IBM 3480 DEC TKZ60 inquiry

[Jon Elson]

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