Repairing and Emulating a TU58 Tape Drive

Usagi Electric September 28, 2025
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The PDP-11/44 Supercomputer project has been just one gut punch after another when it comes to hard drives. Which is why today we’re jumping ship and working on tape drives! Most notably though, I want to get this machine setup to either use the original TU58 tape drive, or at a flick of the switch, jump over to using an emulated tape drive. If you want to support the channel please hop over to Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/usagielectric Also, we now have some epic shirts for sale! https://my-store-11554688.creator-spring.com Come join us on Discord! Discord: https://discord.gg/p7UsfHD Thanks for watching! Chapters 0:00 The coolest PDP-11/44 on the planet (is the goal) 1:40 The storage journey 3:31 Welcome to the TU58 5:22 Repairing the drive and the tapes 9:09 A look at the drive control PCB 10:54 Getting it all back together (CM) 14:58 Taking it for a test drive 20:29 Good hardware, bad media 22:29 Bunny!

Revive Your TU58: Essential Parts & Tools

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