Re: 8" disk for Apple II Question

[Stephen Shaw <stephen@apple2.org.za>]

Most new IC programmer cards can read the old Pals & Hals. I have resurrected
many Apple IIe's whose Pal had gone west after a card has been removed with the
IIe on. So the Hal problem may not be to hard to overcome.

On Fri, 08 Jun 2001 13:41:52 -0400, agentwd40 wrote:

> Most controllers that I've seen use PAL chips, mostly from MMI
> (Monolithic Memories inc.)
> Decoding the Pal logic and programmming new chips would add to the
> cost of the project.
> Any obsolete IC's would also have to be replaced.
>
> Kevin
>
> On Fri, 8 Jun 2001 00:43:44 -0500, "mrbrad" <mrbrad@ll.net> wrote:
>
>>what would prob not be that large a job ..i'd like to see someone make a
>>copy/prototype board of the old contoller's that run these drives...
>>
>>i've seen lobo 8" drives go on ebay but they want big bucks for them
>>
>>but on the other hand i've seen more then a few shugart 8" drives on ebay in
>>vintage computer area
>>
>>so maybe with some off the shelf componets a hacked ibm prototype card (the
>>hack for making  them the apple // size.can be done)
>>and an eprom builder some enterprising soul could offer the plans/and or
>>card on the group here
>>
>>even if it was just instructions on a vanilla card from one of the old
>>clones would be a nice little project
>>
>>i'd have the skill to follow the instructions but i don't have the skill to
>>make even this simple card...any takers...would be kinda cool to run up the
>>old //  with an 8' drive
>>
>>just a thought
>>
>>brad
>>www.lost-gonzo.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>"Greg Wildman" <greg@apple2.org.za> wrote in message
>>news:9fabil$n7n$1@venus.itns.co.za...
>>> On Thu, 31 May 2001 08:17:00 +1000, Mark Cummings wrote:
>>>
>>> > I am just curious to know if the was ever an 8" floppy disk drive made
>>for
>>> > the Apple II.
>>> > Why I ask, is that a friend I was speaking to said he remembers using an
>>8"
>>> > disk on an Apple II at school. Unfortunately he is not "Apple literate"
>>so
>>> > I wonder whether it was even an Apple he was using. I've been following
>>> > Apples for nearly as long as they've been around and never heard of such
>>a
>>> > beast.
>>> >
>>> > If there was one, what sort of capacity and OS did it have ?
>>> >
>>> > Mark
>>>
>>> Yep, I have one. It is quite a huge beast that has two 8" drives. It is
>>labeled
>>> 'MegaStor' and is made by Vlasak Computer Systems. It also has a sticker
>>on the
>>> front saying 'Compatible with Apple ][ Computer' with a picture of the
>>British
>>> flag.
>>>
>>> It connects to my ][e with a 50pin ribbon cable to a full length
>>controller
>>> card. The card is labeled 'DUAL DENSITY DISK CONTROLLER' and 'SORRENTO
>>VALLEY
>>> ASSOCIATES' with a serial number of 675. The rom chip has a sticker on it
>>with
>>> 'DDF 2-9'.
>>>
>>> I have not used these drives for a while as I never got it to work with
>>ProDOS.
>>> Using Dos3.3 it would store about 1MB which was huge in those days :-)
>>>
>>> --
>>> Greg
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> What is mind? No matter! What is matter? Never mind! - Homer S.
>>

-- 
Computer Hacker wanted. Must have own axe.