DSQD Drives (Was: RE: Diags/Boot image for Altos 580)

From: Don Maslin <donm_at_cts.com>
Date: Sun Mar 17 15:49:15 2002

On Sun, 17 Mar 2002 Innfogra_at_aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 3/17/02 9:22:55 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> dhquebbeman_at_theestopinalgroup.com writes:
>
>
> > Am I correct that while different from standard
> > DSDD, they are *not* GCR drives?
>
> I don't think they are GCR but someone more knowledgeable than I will have to
> answer that. My understanding is that they are the same as a 360 drive with a
> head that is half the width so they can deal with 80 tracks instead of 40.
>
>
> >
> > What other machines might carry these drives, can I
> > hook one up to a standard PC controller in a box
> > running DOS, and then duplicate the disks?
> >
> >
> The answer to this is yes. For many years I kept an IBM PC (8088) clone with
> DSDD, DSQD drives and my EPROM programmer. IIRC I used the 3 1/2 inch 720K
> disk driver for the DSQD and it worked for my purposes of making disks for
> various systems. I used Media Master (sorry Fred) and PCDOS 3.3.
>
> Many systems of the MPM era used DSQDs, some single user computers like the
> Kaypro 4, too.

I do not believe they were built that way by Kaypro. Such a capability
was provided only by third-party EPROM or someone hacked the factory
issue.
                                                 - don

> The Intel 310s used DSQDs also. This is where most of mine came from. I still
> have a few 310s and DSQDs.
>
> Paxton
> Astoria, OR
>
Received on Sun Mar 17 2002 - 15:49:15 GMT