Re: My laser 128

[Michael J. Mahon <mjmahon@aol.com>]

Bill Hicks <billwebzcpm@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jan 10, 1:07 am, Michael J. Mahon <mjma...@aol.com> wrote:
>> Kevin Dady <ke...@hackaday.com> wrote:
>>> On Jan 8, 11:57 am, Michael J. Mahon <mjma...@aol.com> wrote:
>>>> Bill Hicks <billwebz...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> On Jan 8, 6:53 am, Bill Hicks <billwebz...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> On Jan 7, 7:52 pm, "ict@ccess" <gids...@sasktel.net> wrote:
>> 
>>>>>>> On Jan 7, 3:03 pm, Bill Hicks <billwebz...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>>>>>>> This week, while waiting for blank discs I ordered on eBay I wired up
>>>>>>>> a serial cable using an old pc keyboard adapter and a 9 pinn to 25
>>>>>>>> serial cable. Using Adtpro and a few old commodore plus 4 discs I was
>>>>>>>> able to get a dos disk setup.
>> 
>>>>>>>> Today I received the blank discs and they are not the ds dd 360k ones
>>>>>>>> I expected, but ds hd 1.2 mb ones. Before I open the box, will they
>>>>>>>> work? It has been so long I don't even remember if it mattered going
>>>>>>>> from high to double, though I know you can't go the other way.
>> 
>>>>>>>> Also, I pulled the keyboard apart on the 128, and was able to wash
>>>>>>>> every bit if it. Works like a champ now.
>> 
>>>>>>>> Bill
>> 
>>>>>>> You were able to transfer data to your laser to create a DOS disk
>>>>>>> setup without a bootup disk on your Laser?
>> 
>>>>>>> Rob
>> 
>>>>>> Yes using Adtpro. I made a null modem serial cable and was able to get
>>>>>> the basic dos across to it and "init hello" 2 old disks I had laying
>>>>>> around. I wasn't able to make a prodos disk though. I either would get
>>>>>> format errors or I would get a screen of garbage when I booted from
>>>>>> it.
>> 
>>>>>> I just ordered another batch of disks from eBay, this time I hope for
>>>>>> better luck. Also I posted on the local free cycle looking of any old
>>>>>> floppies. May be able to score a bunch used that way.
>> 
>>>>>> Today I am going to write a basic program to make a color test so I
>>>>>> can adjust the color of the old Sony tv I am using. My son thought it
>>>>>> was "neat" to be able to change the colors when he was using the tv
>>>>>> and it is ll out of adjustment.
>> 
>>>>>> Bill
>>>>> I had forgotten that we used to punch a new read write notch in the
>>>>> disk and use the other side on the ]['s when I was in high school and
>>>>> disks cost $5 a piece, is this doable with the 128? I also remember
>>>>> that you take chance of dirt being released from the inside jacket
>>>>> ( reminds me I have to finds disk head cleaner online just in case )
>> 
>>>>> Bill
>> 
>>>> Using your disks as "flippies" will work fine.
>> 
>>>> The old paranoia was a myth for any disk of reasonable quality.
>> 
>>>> -michael - NadaNet 3.1 and AppleCrate II:http://home.comcast.net/~mjmahon
>> 
>>> I have 1 "single sided" disk and it works fine as a flippy, of course
>>> almost all of them are dual sided shortly after anyway
>> 
>> Exactly. There was a short window when "single sided" disks were actually
>> single sided.
>> 
>> And Apple's method of formatting is more tolerant of isolated surface
>> imperfections than others.
>> 
>> -michael - NadaNet 3.1 and AppleCrate II:http://home.comcast.net/~mjmahon
> 
> When you init a disk does dos do any verification?

It reads back track 0 and adjusts the sync nibbles to evenly distribute the
sectors even with drive speed errors. 

-michael - NadaNet 3.1 and AppleCrate II: http://home.comcast.net/~mjmahon