Space Hobo<p>While <span class="h-card"><a href="https://teh.entar.net/@tastytronic" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>tastytronic</span></a></span> is setting up the new more powerful <a href="https://teh.entar.net/tags/dec" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>dec</span></a> <a href="https://teh.entar.net/tags/flipchip" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>flipchip</span></a> tester (in its snazzy <a href="https://teh.entar.net/tags/pdp12" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>pdp12</span></a> livery!), I went to re-watch the videos about the tester that the <a href="https://teh.entar.net/tags/umnpdp12" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>umnpdp12</span></a> project uploaded to YouTube. The last one ended with a classic fix (CLEAN THE CONTACTS, LADS) while diagnosing the LINCTape, and they didn't even test the cards before making progress: <a href="https://youtu.be/aiHSRF_2bmk" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">youtu.be/aiHSRF_2bmk</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p>I did a bit of digging into <a href="https://teh.entar.net/tags/LINCTape" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LINCTape</span></a> and <a href="https://teh.entar.net/tags/DECTape" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DECTape</span></a> over the past couple years, and so here's a <a href="https://teh.entar.net/tags/VintageComputing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VintageComputing</span></a> thread with some of the backstory on these tape formats.</p><p>Spoiler: The answer is *always* MIT Lincoln Labs.</p>