[Coco] what kind of drives are these?

[Gene Heskett]

On Tuesday 17 October 2017 18:47:44 Rietveld Rietveld wrote:

> https://www.kijiji.ca/v-desktop-computers/norfolk-county/2-radioshack-
>computer-and-drives-and-parts/1306104009?enableSearchNavigationFlag=tru
>e&uli=true
>
> [https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/ODAwWDgwMA==/z/c4cAAOSwyGZZ5oQ-/$_20.JPG]<
>https://www.kijiji.ca/v-desktop-computers/norfolk-county/2-radioshack-c
>omputer-and-drives-and-parts/1306104009?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
>&uli=true>
>
> 2 RadioShack computer and drives and parts | Desktop Computers |
> Norfolk County |
> Kijiji<https://www.kijiji.ca/v-desktop-computers/norfolk-county/2-radi
>oshack-computer-and-drives-and-parts/1306104009?enableSearchNavigationF
>lag=true&uli=true> www.kijiji.ca
> estate find 1 radioshack micro computer 1 radioshack trs80 color
> computer 2 floppy drives 1 hard drive and controller 1 joystick 1
> radioshack color computer board box of cables i don't know much about
> this system. it was an estate find. i am not sure how to use
> everything but it turns on and the screen looks clear. the computer
> has some cables built in that connect to composite
>
> does anyone know what kind of drives these are?

Not sure of the brand, but from the cable arrangement, its an "MFM" 
drive, possibly with RLL encoding.  Max capacity would be 32 megabytes 
if RLL, or just over 20 without. The controller I haven't seen before 
but looks as if it has 2 expansion slots sticking up on the left end.  
The only mfm drive I had was a seagate st-238, and I drove it with one 
of the very early B&B interfaces, totally different from the controller 
in these pix. Before powering it up, locate a rubber hammer, and if you 
don't hear it winding up within a second of power up, give the drive 
case a gentle tap on a front corner so as to bump it sideways, which may 
be enough to free stuck heads from the effects of stiction, which may be 
holding the platters from spinning up.

Cheers, Gene Heskett
-- 
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>