From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.0 required=5.0 tests=HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS, MAILING_LIST_MULTI,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [45.79.103.53]) by inbox.vuxu.org (OpenSMTPD) with ESMTP id 424da658 for ; Sun, 28 Apr 2019 11:12:39 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 1446E9B546; Sun, 28 Apr 2019 21:12:38 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 74A0B93D32; Sun, 28 Apr 2019 21:12:06 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 7137993D2A; Sun, 28 Apr 2019 21:12:03 +1000 (AEST) Received: from yagi.h-net.msu.edu (yagi.h-net.msu.edu [35.9.18.40]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C4C7993D27 for ; Sun, 28 Apr 2019 21:12:02 +1000 (AEST) Received: from yagi.h-net.org (unknown [127.0.0.1]) by yagi.h-net.msu.edu (Postfix) with ESMTP id 17AEA1C2FC7 for ; Sun, 28 Apr 2019 07:12:02 -0400 (EDT) X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at example.com Received: from yagi.h-net.msu.edu ([127.0.0.1]) by yagi.h-net.org (yagi.h-net.org [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id X14VHbjLfQTN for ; Sun, 28 Apr 2019 07:12:01 -0400 (EDT) Received: from yagi.h-net.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by yagi.h-net.msu.edu (Postfix) with ESMTP for ; Sun, 28 Apr 2019 07:12:01 -0400 (EDT) References: <201904280845.x3S8j7GQ008565@freefriends.org> To: tuhs@tuhs.org From: Dennis Boone In-reply-to: (Your message of Sun, 28 Apr 2019 02:45:07 -0600.) <201904280845.x3S8j7GQ008565@freefriends.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-ID: <12884.1556449921.1@yagi.h-net.org> Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2019 07:12:01 -0400 Message-Id: <20190428111202.17AEA1C2FC7@yagi.h-net.msu.edu> Subject: Re: [TUHS] OT: Need help getting old 9 track tapes read X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" > Scott Lee, who worked with me on the Georgia Tech Software Tools > Subystem for Pr1me Computers, recently unearthed two tapes with some > version of that software. These may be the only copies extant > anywhere. !!! > | I was cleaning out the basement of my house. They're 35 years old, > | but they've never been left in the heat or anything. I opened one > | of them up and checked the tape and it's not self-sticky or > | anything. The odds that they're readable is slim, because old > | 9-track bits tended to bleed through each other. You were supposed > | to spin through the tape every couple of years to make them last > | longer. That's obviously not happened. I've read stuff that old that was stored in worse conditions. 9-track is surprisingly robust. Humidity can be worse on the 80s-era media, aggravating the "sticky shed" problem. There are several methods for dealing with that, including low temp baking, chemical treatments, stripping coating off the back side of the tape, etc. I use a low-tech baking solution at home. Most methods give you a limited number of reads over a fairly short time period. > Dennis Boone & Bill Gunshannon (are you on this list?) - I may ask > you to contribute $$ towards this once I know more. Let me know. De