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Help requested for NC tape drive

We recently acquired a Newing-Hall 'Pantocut' light milling machine and engraver. It has an NC control unit and programming console as two separate pieces of kit, and to transfer data between the two and for programme (program) storage it uses mini-cassettes (not Micro-cassettes - these are a mechanically different item)

One of the drives is mechanically damaged, it was launched across the workshop by a frustrated operator apparently, but I think it was from another unit, a Denford 'Triac' milling machine which used the same drive (the electronics for both units was made in the UK by North East Electronics) and the drives swapped over.

Anyway, I have one working drive which I can transfer between machines for now, and a limited-use RS-232 system.

I understand that the drives were sourced in the USA, and would like to ask if anyone has any favourite sources for this sort of stuff that might have some old kit knocking around that we could buy.

I have set up some pic's on our website, the first lot are 1280 X 1024 resolution @ 200kb each, the second lot are the same pictures but reduced down to about 36kb each:

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OR

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I have payment facilities in the USA, and can provide a USA address for shipping if it is not possible to ship direct to the UK.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks,

Peter

Reply to
Peter A Forbes
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The problem is that this last photo shows what is truly missing. The drive does not look familiar to me (other than superficially resembling the one in my Emco-Maier Compact-5/CNC -- with lots of differences in the details), but I don't know who made even my drive, let alone who made yours. I see the vestiges of label adhesive on the last photo. That *probably* had the information as to who made the drive, and I suspect that the label was removed by the makers of your machine, to lock purchasers into them for spares.

If your other drive has a manufacturer's label still present, with a model number, then somebody *might* know where to get a replacement. Until then, I don't know where to start.

Good Luck, DoN.

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

Hi Don:

I concur with your conclusions re the label, although the other drive has a typed label with date and serial number on it, no maker's details.

Peter

Reply to
Peter A Forbes

What Don said.

I have an emcoturn 220 with a similar unit, and a spare.

I think the tabletop mill I just bought has that exact same unit, even

I don't know much about it, but I would imagine there are more spares out there somewhere

Reply to
Jon Grimm

OK, we have more information.

The drive was made by, or used in, a device made by Braemar in the USA:

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and I have also found a reference and a picture of one of their portable RS-232 recorders:

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I spent half an hour trying to register for the MSN groups thing but gave up after a series of usernames were "used by someone who is no longer a member of this group"

I have emailed Braemar, hopefully I might get a response....

Peter

Reply to
Peter A Forbes

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