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Re: [OCLUG-Tech] DLT cleaning/repairs

Derrick Oswald wrote:

Remove the front bezel by unscrewing the 4 phillips head screws and lifting the bezel, forward and upward at 45 degrees. Locate the orange and white wires running to the 'Clean' LED, and remove the tie-wrap closest to the LED. Carefully unsolder the orange wire and bend back on itself by about 1/4". Tape with electricians or masking tape to insulate it.
Reassemble the bezel and reinstall the four screws.

The tried-and-true ballpeen hammer method, updated for those comfortable using solder suckers and solder wick!

I suspect that Dan was looking to eliminate the causitive fault, not just the annoying ongoing indication of a fault condition.

Fault conditions may indicative of tape alignment problems, speed regulation, tape tension, magnetic read/write issues or many other things. In reality, working tape units with ongoing fault indication may actually be working in isolation by themselves, but taking a tape from that unit and reading it on another generally will cause the fault condition to announce itself as an unreadable tape.

Backup devices are one of those things where I just do not bother wasting time, effort and money on units that have lost my trust. I'd buy another FWIW. If there is one thing you need faith in, it is your backup tools! I suspect that finding someone capable of performing factory-level service with full functional verification would be more expensive than re-purchasing a new unit.

--
Bill Strosberg
(basking in the peaceful silence of the linux list)

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