On Sat, 20 Apr 2013, Dave McGuire wrote: On 04/20/2013 08:40 AM, Brett Bump wrote: Oooold people. ;-) I was still in high school at that time. My introduction to a paper-tape device came about 4 years later (in college) when my physics prof and I put together a Heathkit H-11 (PDP-11/03 really) that had the nastiest paper-tape device ever created by man. I think we could get it to load maybe 1 time out of 20. We then got the 8 inch floppy drive functional and I think the paper-tape device was relagated to the trash heap. Ah, bet he's kickin' himself now! I'd easily drop $1K for one of those, and the few that have hit the market recently have gone for more than that. $1000.00? For this?: http://ns1758.ca/winch/heathkit0029.jpg It was a nightmare. lol And the box containing the 11/03 wasn't much better. Except for the dust, our H-11 looked exactly like this one: http://www.vintage-computer.com/images/heath11.jpg And you haven't had joy in your life until you've put together and tried to type on that tinker-toy Heathkit terminal (clickity-klackity). Don't forget you can't delete characters by using backspace, you use rubout: http://www.thepcmuseum.net/comp_images/photo_HeathkitH89_02.JPG I "DID" like that 8" drive however as it would format floppies. ;-) The DEC paper-tape drive on the other hand, worked like a dream. It is probably worth the $1k+ to get it: http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/~djg/htdocs/pc04/frontasmb.jpg The 8-inch floppy drives ran the Heath branded RT-11 V02. Ahh, the Heath BASTARDIZED RT-11. ;) About a year later was when our resident math guru (Name Drop) Keith Olson moved to Montana and handed us the keys to the PDP-11/20. We actually USED the paper-tape device on that machine (because it REALLY worked). I loved making my assembler students load an absolute loader, EDIT-11, MARCO-11, LINK-11 and have them paper-tape punch out ONE of their project, if for no other reason then to show them how nice having a disk operating system was. I still have digital copies of the DEC paper-tape software, Neat! but sadly after I left the college, I was told the paper-tape was tossed in the trash and the PDP-11's (11/20, 2 11/45's and a 11/70) were disected for the cabinets and power distribution supplies (sad). SUITS! -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA