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Amiga computer related discussion => General chat about Amiga topics => Topic started by: jimbob005 on April 04, 2007, 01:17:59 PM

Title: dd disks
Post by: jimbob005 on April 04, 2007, 01:17:59 PM
hi there dose any one know where you can get new dd disks from in the uk?

thanks james

Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: skurk on April 04, 2007, 02:55:52 PM
The only place I can think of ATM is amigakit (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?osCsid=9bd6d3c7a3b09eca593c7836a3d542fb&keywords=dd), pre-formatted for Amiga(!).  They even have 5.25" floppies - I'm impressed!  Maybe I'll order a lot for my C64. :)
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: zyphoid on April 04, 2007, 03:55:07 PM
have you tried HD disks and putting a piece of tape on the right side i think? this allows none high density drives to read them...i think!
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: skurk on April 04, 2007, 05:52:51 PM
Not all floppy drives like HD disks with the "HD hole" taped shut.

I remember, back in the old days when "swappers" existed, they pledged not to send them HD disks since they caused so much trouble.

Dunno the technical details behind it, but that's what I've heard.
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: Tomas on April 04, 2007, 05:56:26 PM
Do you have a HD or a DD drive in your Amiga? If you have a DD, then you can even use HD floppies without taping the extra hole.
I have never ever had any issues with HD floppies on either a500, a600, a2000 or my a1200 and most of the HD floppies i have from the early 90s works just fine today, even though it has not been stored under the best conditions.
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: Damion on April 04, 2007, 05:58:25 PM
Quote

Tomas wrote:
Do you have a HD or a DD drive in your Amiga? If you have a DD, then you can even use HD floppies without taping the extra hole.
I have never ever had any issues with HD floppies on either a500, a600, a2000 or my a1200 and most of the HD floppies i have from the early 90s works just fine today, even though it has not been stored under the best conditions.


The (few) HD I have floppies work fine also. I've had errors on a couple, but they were usually cheap disks anyway.

Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: reddwarfer on April 04, 2007, 07:14:59 PM
I think I heard somewhere that the head magnets are more powerfull in a DD or HD drive than the other, not 100% sure though!
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: meega on April 04, 2007, 07:50:50 PM
Quote

reddwarfer wrote:
I think I heard somewhere that the head magnets are more powerfull in a DD or HD drive than the other, not 100% sure though!


Where did you hear that?
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: reddwarfer on April 04, 2007, 07:54:00 PM
I've no idea.
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: meega on April 04, 2007, 07:59:07 PM
Can't see it myself.
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: da9000 on April 07, 2007, 08:01:41 PM
Hint:

read this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floppy_disk

Search for "stronger" and you'll find the tidbit about magnetic head strength.

As for using HD floppies in DD drives, I also _never_ had any problems on Amigas. And afterall: you have nothing to lose. If one doesn't work, just trash it. There is an overabundance of HD floppies today ( although not in a few years :-) )

Cheers!
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: James on April 07, 2007, 08:28:57 PM
I also use mostly HD disks since they are more easily available new. You only need to tape the whole if you are using them in an HD drive, to fool it into thinking it's a DD disk you've just inserted.

I did have quite a number of problems using HD instead of DD.....in a PC. Never on Amiga! Maybe the heads inside an Amiga drive are stronger than their PC equivalent, I don't know.

If you have a Commodore-era Amiga DD drive, you should be fine with HD disks. Later models had different drives and are known to have trouble now and again.
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: meega on April 07, 2007, 10:01:29 PM
Quote

da9000 wrote:
Hint:

read this page:


No. Please provide a better reference. Also, cheers!
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: jimbob005 on April 08, 2007, 12:31:30 PM
is there any way of having a working hd drive in an amiga?
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: James on April 08, 2007, 12:40:33 PM
IIRC the 4000 came with an HD drive, so yes.
Title: Re: dd disks
Post by: JaXanim on April 08, 2007, 12:53:22 PM
Quote

reddwarfer wrote:
I think I heard somewhere that the head magnets are more powerfull in a DD or HD drive than the other, not 100% sure though!


That and a property of the magnetic medium called coercivity.
DD and HD media are different and drives may work with one or the other or both.

JaX