Re: To bang or not to bang

[Warren Ernst <wernst@gmail.com>]

On Aug 30, 11:16 pm, Tristan Mumford <xtristan.xmumf...@xgmail.xcom>
wrote:
> Warren Ernst wrote:
> > On Aug 30, 10:02 pm, Tristan Mumford <xtristan.xmumf...@xgmail.xcom>
> > wrote:
> >> Michael J. Mahon wrote:
> >> > Tristan Mumford wrote:
> >> >> Hello everybody.
>
> >> >> I have a little dilemma.
>
> >> >> I wish to back up my collection of 5.25" disks, and also access them
> >> >> for other reasons on my IIgs.
> >> >> Up until now I have been using one of the Apple 5.25" drives from my
> >> >> //e. I swear all the headbanging is killing it. But it transfers
> >> >> things so quickly in IIgs mode.
>
> >> > There's no real stress on the drive from attempting to seek out past
> >> > track 0.  The head motion cam hits a stop, and then the stepper motor
> >> > stops stepping--but this does not cause any wear on the cam or the
> >> > stop, and there is no extra acceleration of the head compared to normal
> >> > stepping.
>
> >> > It just makes noise.  Don't worry about it.  ;-)
>
> >> I guess C= 1541 has put me in the mindset of headbanging being slightly
> >> destructive.
>
> >> >> My other option is to use an Atlas-8 drive I have. What sets it aside
> >> >> from the Apple 5.25 is it has headbang protection. Ie no
> >> >> rattle-rattle. However using this I would need to drop a floppy
> >> >> controller card into my IIgs, which would mean a drop to 1MHz during
> >> >> transfers. (Or does the IIgs do that anyway with smartport devices?).
>
> >> > For any GCR 5.25" drive it *must* slow to 1MHz.
>
> >> That's very interesting. One thing that I noticed from the first time I
> >> connected the Apple 5.25" drive to my IIgs is stepping and track0 seek
> >> headbang are faster than on my platinum. I figured the read / write
> >> timings were the same, but the seeking is noticeably ramped up except
> >> during boot time seeking.
> >> The change from jackhammer to rattlegun made me nervous, because the IIgs
> >> is still relatively new to me.
>
> >> >> Sure there's the third option of making an adaptor to put the Atlas-8
> >> >> on the end of the daisychain, but I still don't feel confident enough
> >> >> about the pinout, and don't feel like mutilating a connector down to
> >> >> the right size if I can avoid it.
>
> >> >> What would the best option be, in peoples opinion?
>
> >> > No action.
>
> >> Works for me. Although having two slots consumed with drive controllers
> >> in the //e is a shade annoying. And I do like having matching drives. But
> >> the Atlas is such a nice drive too...
>
> >> Good advice.
>
> >> Tristan.
>
> >> --
> >> ----->http://members.dodo.com.au/~izabellion1/tristan/index.html<-----
> >> =====       It's not pretty, it's not great, but it is mine.       =====
>
> > Tristan,
>
> > Some of us have had our noisy, head-banging floppy drives working for
> > more than 25 years now, and they still work fine.
>
> > Though it can sound gut-wrenching if you aren't used to it, I must
> > concur that the noise doesn't actually damage anything after repeated
> > use.
>
> My drives have been on the //e as long as I can remember. They seem to be
> quite hateful of the high speed banging though that the IIgs gives it.
> Although I have to admit I love the sound they make while doing normal
> seeks. Hearing them an octave higher is oddly satisfying.
>
>
>
> > That said, if you truly feel that the drive is on its way out, NOW is
> > the time to buy some spare drives, while they are relatively cheap and
> > plentiful. Heck, just last year I bought Apple Platinum half-height
> > 5.25" drives for less than $5. Buy 4 at once and never worry about it
> > again.
>
> Where on earth are you finding them at that price? I only have a total of 3
> working 5.25" drives left. The two Apple 5.25" disks that belong to my //e
> and the Atlas 5.25" half height.
>
> Tristan.
>
> --
> ----->http://members.dodo.com.au/~izabellion1/tristan/index.html<-----
> =====       It's not pretty, it's not great, but it is mine.       =====


Just by trolling ebay. I only leap when there are good deals to be
had, which happens once in a while. The key to finding things cheap on
ebay is never to be in a hurry...

-Warr