5 Jan
1998
5 Jan
'98
12:35 p.m.
Hi, I just picked up an Altair 8800a. It has a North Star disk drive
controller in it. I think it uses a Shugart Sa400 drive. Does anyone know
if it uses a hard sectored or soft sectored disk? Where can I find a SA
400? I know they were very common in the old computers. I have access to a
lot of old computers (old Tandys, Commodores and other stranger things.)
Can anyone tell me which ones migh t have a SA 400 drive? Yes, Yes, I know
you're all going to be PO'd that I would use one of those old machines for
parts, but I've offered them to people over and over and no one is
interested unless I PAY them to take them.
Joe
5 Jan
5 Jan
1:37 p.m.
Just pry a floppy drive out of an old IBM XT. They plug right in and
work, assuming you have the same North Star controller I have in my
IMSAI. Herb Johnson ("Dr. S-100") explained this to me some time ago.
I tried it, and it works. As he told me, the sectoring is determined
by the controller, not by the drive. (One thing, though: you don't
"just pick up" and Altair 8800a. You make burnt offerings of
Microsoft Stock certificates, and burn incense in front of the first
issue of Byte magazine, and maybe if the gods smile upon you, you are
granted an Altair 8800a. You _don't_ "just pick one up". If you
aren't going to treat it with the proper respect, send it to me! :-)
On Mon, 05 Jan 1998 20:35:41, you wrote:
Hi, I just picked up an Altair 8800a. It has a North
Star disk drive
controller in it. I think it uses a Shugart Sa400 drive. Does anyone know
if it uses a hard sectored or soft sectored disk? Where can I find a SA
400? I know they were very common in the old computers. I have access to a
lot of old computers (old Tandys, Commodores and other stranger things.)
Can anyone tell me which ones migh t have a SA 400 drive? Yes, Yes, I know
you're all going to be PO'd that I would use one of those old machines for
parts, but I've offered them to people over and over and no one is
interested unless I PAY them to take them.
Joe
-Bill Richman
bill_r(a)inetnebr.com
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r
(Home of the COSMAC Elf Simulator!)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"When they took the fourth amendment, I was quiet because I didn't deal drugs.
When they took the sixth amendment, I was quiet because I was innocent.
When they took the second amendment, I was quiet because I didn't own a gun.
Now they've taken the first amendment, and I can say nothing about it."
-www.paranoia.com
3:04 p.m.
Now you're catching on... ;-)
On Tue, 06 Jan 1998 00:13:22, you wrote:
At 03:37 AM 1/6/98 GMT, you wrote: You _don't_
"just pick one up". If you
-Bill Richman
bill_r(a)inetnebr.com
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r
(Home of the COSMAC Elf Simulator!)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"When they took the fourth amendment, I was quiet because I didn't deal drugs.
When they took the sixth amendment, I was quiet because I was innocent.
When they took the second amendment, I was quiet because I didn't own a gun.
Now they've taken the first amendment, and I can say nothing about it."
-www.paranoia.com
aren't going to treat it with the proper
respect, send it to me! :-)
Oh forgive me Great Altair in the sky, father of all computers. I will
burn ten PS2s in atonement. 
4:32 p.m.
Just pry a floppy drive out of an old IBM XT. They
plug right in and
work, assuming you have the same North Star controller I have in my
IMSAI. Herb Johnson ("Dr. S-100") explained this to me some time ago.
I tried it, and it works. As he told me, the sectoring is determined
So does this mean I could plug one of these drives into the Pertec Floppy
controller I've got, looking at the manual I think it's a FD2411 controller
dating to about 1977. I gather that it expects to find a Model FD200
Flexible Disk Drive. If not any other ideas on where I could get one of
these drives? Might be easier than getting the controller for the pair of
8" drives I've not been able to identify.
Zane
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
| healyzh(a)ix.netcom.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| For Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| see http://www.dragonfire.net/~healyzh/ |
| For the collecting of Classic Computers with info on them. |
| see http://www.dragonfire.net/~healyzh/museum.html |
11:50 p.m.
[About the method of acquiring an 8800a]
Is there any way I can modify this so as to get a KA-10?
:-)
-------
6 Jan
6 Jan
9:30 a.m.
At 05:50 AM 1/6/98 -0800, you wrote:
[About the method of acquiring an 8800a]
Is there any way I can modify this so as to get a KA-10?
:-)
Well the previous owner has about 29 more old cars out there. No telling
what I'll find. Keep your fingers crossed.
Joe
-------
9847
days inactive
9848
days old
6 comments
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participants (4)
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