RE: Micropolis Manuals (Was: Transfer 8050 disks - Catweasel(was:PET2001 Fix))

From: M H Stein <dm561_at_torfree.net>
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 2010 18:42:45 -0500
Message-ID: <01CA9161.4F31CF00@MSE_D03>
Hi:

Yes, I kind of thought that your 8050s were not working properly;
unfortunately it doesn't sound like Carlsson has anything in his
basement that could help you.

Yes, the stepper and screw assembly are the critical part and AFAIK
they have remained compatible throughout most of the Micropolis
drives (except for SS/DS of course). I would expect the PCB from 
a 1015/1016 to work with the 8050's 1006, but whether the later 
11xx board would drive the motor correctly and interface correctly
with the 1006 head is an unknown.

I don't have a Catweasel or anything that could read the 8050 GCR
format in a PC-compatible system or I would try it. But if you can't
come up with any other solution and are willing to pay postage both
ways I could send you the PCB from one of my 1015/6s to try, use
for a while if it works, but ultimately return to me.

You might also ask on the Vintage Computer Forum; one of the 
members there, Chuck(G), is more familiar with these drives than
most if not all of us (he wrote 22disk, Nice22 and other disk-related
vintage software, and reading non-standard disk formats has been
his business for many years). AFAIK he also has an 1115-VI so he 
might be able to help you out regarding the one on eBay (or maybe 
even sell you his). He's a nice guy and always ready to help.

Good luck!

mike
******************************************************************************

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From: 	hwarin@neuf.fr[SMTP:hwarin@neuf.fr]
Sent: 	Saturday, January 09, 2010 5:48 PM
To: 	cbm-hackers@musoftware.de
Subject: 	RE: Micropolis Manuals (Was: Transfer 8050 disks - Catweasel(was:PET2001 Fix))

Hi

Mike, it won't be easyer for me to use "normal" 8050 with "normal Commodore" computer as, my 3 8050 were already unable to format any floppy disk before my fire issue. Now, my whole commodore material are dirt with slough and will be completely unusable for months. Stepper/Screw/Head ensemble are the most important parts of the drive .... 

==> I imagine that I can eventually extract 1 of my 6 micropolis 1006 mecanics, clean it, check everything possible on it then install the 1115-6 electronic board on it. Does this have a chance to work ?

Bill, pictures of the parts you've included in your previous mail are exactly what I'm searching for; a Micropolis board able to drive a "normal" 8050 mechanic with a "normal" shugart interface. Will I be really lucky that you would agree to sell me one of those 1015-5; at least, the electronic board ?

Groepaz, the drive I'm currently using with the caeweasel is a curious half size Toshiba labelled MKM262E. It's curious because the mecanism has a sort of double locking system, preventing an accidental floppy disk removal. If I remember well, this drive was installed in my very first PC compatible, a Bull Micral 30. It's a 360K, 96TPI, 300RPM. It works in catweathel better with "analog PLL" settings and needs diskchange to be deactivated. I've googled about this floppy drive but found absolutely nothing.

Regards
Hervé WARIN


----------
From: hwarin@neuf.fr[SMTP:hwarin@neuf.fr]
Sent: Friday, January 08, 2010 7:22 PM
To: cbm-hackers@musoftware.de
Subject: RE: Micropolis Manuals (Was: Transfer 8050 disks - Catweasel (was:PET2001 Fix))

Hi, all

I thank you all for your interest to my 100TPI problem. I've read with a great interest Herb's site and found lot of interesting stuff on this subject. Certainly, the worst thing that I've discovered is that this kind of drives has only an interest for our small 8050 & 8250 users community and (don't know how numerous now) S100/VG systems users. During last 30 years, those devices have certainly been dropped away in a much more important proportion than other "obsolete" stuffs as completely unusable in other systems (or falsely found as defective if plugged on any PC-like system).

Well, all that to say that we're not helped with this luxuous at the time but now fully exotic disk format. I've found on eBay a "MicropolisÃ' part numberÃ' 1115-VI" that seems really a familly parent with the 1006 (locking mecanisn is different from 8050's one but main motor seems to be identical) ... I'm just asking me if it would be a great oportunity to get at least a "100TPI compatible" electronic board or just a good idea to "drop money by the window" ... it's quite cheap but shippment cost is quite huge.

http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260429582213&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

If anyone had technical details on the 1115 to help me in my decision to take it or to let it ...

Thanks a lot - Regards

HervÃf© WARIN

-----------------------

I *think* that the 1115-VI is a 96TPI unit; both the electronics
_and_ the mechanical assembly are quite different from the
1006 used in the 8050, but AFAIK the stepper/screw/head
assembly is compatible.

Personally, I'd wait for a 100TPI Micropolis or Tandon drive to 
show up on eBay or elsewhere; as Bill points out, even on a 
good 100TPI Micropolis drive you might have problems reading
your 8050 diskettes. 

Would it not be easier to read the disks on a real 8050?

mike


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