Installing an operating system on the 11/83 - update.

Jay Jaeger cube1 at charter.net
Tue Feb 22 21:43:48 CST 2022


On 2/22/2022 6:12 PM, js--- via cctalk wrote:
> 
> On 2/22/2022 7:00 PM, Ray Jewhurst wrote:
>> I read that you can indeed use a standard 1.2 Meg drive and that you 
>> can also use DSHD 5.25 disks in place of RX50s. Is there any truth in 
>> this? If there is it will be much easier and cheaper to make disks for 
>> my Rainbow.
> 
> 
> As Chuck noted, I'd think you'd want to use 360K media -- not DSHD 
> diskettes... and ensure that the 1.2MB drive is slowing down to 300RPM 
> with a data rate of 250KHZ.
> 
> These features will depend on the 1.2MB drive you have, as well as your 
> FDC and imaging software.
> 
> - John Singleton

Writing a 360KB or RX50 diskette with a 1.2MB drive is a path to a lot 
of frustration.  Not only do you have to double step the drive (software 
often takes care of that part), but the tracks written will be narrower 
than a real RX50 / 306KB drive, providing a smaller signal/noise ratio. 
  And, if you don't start with completely magnetically erased media, any 
left over junk in any data left over may be picked up by the RX50 head.

Been there, done that.

JRJ


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