tape controller

[dch at phs.UUCP]

	I have an 11/44 running 2.8bsd.  Over the past several years, the
tape controller, a digi-data logic package, has had problems.  We have
tried to replace it, cheaply, but without success.
	Most recently the controller has developed a disliking for tar.
Almost every time I run tar (even in single user mode) the tape starts to
rewind and then the systems hangs with panic in trap (type 11). The cpu
error register is set to 160 or 140.
	After several weeks with this behavior, it simply died.  We found
that a capacitor in the power supply was blown.  We replaced this, and
have had success with dump but not with tar.
	My questions are:

1) Has anyone ever seen this problem before and/or do you know how
   to fix it?

2) What are the basic differences in how dump and tar use the tape driver?

3) Does anyone know where I can get a cheap replacement (about $3,000)
   that has remote density select?  (We tried the western peripherals
   TC131(?) but had trouble with the remote density select.)

					Don Holt
					phs!dch