[Coco] Re: [Color Computer] Tandy FD-502

[Gene Heskett]

On Friday 28 January 2005 08:58, Dave wrote:
>Well, my auction arrived today and it's in great shape....!
>
>What are the options to add a second drive to this unit?
>
>1- Can I use a 1.2 drive?

Only if its jumpered for 300 rpm, making a 720k drive out of it at the 
coco controllers available kilobaud data rate.  Most of them can be 
jumpered to slow them down.  The default 1.2 meg spindle speed is 360 
rpm, which at the coco's baud rate, would equal 15 sectors per track 
as opposed to 18 sectors per track.  So theoreticly a 1.2 could be 
used, but at 600k actual capacity.  All my drives have had the 
jumpers, so I personally have not tried that, under os9/nitros9 of 
course, not the builtin basic.

Marty Goodman is probably the best record keeper in terms of knowing 
about these drives, so if you can get him the exact model # & make of 
the drive, he may be able to tell you where and how this jumper is 
marked on the drives pcb.

>2- Is the fan really required? I've read articles pro and con...

I'd recommend it, its not that noisey in most cases.

>3- By default, should I be replacing the e-caps on some of these
>power supplies as this "is" vintage equipment....and should this
>include the CoCo's?

Thats a question I've asked myself a few times, but so far I've not 
had any simptoms of bad e-caps, so I haven't. As I'm a CET, 
replacement is not a big deal to me as I have the tools & a good temp 
controlled iron already.

I'd be a little more wary of the ones in the drive boxes power supplys 
than most of them, but of the RS drive boxes I have, so far only one 
has gotten to the point it needed fresh ones.  It sat in a rack at 
the tv station for 13 years, running 24/7, without any huge amount of 
air moving around it so it did run warm so they were replaced while I 
was replaceing a worn out drive about 3 years ago.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
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