While @tastytronic is setting up the new more powerful #dec #flipchip tester (in its snazzy #pdp12 livery!), I went to re-watch the videos about the tester that the #umnpdp12 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: https://youtu.be/aiHSRF_2bmk

I did a bit of digging into #LINCTape and #DECTape over the past couple years, and so here's a #VintageComputing thread with some of the backstory on these tape formats.

Spoiler: The answer is *always* MIT Lincoln Labs.