Mature technology, was Re: 7 track tape drives

From: Nico de Jong <nico_at_farumdata.dk>
Date: Fri Aug 29 08:43:00 2003

From: <TRASH3_at_splab.cas.neu.edu>
To: <cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 3:06 PM
Subject: RE: 7 track tape drives


> I also have been meaning to resurrect my 7 track drives and an 800
> bpi 9 track, for the purpose of reading a couple of dozen useless tapes.
>
> I have at least 12 drives, from 7 track up to 9 track 6250 bpi, a couple
> of dilog and emulex qbus tape controllers, and two or three external
> formatters (for the older drives) I have some manuals from datum, pertec,
> kennedy, digi and maybe others, BUT I just don't have the time or
> inclination to start putting these together.
>
> A cooperative venture maybe?
>
> Joe Heck

I would be happy to participate. I occasionally get request for converting 7-track tapes (conversion gives me my daily bread), so if we can get something up and running, I could bill the sh... out of rich customers.
About 10 years ago, there was a company really needing the data from some geophysical tape. It cost them about 50.000 DKK (8-9.000 USD today), as the recoverer had to buy a new 9 track drive and modify it to 7 track. That is the drive I have today, for free. So I have an almost new drive, but the formatter has disappeared somehow somewhere.
I also have the manual for the drive, a genuine Pertec.

Rumour has it that Al Kossow has managed to do without the formatter, but I have no further information.

One thing should be considered however : freight costs. I live in Denmark, so shipping tape drives back and forth across the pond would be rather costly, to say the least

Maybe a European and a US activity in parallel ?

Nico
Received on Fri Aug 29 2003 - 08:43:00 BST