Re: 1.4M drive in a 800K case

["Rodney Hester" <rod3@mindspring.com>]

"Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote in message
20010701113349.06501.00002854@ng-ch1.aol.com">news:20010701113349.06501.00002854@ng-ch1.aol.com...
> Mark Cummings wrote:
>
> >Today I repaired an 800K Apple 3.5 Drive which needed a loading motor
assy.
> >I stole one from a spare 1.4M HD drive from a Mac. It worked.
> >
> >Half way through the job, the penny dropped, and I thought why don't I
just
> >swap the whole mechanism instead of just the load motor assy.
> >
> >So why shouldn't I ?
> >Will it work exactly like the 800K drive, or is there some difference
with
> >the R/W heads or magnetic strength ?
> >Has anyone done this ?
> >Are there any advantages/disadvantages ?
> >
> >BTW I have heard that you can use a FDHD drive on the GS smartport, but
it
> >will only work as an 800K drive, so that's what made me think of the
> >problems using HD floppys in DD drives.
>
> From what I understand, the Sony "2MB" drive from a Mac is *exactly*
> a Superdrive/FDHD, and you have now manufactured one from an Apple
> 3.5 Drive.  It will work functionally identically to a standard 800K drive
> when connected to an Apple II series machine through any controller
> _not_ a Superdrive controller.  When connected through a Superdrive
> controller, it will, naturally, operate as a Superdrive, with all of its
> capabilities.
>
> To my knowledge, the replacement you made is without any downside
> and has a substantial upside should you acquire a Superdrive controller.
>
> Considering how plentiful the Sony 2MB drives are on the Mac "scrap"
> market, I recommend this drive swap--particularly for those who have
> a Superdrive controller card!

OK, the burning question - if you install a Superdrive controller card in a
GS in slot 5 and hook all your drives to it, can you still boot from your
daisy-chained floppy drives normally (including 5.25" slot 6 drives)?

Rodney
Rodney