From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
From: jfoust@threedee.com (John Foust)
Date: Mon, 11 May 2015 12:35:41 -0500
Subject: [TUHS] reading 9 track tapes?
In-Reply-To: <20150511171856.A757518C0FC@mercury.lcs.mit.edu>
References: <20150511171856.A757518C0FC@mercury.lcs.mit.edu>
Message-ID: <20150511184850.0904214DCB@www.oztivo.net>

At 12:18 PM 5/11/2015, Noel Chiappa wrote:
>    > From: Aharon Robbins
>
>    > Can anyone still read 9 track tapes? We just un-covered two that date
>    > from my wife's time in grad school, circa 1989 - 1990. They would be
>    > tar tapes.
>
>That old, the issue is not going to be the format (TAR is still grokkable),
>but the physical condition of the tapes; that old, they might have issues
>with shedding of oxide, etc (which a heat soak can mostly cure). If you
>really want them read, I would recommend a specialist in reading old tapes;
>it will cost, but if you really want the data... I have used Chuck Guzis, in
>Washington (state) in the US.

Oh, that tape may be just fine if it was kept in office conditions.

Chuck Guzis is at http://sydex.com/ .  He'd do a fine job.

There may be others at the Classic Computer Collector mailing
list who could assist.

- John