8250 LP Double disk drive for the commodore 64

From: Ethan Dicks <erd_6502_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Wed Jul 2 13:11:01 2003

--- Gary Dean Hildebrand <ghldbrd_at_ccp.com> wrote:
> Lance S writes:
>
> > I am looking for an 8250 LP Double disk drive for the commodore 64.
>
> Why do you want that drive?

Maybe he has some 8250 disks to read? Perhaps some (custom?) software that
needs a disk larger than a 1541 to work?

> It is designed for the PET series, and has
> the full blown IEEE-488 interface, which the C=64 lacks.

He didn't say, but he could have one already. I have one for the C-64 and
one for the VIC-20.

> So you'd need the adapter on the 64 as well, and I bet they are harder to
> find than WMD in Iraq..

It's possible to build your own with a VLSI I/O chip (6520/6522/6526)
and a couple of buffers. That plus a ROM is what's on my VIC-20 IEEE
adapter. IIRC, the drivers are a 75160/75161 pair, but there are a
couple of options.

AFAIK, there is firmware for _some_ IEEE adapter on funet. Not sure
which one without looking.
 
> I'd just get a couple of 1541's and daisy chain them together on the
> port, along with the printer or printer adapter. If you're wanting
> double sided disks, then go with a 128 and 1571 drives, and then you can
> play cp/m as well.

If he wants to move up to a 128, that would work. Personally, I _have_
a 128, and I'm more likely to fire up a C-64 that it, largely due to
experience and personal comfort.

-ethan
Received on Wed Jul 02 2003 - 13:11:01 BST