[GreenKeys] FW: [CommCenter-1] Teletype Tape

[Jack]

I have also seen (and have some) green and gray tape. Perhaps the
colors help
to categorize messages or help to track back to where the message
came from (different circuits or originators, for example)?

Jack K0TTY



-----Original Message-----
From: greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bob McConnell
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 5:39 PM
To: duncanancy at earthlink.net
Cc: greenkeys
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] FW: [CommCenter-1] Teletype Tape

Duncan M. Brown wrote:
>  
> I'm forwarding this for Dave F. on the CommCenter list; he is RO on
this
> list.
>  
> --Duncan
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: 
> To: CommCenter-1 at yahoogroups.com
> Sent: 24-Nov-08 00:55:24 
> Subject: [CommCenter-1] Teletype Tape
> 
> 
> List:
> 
> Does anyone know the reasons for the "color" of teletype tape over
> the years? (Especially US-issued tape).
> 
...
> 
> If anyone knows the significance of the color of tape, or the
history
> behind it, please share your info. Especially interesting: why was
> most US tape "yellow"?? It is my understanding that the black tape
> was primarily intended for use with early computers where a
photo-electric
> cell was used to read the tape. Oiled tape was said to spread a film
> across the photo electric cell that would eventually cause it to
misread
> the data. I doubt there is any truth there, because, in Vietnam, we
used
> a UNIVAC 1004 with a photo electric cell and yellow (oiled) tape.
The
> maintainer just wiped the photo electric cell off a few times daily
and the
> yellow (Kleinschmidt wider) tape worked just fine...
> 
> 
> Dave F

I don't know the reasons, but I recall that while on board the USS 
Cochrane (DDG-21), most of the tape we received for the M28 was on
about 
seven inch rolls of oiled yellow. That size roll fit perfectly on the 
ASR perf and reperf feed spools. But late in '72, there was a supply 
problem, and no yellow tape available in the Philippines. So we ended
up 
with several cases of oiled pink tape, on 12 inch or larger rolls.
While 
the cores were the same size, that big roll wouldn't fit into the feed

spools, so we had to remove enough tape to reduce each roll until it 
did. I grabbed a couple of empty cores from a trash bag and was able
to 
make three small spools from one large one. But some of the other 
operators were not so ambitious. A lot of unused pink tape was thrown 
out that month.

Was the color all about the size of the roll?

Bob McConnell, Ex-RM2, NFIT
N2SPP
_______________________________________________
GreenKeys mailing list
GreenKeys at mailman.qth.net
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/greenkeys