Wild-hair floppy drive question

[Doc Shipley]

Randy McLaughlin wrote:

> From: "Allison" <ajp166 at bellatlantic.net>
> Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2005 9:41 AM
> 
>>>   From: Scott Stevens <chenmel at earthlink.net>
>>>   Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2005 09:28:37 -0500
> 
> <snip>
> 
>>> Years back, I had good luck using a 720K (DSDD) 3-1/2" drive in place of
>>> the 720K '80 track' 5-1/4" drive in an Intel PDS workstation.  I
>>> 'converted over' all the original media from 5-1/4" by installing the 3
>>> and 5 inch drives in a 'dual drive' configuration then ran the disk copy
>>> utility.
>>>
>>> Blank new 720K 3-1/2" media itself has become scarce now, though.
>>
>>
>> I still do this in my Kapro 4/84.  In a pinch 1.44media will work fine
>> if the media select hole (not write protect) is filled.
>>
>> Fortunatly I have a box of 720k media.
>>
>>
>> Allison
> 
> 
> 3.5" DSDD media is still available and cheap but you may need to special 
> order it.

   I'd like to throw in here - there are a couple of office surplus 
houses here that I haunt on a monthly basis.  I've gotten NOS media 
ranging from a couple of Black Watch 6250bpi 9-track reels to DVD-R 
blanks and used floppies out the wazoo.  Last month I picked up 8 10-pc 
boxes of 3.5" DSDD disks for $0.50/box.

   The deal is that the used office supply places seem to get more 
floppy media and want a lot less for it than the computer shops.  In 
fact, one of these places used to throw all that away till I started 
asking for it.  Now he chucks it in a carton till I get to pick over it, 
then puts it out on the shelf for a month or so before he tosses it. 
Mike says I'm not the only buyer for "the weird stuff".  ;)


	Doc