17 Dec
2017
17 Dec
'17
9:52 p.m.
On 12/17/2017 10:04 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
Hi Folks,
We've got a Canadian customer with what appears to be an IBM 3480
cartridge that he'd like to get the data from. We don't get nearly
enough request for these IBM carts to make owning a unit a viable
proposition.
I understand that the 3480 format was supported by a wide range of
vendors, including DEC with the TKZ60/TKZ61.
Anyone having one of these drive want to make some easy money?
FWIW, the customer thinks that it's a lot older than it really is--he
thinks this dates to the 1970s and the S/360, so some gentle advice may
also be required.
There were several DIFFERENT formats used with these
standard tape cartridges. I have some old CDC Patriot tape
drives that did a serpentine single track at a time format
on a 3480-compatible tape. I don't think any DEC drive
supported the 18-tracks-wide IBM 3480 format. I think DEC's
drives were also serpentine. If they are really from an IBM
compatible system (really too late for 360, most likely 370
systems) then I think only an IBM-compatible drive would
read them. Wikipedia says the 3480 was introduced in 1984.
Jon