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Repairing DC2000 tapes with Plastibands?

compaqportableplus

compaqportableplus

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Before I go and remove the Irwin tape drive I installed in my COMPAQ Deskpro 8086, I would like some input from a more experienced person on this.

Over the past few days, I have attempted to recondition about 4 tapes with the SF-6000 plastibands, and all of them have completely self-destructed (the tape ended up wound around all of the tension band pulleys and crinkled badly).

I’m about ready to give up, but I really don’t want to, because these are neat little pieces of technology, and I would love to actually be able to use them.

Is there something else special I need to do to prevent this from happening? I really want to get a few of these tapes going! FYI: the capstan in my drive is perfect.

Thanks! I can provide pics if needed.
 
What size are you using? The DC2000 work best for me with the 2⅛" (SF5000) ones--and they have to be fresh. Old ones already start deteriorating. FWIW, the 4¼" ones work well on the DC600-sized carts. The 6" ones work not at all, as far as I can tell.

When you stretch a band, it should reduce in width evenly. Oddly, I find that the red ones work best.
 
I’m using the SF-6000 4-1/4" ones. So these aren’t correct? I saw where some people said they worked. Damn. I thought they seemed just a teeny bit too long.

I guess I’ll get some SF-5000s and give it another shot. Maybe there’s hope after all! :) Interesting about the red one working better.

Thanks!
 
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Well, I’m back revisiting this. To keep a long story short, the SF-5000 bands didn’t work at all, they were even worse than the SF-6000s. They seemed too short and were VERY thin when stretched around the pulleys.

I ended up removing the tape drive from my Deskpro and Compaq Portable, but I still have the drives and have been thinking about this again lately.

I might order the SF-7000 plastiband variety pack and see if I can find one there that works.

Is there a better option than these short of attempting to boil the old belt, which I have little confidence in?

I REALLY would love to get these working and use them to make backups, but the damn tapes just won’t cooperate.
 
Okay, I couldn’t resist and ordered the SF7000 assorted pack. There is a 3-5/8” size in there right in between the two I have already tried, and I’m thinking it just might work.
 
Let us know. I've been looking for large TPU hair bands also, but haven't found a size that works well.
Also, these Plastibands age fast, so make sure that you're getting fresh stock.
I've already recommended a source for DC300-sized carts that works well. But the little ones are hit and miss.
 
Chuck(G) said:
Let us know. I've been looking for large TPU hair bands also, but haven't found a size that works well.
Also, these Plastibands age fast, so make sure that you're getting fresh stock.
I've already recommended a source for DC300-sized carts that works well. But the little ones are hit and miss.
Click to expand...
I definitely will! I got them from an office supplies seller on eBay, so I really don’t know if they are new or older, but we will see.
 
I have seen posts on the web of people printing replacements for floppy drive belts. What I have not seen is feedback on how well those belts worked. But perhaps the same trick could be used to print the belt from a tape cartridge.

www.thingiverse.com

Citizen W1D floppy drive belt by Michele31415

This is a replacement drive belt for the Citizen W1D 3.5" floppy drive. This drive was popular back in the 80's and 90's for laptop PC's because it is so thin. And it got that way by not using a direct drive motor to turn the disk. Instead they used a rubber belt connected to a motor off to...
www.thingiverse.com www.thingiverse.com
 
I don't think that those will work--people have tried. The TPU belts used in the quarter-inch carts is quite thin (think foil thickness) and very "stretchy". I suspect that any printed TPU will be far too thick.
 
Well, it’s a partial success I suppose.

As I suspected, the 3-5/8” Plastiband does fit far better than the 2-1/8” and the 4-1/4” and I can now run the “retension tape” process several times without the tape self destructing like it did before, however when attempting for format the tape, it’ll run for a little and then give a “format failure.”

My tape could be bad, but I don’t know for sure. It’s my last one, as I destroyed all of my tapes trying to get those other bands working.

I may try and get some more tapes at some point and see if I have better luck. The 3-5/8” band certainly gives me more hope than the last two I tried.
 
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