World's Crappiest Drives (was Re: A&J Microdrive)

From: Dwight Elvey <elvey_at_hal.com>
Date: Fri Dec 8 14:47:19 2000

Glenatacme_at_aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 12/06/2000 4:47:39 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk writes:
>
> > > Aw, come on Tony -- you mean your ZX81 doesn't have a printer? You can
> get
>
> > Yes, of course it does. Problem is, finding the metalised paper for it :-)
>
> Ah -- here in the states we use the Alphacom 32, which uses any white thermal
> (fax) paper which has the same width as the ZX81 printer.
>
> > > one at any car boot for a couple of pounds, you know ;>) Of course, you
> > > still have to type it back in, unless you splurge and buy a cassette
> > recorder
> > > . . .
> >
> > You mean that's more reliable and faster than writing down the program
> > and retyping it? That's news to me :-) :-)
>
> Well that just proves you can learn something new every day ;>)
>
> I went through four tape players before I found one which worked error-free
> with my home-built ZX81. It has been 95 percent reliable over a two-year
> period.

Hi
 Most cheap cassette decks drag a permanent magnet across the
tape to erase and also to give it a little bias. This is usually
vary poor for fidelity. It tends to make lop sided signals when
played back. This is OK for voice but not OK for computer
data.
 The cassette decks that use a high frequency erase head and
high frequency bias during record usually work better. The
problem with these is that they are usually only in audio
quality decks with only line in and outs. Some better quality
portables do use this technique, even some of the Radio Shack
units.
Dwight

Dwight
Received on Fri Dec 08 2000 - 14:47:19 GMT