Re: _Old_ tape drive type.

Hi, Paul!

Paul Furness ([email protected]) wrote 52 lines:

> I've just been handed a stack of very old tapes with some data on that,
> apparently "...would be worth getting back if at all possible."

> The tapes are all the same physical size (6 inches by 4 inches by 5/8
> inch thick), and may be all the same capacity. some of them are 3M
> tapes, type number DC6150 (marked as 150MB) and DC600A (marked as 60MB).
> Some of the others came from British Telecom and are labeled as DC600HC
> but don't state a capacity. They are all marked as being 620ft log.

> I've never seen or used tapes like these, and I know we have no drive
> here that will take them. But in order to try and get hold of a drive
> that will read them, I need to know what I'm looking for.

I seem to remember my dad had these -- or very similar -- tapes
(and I might even have a drive, but that would be with my
parents, so it'll take time to check).  Somehow the manufacturer
'Wang' springs into my mind (but is incorrect, see later):
    http://www.ndci.com/wang_frame.html

Have a look, you still can buy these tapes:
    http://www.mfarris.com/Store/QICtape/mf600a.html
    http://www.mfarris.com/Store/QICtape/mf6150.html

Hmmm ... seems Wangtek produced these streamers:
    http://www.hinner.com/texte/forsale.html
someone is selling/lending (one!):
| Streamer Wangtek 5150 PKX, 150MB; 3M DC6150 and Sony
| QD6250 Data Cartdridge, Sytos Software
| 200 [EUR?]
| Lending OK, 20/day [EUR?]

This data rescuer has worked with your tapes (German):
    http://www.festplatten-datenrettung.de/tape_recovery-03.htm

They say:
| Gegenwärtig werden diese Laufwerke nur von Tandberg Data
| hergestellt. Doch es sind noch viele Laufwerke anderer
| Hersteller wie Archive, Wangtek und Sankyo im Einsatz.
(Only Tandberg Data still produces drives, but many other
manufacturer's drives (e.g. Archive, Wangtek and Sankyo) are
still in use)

Have a look at:
    http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/articles/storage-devices/x523.html
Now, which QIC drives do 60 and 150 MB?  These are most probably
compatible and usable for your quest.

E.g. http://www.6thplanet.com/menu/m_mas_back_bactape.html
sells a "Wangtek 5525ES 525MB QIC Drive. Int 5 1/4, SCSI. Brown.
Refurbished 90 Day RTB Wty." which should do what you want
for ca 65 Pound (GB).

Total search time: ~30 minutes.  Google is good.

-Wolfgang
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