From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Paul Furness Subject: _Old_ tape drive type. Date: 05 Nov 2002 10:16:36 +0000 Sender: linux-tape-owner@vger.kernel.org Message-ID: <1036491396.2514.45.camel@zebra.vil.ite.mee.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Return-path: List-Id: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: Linux-Administration , linux-tape@vger.kernel.org Hi. I'm wondering if someone can help me with an identification problem. This is not strictly a linux specific problem, but there is so much accumulated knowledge and experience on these mailing lists that I figure someone might know this. Besides, I need to use linux to solve the problem once the hardware is ID'd. Anyhow, here's the problem: 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. All I have manged to get so far for web searches is that they are _possibly_ QIC tapes, and that they might go in a 5.25 tape drive, but I'm not really any nearer knowing the make/model of tape drive or where I might get one. Anyone remember using these and know what type of drive I need? Failing that, do you know someone who might be able to tell me? I know that they were used by Reading (UK) University for backups and data distribution and I think they are probably about 8-10 years old, although they could be a lot older. This data is some of the original material that was used when MPEG-1 was being created. Any and all pointers would be appreciated. Thanks. Paul. -- Paul Furness Systems Manager Steepness is an illusion caused by flat things leaning over.