We went through this a couple years ago with a bunch of 3480/3490 tapes and had a LOT of tape checks resulting from bad spots on the media. I'd actually be surprised if you can get much usable info off 3420 type tapes.
If you can't find a reasonably priced service, you could check with Overland Data. At some point they sold a desktop 9 track drive that was compatible with 3420 style tapes. At a prior site, when we eliminated the 3420s we purchased one of these to allow us to get to the occasional 6250 bpi tape. Good luck, Rex -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> On Behalf Of Radoslaw Skorupka Sent: Thursday, June 3, 2021 10:05 AM To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU Subject: [External] Re: access to 9-track reel tape drive There are such services available, GIYF. Note: usually the service is to copy dataset from tape to some contemporary medium like USB stick. No conversion, etc. -- Radoslaw Skorupka Lodz, Poland W dniu 03.06.2021 o 04:56, Mark S Waterbury pisze: > Does anyone know of anyone in (or near) Central Florida (private individual > or company) with a working mainframe compatible 9-track tape drive capable of > reading tape reels recorded at 1600 or 6250 BPI density? > > I have a number of old tapes that need to be copied and archived, for > "posterity." > > Please advise. > > Feel free to reply privately if you prefer. > > Thanks in advance. > > Mark S. Waterbury > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN The information contained in this message is confidential, protected from disclosure and may be legally privileged. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, distribution, copying, or any action taken or action omitted in reliance on it, is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and destroy the material in its entirety, whether in electronic or hard copy format. Thank you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
