1050 Mods?

[AtariGuy]

Does anyone have instructions to install a write protect bypass switch on a 1050 drive?

 

Also, was there an option to install LEDs in a Happy 1050 to know which mode the drive was in? If so, does anyone have these instructions as well?

 

Thanks!

[welshleo]

I have a slightly different type of bypass switch to the norm. It was designed by someone else and comes as an external box. All it has inside is a simple circuit containing a NE555 timer chip. For someone as clumsy as me, it's proved invaluable.

 

On the top of the box it has a switch, one red and one green LED, and a screw embedded in it which acts like a touchplate.

 

The designer, John Foskett, realised that there was a potential problem with the standard bypass switches ... it was way too easy to forget that it was on so you'd accidentally erase data from time to time. Like me, he was also a programmer and the last thing a programmer wants is to have all their hard work destroyed (backups?? What are they??).

 

This little device was 'semi intelligent' in that it switched itself into 'write protect' mode if you opened the drive door, if you switched it on or if you just left it in 'bypass' mode for 10 mins. You'd then switch it back into 'bypass' mode at any time by touching the touchplate. Pretty elegant solution, I thought.

 

As for the original question:

 

Yes, there was an LED version of the bypass switch available. I had one prior to the above mod. It had a two colour LED which lit up as red for 'write protect' and green for 'bypass' modes. I'll dig around for the instructions. Should have something on them somewhere. This particular model (bought from Micro Discount) plugged straight into the 1050.