hideehoo
Experienced Member
Picked up a well worn example from the original owner (tax preparation) for $100. Came with the unit, expansion chassis with one drive, and about ten disks (including a VisiCalc original). After cleaning out all the mice nests and re-seating of the cards, got it to turn on (yeah!). Next had to scavenge parts from the expansion unit drive to get the main one working, but finally got it boot into TRS-DOS 2.0a (although many of the disks will no longer boot or format, they were Radio Shack branded which I've read aren't the best).
Here's the bad I still need to deal with:
1. The cable on the expansion chassis was cut (?!). I've got a 50 pin ribbon to replace it, but anything special about the rear male connector on the main unit? Looks like a standard unkeyed female IDC connector will fit
2. I'm down a drive door (broken latches, actually found one in the bottom of the case during clean-up) and load pad (again found, but the retention tabs are broke off). The drives are Texas Peripherals, but the load pad looks like the exact same ones used in Shugart SA-800/801 drives. Anyone know of anyplace that would potentially still have parts like these? Barring that, I figure I'll try to model and 3D print a new door latch and just try gluing the old load pad on or try a piece of self adhesive felt cut to the same size.
3. Seems only SS disks work in these? I tried some DS/DD 8" disks I had laying around, but they don't register in the drive. Looking at the sensor for the index hole in the drive, I see what looks like two different sensors offset at the two different index hole positions (obviously drive is SS only with one head).
Already ordered a FDADAP and some NOS 8" floppy to make some more disks. Think a lo-tech IDE adapter may also be in my future.
Here's the bad I still need to deal with:
1. The cable on the expansion chassis was cut (?!). I've got a 50 pin ribbon to replace it, but anything special about the rear male connector on the main unit? Looks like a standard unkeyed female IDC connector will fit
2. I'm down a drive door (broken latches, actually found one in the bottom of the case during clean-up) and load pad (again found, but the retention tabs are broke off). The drives are Texas Peripherals, but the load pad looks like the exact same ones used in Shugart SA-800/801 drives. Anyone know of anyplace that would potentially still have parts like these? Barring that, I figure I'll try to model and 3D print a new door latch and just try gluing the old load pad on or try a piece of self adhesive felt cut to the same size.
3. Seems only SS disks work in these? I tried some DS/DD 8" disks I had laying around, but they don't register in the drive. Looking at the sensor for the index hole in the drive, I see what looks like two different sensors offset at the two different index hole positions (obviously drive is SS only with one head).
Already ordered a FDADAP and some NOS 8" floppy to make some more disks. Think a lo-tech IDE adapter may also be in my future.