > > 1. Clean the tape heads with a q-tip and some isopropyl alcohol, about > > every 10 tape runs on tapes that are used. I find that errors start > > to magically appear about that time, with regularity. > > I've tried this on DDS tapes, with very limited success. But you > should run a cleaning tape about this often. More modern drives will > remind you by blinking an LED if you forget. The drive I was talking about is some miles away from me, but I think I'm gonna hop in the car and take some alcohol. I used to clean heads with a (now ancient) reel-to-reel tape deck, and I feel comfortable with that. I know those cleaning tapes are abrasive, and still sometimes miss subborn specs. The only thing is, I haven't yet seen this unit, is it helical scan? Man, cleaning the tape, then, is gonna be an adventure. > > Greg > -- > See complete headers for address and phone numbers > finger grog@lemis.com for PGP public key > > ----------------------------+----------------------------------------------- Chuck Robey | Interests include any kind of voice or data chuckr@glue.umd.edu | communications topic, C programming, and Unix. 213 Lakeside Drive Apt T-1 | Greenbelt, MD 20770 | I run Journey2 and picnic (FreeBSD-current) (301) 220-2114 | and jaunt (NetBSD). ----------------------------+----------------------------------------------- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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