[rescue] Amiga 1000 rescue!

[gsm at mendelson.com]

On Wed, Jun 23, 2010 at 07:55:34AM +0000, Ian Finder wrote:

>So my question is are those all 700k drives, as I thought 700k formatted 1.44
>media would work reliably in 1.44 drives in 700k compatibility mode.

Yes, but I also go to Office Depot (or at least I did when they still sold
them) bought el cheapo (25 to the pack no name) 1.4m floppies, covered the
density indicator hole and formatted them as 800k floppies to use in
old Macs. 

I never had a problem reading (or writing them) but read all sorts of dire
warnings.

The head size and shape and the track width and spacing are the same for
all 360k/400k (single sided), 720k/800k (double sided), and 1.4m double
sided double density 3.5 inch drives. I have no idea about 2.8m drives.

The difference between the 720k and 800k is recording mode and speed,
and the magnetic capability of the material between them and 1.4m disks.
However I have over the years both punched extra holes (I had a nifty 
punch to do it), to convert 720/800k disks to 1.4m ones and
later covered the holes to convert 1.4m to 720k/800k.

I also did some 400k Mac boot disks just in case one shows up, but I doubt
there were many in the country and the last ones I saw were in the US
almost 20 years ago.


>
>The problem I thought was 700k formated 1.44mb media in 700k only drives, so
>if I replace the amiga floppy drive with a 1.44mb PeeCee one, would it just
>treat it as a 700k drive and work?

What does that document say? Is there another more modern one? Is there
an Amiga refurbishers list sort of like this was originally the Sun rescue
list?

>Either way, how difficult is it to find a drive on that list? I haven't had
>much luck.

You can find almost anything on eBay if you look hard enough. If it is
what it is claimed to be and actually works is another issue. :-(

BTW, a really stupid question. If you don't have any floppies, how do you
know the drive is broken? I've brought many a Mac drive of that vintage
back to life with a cleaning diskette and 95% grain alcohol. 

When that failed, a careful dissasembly, cleaning and re-lubricating fixed
a few. I use sewing machine oil very carefully.


>
>Thanks for the valuable information you've already provided, this box seems
>like a really neat piece of kit.

You're welcome. I really was into it at one time, even to the point of
writing softwate reviews for a long defunct magazine. But that was a long,
long, time ago. And it seems in a country far, far away. 

Geoff.

-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm at mendelson.com  N3OWJ/4X1GM
I do multitasking. If that bothers you, file a complaint and I will start 
ignoring it immediately.