Amiga 5,25" floppy?

[Iggy_Drougge]

As those of us who were there in the WB 1.x days know, Commodore once produced a 5,25" Amiga floppy drive, primarily for reading PC disks. It was an external drive, called the A1020.
While reading 5,25" PC floppies isn't much called for nowadays, there is another use, thanks to some Aminet archives - reading and writing C64 floppies.
Sadly, I haven't got such a drive, but it made me think - how would a (big-box) Amiga react to a common 5,25" drive being put on its drive chain? Would that be a no-go, and if so, for what reason?
Anyone know?

[redrumloa]

AFAIK out of the box it can't handle it. Though it would work with a Catweasel S-Class.

[csirac_]

I once made a 1541 converter that hooked up to the par. port of the PC, worked great but is freaking slow...

- Paul

[Iggy_Drougge]

We're using a similar cable with ReadySoft's A64 emulator, but I'd rather not go through the cumbersome task of moving the 1541 to the Amiga and running that dirty old emulator each time I'd like to transfer a program to the '64. The Catweasel refuses to work on our 1200, to add insult to injury. =/

[redrumloa]

Too bad you don't have an Amiga with Zorro slots! I am quite impressed with the Catweasel S-Class on the test A2000 here!

[Iggy_Drougge]

Oh, I've got several Zorro Amigas, though my A4000 is a bit cramped in the slot department - even though I've got a Zorro slot "to spare" right now, I believe that even a small card such as the Catweasel would collide with my A2301 in the video slot.
I'm just not very rich ATM, and neither is our usergroup.

[CU_AMiGA]

@Iggy_Drougge

That's no problem. You can sell me your A4000 and then you will have lots and lots of money to spare! How about it? :-)

[Iggy_Drougge]

CU_AMiGA wrote:
@Iggy_Drougge

That's no problem. You can sell me your A4000 and then you will have lots and lots of money to spare! How about it? :-)

For lots of money, you say? Well, then it's a deal. With lots of money, I could buy me a new A4000. ;-)

[CU_AMiGA]

Iggy_Drougge wrote:

CU_AMiGA wrote:
@Iggy_Drougge



That's no problem. You can sell me your A4000 and then you will have lots and lots of money to spare! How about it? :-)

For lots of money, you say? Well, then it's a deal. With lots of money, I could buy me a new A4000. ;-)

OH! You outwitted me with that one Iggy_Drouge!!! :lol: DAMN! So in otherwords your A4000 is not for sale. HHMMM! Don't blame you really!

I AM THE BILL GATES OF AMIGA! I BUY! BUY! BUY! ONE OF YOU WILL GET BORED OF YOUR A4000, AND WHEN YOU DO, BAM! I AMBUSH YOU AND BUY IT FROM YOU BEFORE YOU COULD SAY "UNCLE SAM!"  :-D

[redrumloa]

BUY! BUY! BUY!

/me perks up

Did someone say BUY! BUY! BUY! ?

I agree :-D  :-D

[CU_AMiGA]

redrumloa wrote:

BUY! BUY! BUY!

/me perks up

Did someone say BUY! BUY! BUY! ?

I agree :-D  :-D

Stuff that i want redrumloa!

I am after a PreludeA1200 soundcard!
And an A4000 HDD or two!

There! Pick the bones out of that one redrumload!

I just got a microwave by the way!

[redrumloa]

I can get you a Delfina Flipper, but not a Prelude:-)

redrumload? :-o

[whabang]

To follow the topic:
AFAIK, the 5.25 FD should work fine with any amiga, as it uses the standard floppy connector, no?

[mongo]

Sadly, I haven't got such a drive, but it made me think - how would a (big-box) Amiga react to a common 5,25" drive being put on its drive chain? Would that be a no-go, and if so, for what reason?

It would work, but would be identified by the Amiga as a 3.5" drive. I don't think the software on Aminet for reading 1541 disks actually checks what kind of drive is attached though, so it should still work.

Also, while it is possible to read 1541 disks, you can only reliably write to the first half of a disk (up to track 18, I think.)

[redrumloa]

How would it work? The 5 &1/4 PC floppy drive has no onboard floppy controller, it is handled by the CIAs which AFAIK do not support that format.

I may have to plug one in just to test your theory:-)

BTW: Aren't you the one making VICtim?