[comp.sys.atari.st] tandy disk drive

nfrech@ALMSA-1.ARPA ("Norman R. Frech") (05/25/88)

I just received a Radio Shack sale ad in the mail and noticed an
external 3.5 double sided drive for the 1000 on sale for $99.
Does anyone know of the prospects for hooking this drive to a 
1040?  I currently have only one drive and if this drive would
connect to my st and I don't think I could pass it up for the
price.  Any advice or information would be appreciated.

Norm Frech  <nfrech@almsa-1.arpa>

med@druhi.ATT.COM (Myron Drapal) (05/27/88)

In article <8805251230.AA00652@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, nfrech@ALMSA-1.ARPA ("Norman R. Frech") writes:
> 
> 
> I just received a Radio Shack sale ad in the mail and noticed an
> external 3.5 double sided drive for the 1000 on sale for $99.
> Does anyone know of the prospects for hooking this drive to a 
> 1040?  I currently have only one drive and if this drive would
> connect to my st and I don't think I could pass it up for the
> price.  Any advice or information would be appreciated.
> 
> Norm Frech  <nfrech@almsa-1.arpa>

I recently added their upgrade drive kit (on sale? at $129, sure wish I would have
waited a bit) to a PC-clone.  These drives will work on the ST, with one very large
caveat - Radio Shaft machines have drives that are built specifically for their
systems, and they distribute the power (+5, +12) on some of the pins on the 34-pin
connector where ground is on a normal drive.  This is not really a problem if you
have a continuity meter and an exacto knife (e.g. cut the traces from the power
connector to the 34-pin connector), but this will, of course, keep you from
returning it if you screw it up.  Other than this headache, and the 14-pin non-standard
connector on the ST, you should be in good shape.

						Myron Drapal
						AT&T Denver
						ihnp4!druhi!med