Help reading a 9 track tape

[Chuck Guzis]

On 8/6/21 11:37 AM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:

> 
> IBM 3490 - 36 track.  The 3590 and later get silly numbers of tracks on
> half-inch tapes.   Don't know if the 18-track 3480 was MR, however.
> 

According to this report:

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-C13-8243628c307c697d4f7e3ab72875e8cd/pdf/GOVPUB-C13-8243628c307c697d4f7e3ab72875e8cd.pdf

the 3480 18-track head is indeed MR read, thin-film write.

--Chuck