Dual floppy with a regular DF0 and a Gotek (with switch)

[superfrog76]

Hi all,

I have finally got a Gotek; now I am planning to install it but I don't want to loose the regular DF0, since I still run some floppy on my system.
I have a 1200 motherboard in a HTPC case; so I would like to set up both the Gotek and the DF0.

I did get a cable with 2 connectors but sadly it is a regular PC connector, so the cable has the cable twist. I want to use either drive, not both of them at the same time, so I did research a bit and I heard that it is possible to do so, by adding a switch on few pins on the cable.

Now, I have no idea how to do this...I have the 2 drives and the cable, but not sure how to "untwist" the cable, so the pins will be the same (it is a ribbon cable,  I don't have a crimper so I can't add the connector just on top of the cable; which means that I need to cut some of the wires and attach them again using the iron probably), and the second question would be how to add a switch, so I can cycle between the regular floppy drive and the Gotek drive, without switch connector.

I know that the fastest way would be to just disconnect the connector every time I need to swap drive; but the case is closed and the monitor is on top of the case, so every time I would like to swap I would need to take off the monitor, the case cover and swap the drive...a lot of work to be honest, if I can avoid it

I assume someone else did install a Gotek and the regular floppy already; so I am curious to know how did you do it. Thanks

[superfrog76]

Thanks a lot for the reply!

So fundamentally I wanted to have both as DF0: since many floppy won't boot from DF1, at least from what I recall (haven't touch the Amiga for ages). If there is a way to boot directly from DF1 as if it was DF0; I am just fine having both drives on the regular twisted cable, and set the jumpers as you did mention earlier in the post.

But if that is not possible, I would like to have the option to be able to boot from either, without the need to open the case and swap cables; possibly with a switch (although I still need to turn off the Amiga of course, does not feel right to hot swap on a 1991 computer to be honest).

I am on 3.1 KS, and I use 3.1 as Workbench (the enhanced version from Bloodwich, it has a ton of nice things already set up like MUI and such)

Thanks again!

[superfrog76]

Fantastic!

So they can be both connected as DF0 even if the cable is twisted; and all that it takes is to switch power?

I can easily do a Y cable with a switch to route power; that is brilliant. Thanks again for your help! I hope you did turn off the Amiga before switch power; not sure that the power rail on the floppy has any sort of voltage regulator or fuse to avoid to blow up the floppy; when powering it up. The gotek should be more lenient on that, since it is newer tech compared to a floppy drive