[GreenKeys] Torn tape continuous transmissions

[Nick England]

Actual torn tape relays used two TDs per outgoing line. They ran in
ping-pong fashion so you could load one while the other was transmitting.
Here’s mine in operation.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FRdK8ZvXNcI&ra=m

The sequentially numbered message header is inserted via stepper relay in
this model. Earlier versions used an additional TD with a sequential header
tape.

At the receiving end, a reperf/TD tape FIFO set could be used.
Here’s mine
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XD97YVIaPlA&ra=m


I love torn tape relay!!


Nick England K4NYW
Chapel Hill NC
www.navy-radio.com

On Thu, Jul 23, 2026 at 7:49 PM Harold Hallikainen via GreenKeys <
greenkeys at mailman.qth.net> wrote:

>
> …,,,,,,,Instead,
> the line could continuously handle "tape speed." And, to me, torn tape
> relay is an early form of packet switching.
>
> A question on torn tape relay, when a new tape segment was passed to be
> transmitted, was it spliced to the tape currently being transmitted so the
> line would never sit idle, and no operator needed to load the next tape?
> This, of course, is a FIFO buffer that handles bursty traffic input and
> provides continous output.
>
> Harold
> https://w6iwi.org
>
>
>
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