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IBM 3420 Magnetic tape drive for Christmas

At the place I worked at in 1975, I wrote the IBM1130 assembly code to drive a tape drive. We used that code to do disk backups for years. I loved watching the tape go up and down the vacuum colums (those tall thin jobs that go up and down). The tape gets sucked into those columns and light sensors control the tape reels to get the tape between 2 limits (top of column and close to the bottom).

I hated it when it would start going back and forth. I knew that it was doing read retries and I would soon get a tape read error. That would mean going to the back room and getting out 5 more trays of cards to reprocess (monthly backups).
 
At the place I worked at in 1975, I wrote the IBM1130 assembly code to drive a tape drive. We used that code to do disk backups for years. I loved watching the tape go up and down the vacuum colums (those tall thin jobs that go up and down). The tape gets sucked into those columns and light sensors control the tape reels to get the tape between 2 limits (top of column and close to the bottom).
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I wish I could have been there to see that. Reel vintage stuff like that Is cool to see how It operates. My grandad made the tape drive cases and other thing's like that. He collected them, but one year, his friends convinced him to throw them out.:-(
But out of all the Tape drives, my favorite Is the 3420.;)
 
apple2fan said:
But out of all the Tape drives, my favorite Is the 3420.;)
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I like the old tape drives and card readers as well, but like most people, I don't have the space. I settled for a IBM 9348-012 tape drive, desk top size:

http://ripsaw.cac.psu.edu/~mloewen/Oldtech/IBM9348.html

It does 1600/6250bpi, has a SCSI interface, and uses a small vacuum system to pull the tape leader around to the take up reel. It's basically the same unit as the HP 7980s I worked on in the late '80s. I also have a Documation M-1000L card reader with a USB interface I built:

http://ripsaw.cac.psu.edu/~mloewen/Oldtech/Documation/

I also worked on HP 7970 drives, which used servo tension arms to control tape tension, and Kennedy 9100 drives which had a short vacuum column.
 
IBM 9348 tape drives are pretty cool, but I can't afford things like that. There is always someone else who is willing to pay more money for them than me, so I can never seem to get one.
Just wondering, but where did you get yours? Thanks.;)
 
apple2fan said:
IBM 9348 tape drives are pretty cool, but I can't afford things like that. There is always someone else who is willing to pay more money for them than me, so I can never seem to get one.
Just wondering, but where did you get yours? Thanks.;)
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Last year, on Ebay, for $24 and $75 shipping. It's a heavy sucker. They also show up as HP 7980 or HP 88780. If you drop a note on the Classic Computers mailing list, you may occasionally find one for the cost of shipping. Make sure to get one with the SCSI interface, for easy connectivity.
 
mloewen said:
Last year, on Ebay, for $24 and $75 shipping. It's a heavy sucker. They also show up as HP 7980 or HP 88780. If you drop a note on the Classic Computers mailing list, you may occasionally find one for the cost of shipping. Make sure to get one with the SCSI interface, for easy connectivity.
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Maybe I'm thinking of something else, because I thought they went for a couple hundred! I'll try to get one, that's for sure.
 
kennedy 9401 tape drive

kennedy 9401 tape drive

I have a kennedy 9401 1/2 inch mag tape drive in a 19 inch rackmount and a fujitsu m2444 1/2 inch mag tape drive they both weigh about 300 lbs each. (pertec interface) i dont know how much it would cost to upgrade the boards to scsi. i also have a cypher f880. i have a pertec card and software to write to the drives, with pertec you can daisy chain the drives together off of one card.

the kennedy looks something like this
http://www.computer-history.info/Page4.dir/pages/PDP.11.dir/images/KennedyTapeDrive.big.jpg
the cipher f880 looks like this
http://www.electrovalueinc.com/9_track_drives.htm

the software and pertec card cost me 500 bucks 15 years ago. i know ill never get that if i decide to sell them. oh i also have a exb-120 cms 8mm dat library with no drives installed. i called a company that sells parts for them. it will cost 700 bucks just for the tape magazines ( so it can hold 116 tapes ) and the tape drive mounts. i have 2 exb 8mm dat drive that will bolt up into the exb-120. the exb-120 will hold 4 drives and can use either differential scsi or scsi. the exb-120 cost 90,000 new. whoa !!1

Ill keep you posted when im ready to sell them.
 
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There's a thrift in Hallandale, FL that has an HP setup, and I'm pretty sure they'd sell the tape drive solo, at this point.

If you want, when I get back to the states, I can run by and see if they still have it and put you in touch with them.

They are heavy beasts, though!


T
 
Sharkonwheels said:
There's a thrift in Hallandale, FL that has an HP setup, and I'm pretty sure they'd sell the tape drive solo, at this point.

If you want, when I get back to the states, I can run by and see if they still have it and put you in touch with them.

They are heavy beasts, though!


T
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I want that address!
 
Be careful what you wish for

Be careful what you wish for

A 3420 tape drive is powered by 208 VAC, then you'd need a 3803 controller. A 3803 runs on 3 phase 208. Then you'd need a Selector Channel to feed it. It is a rather large piece of equipment. The 3803 controller usually had eight 3420s attached. There were smaller tape handlers built, the 3410 or an 8809 that could probably be adapted. That old IBM mainframe stuff was rather large and actually the Plug-Compatable drives were superior. StorageTek for example. For a while earlier, Telex had a decent tape handler. In the days of the 360s, everybody and their brother-in-law were building tape handlers. The IBM 2420 was absolutely the most reliable self-threader ever built, unfortunately it didn't read and write very well due to it's low R/W head tape wrap angle. At that time even CalComp was building IBM compatable drives. I sure don't miss them, a lot of maintenance to keep any tape drive working acceptably. Only a printer needed more maintenance. (If I never see a 1403 lineprinter again I'll be very content!)
 
Oh come on Woody. Nothing more fun then leaning forward into the dark recesses and trying to adjust the hammer actuators.
 
My hearing is pfft!

My hearing is pfft!

Yeah, adjusting hammer timing and such in those old "ballistic" printers was a noisy ear damaging activity. In the sixties I thought myself indestructable and ear protection? Wonder just how loud a constant line of "H's" was? When you're just a few inches away. Adjusting the later printers with a pizo were so much easier on one's hearing.
 
Woodym1 said:
For a while earlier, Telex had a decent tape handler. In the days of the 360s, everybody and their brother-in-law were building tape handlers.
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Didn't Telex lose a major lawsuit with IBM over their drives? I had friends who'd worked for Telex and wound up on the street looking for employment...
 
Software

Software

I actually have a DEC version of one of these tabletop 9-tracks. (can't remember the model number). But, I think it's the same drive as the Kennedy.

It's has a SCSI interface. I've not had the time to get it working with a PC. Any suggestions about what software could be used with it?

I'd be tickled just to be able to write some data to a tape, then read it back.
 
MattCarp said:
I actually have a DEC version of one of these tabletop 9-tracks. (can't remember the model number). But, I think it's the same drive as the Kennedy.

It's has a SCSI interface. I've not had the time to get it working with a PC. Any suggestions about what software could be used with it?

I'd be tickled just to be able to write some data to a tape, then read it back.
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Is it like the IBM 9348 tape drive?
I have been looking for seven of them to toss in a rack and run together in some sort of super slow, noisy, and awesome tape array.
 
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