Interesting, Al! Will your design work without a
head change for 7 track
tape? If not, how have you decided to handle 7 track tape?
7 tracks will require a new head. I have combo 7/9 track heads, and I've
verified that at least 7 of the 18 tracks of a 3480 stack land in 7 track
widths. John claims he's read 9 tracks on a 3480 stack, but that may be
marginal on some tracks, according to my measurements.