C7497A DDS-4 Tape Drive

[Jesse Dougherty]

Does anyone happen to know where one could buy a C7497A DDS-4 tape drive for the HP tape array 5300. I have tried HP (new & re-marketed), other HP resellers such as my self, Ebay, Google searches, and a few other on line wholesalers / inventory posting sites with no luck. These things seem to be a tough cookie to locate. If anyone knows of a company or individual that I can obtain one from, please let me know. I cant use any substitutions, its got to be the C7497A

Thanks for your help
Jesse
Cypress Technology Inc
jesse@cypress-tech.com

[Andy Weeks]

The C7497A has been superseded by the C7497B, which is the HP StorageWorks branded version with a Carbon Black front panel (C7497A was HP Surestore branded and had a flint grey front panel). Other than the branding changes, there are no significant differences between these products.

[Jesse Dougherty]

the B's are just as difficult to find as the A's... HP (new) back ordered until June

[Andy Weeks]

I have checked the supply chain and there are no apparent hold ups with supply of C7497B from the manufacturing site. Therefore I can only assume that there is some issue with the regional distribution. This may be an issue locally rather than all regions. Sorry I cannot be of more help.

[Jesse Dougherty]

Andy, thanks for following up on this issue. I ended up ordering the C7497A from HP by the part number C7497-69201, its the same drive but for some reason you can get the C7497-69201 but not the C7497A, Go figure. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as I pay list price for one of these, I found two in
the used market a lot cheaper.

[Andy Weeks]

Jesse, this is still weird, I am being told the product is readilly available. The part number you purchased is the field-support version, but as you correctly say it is basically the same product with a different part number! Glad you got fixed in the end.