Floppy cable to Lotharek and normal drive

[ralphb]

Today I wanted to mount my new Lotharek 3,5"-style drive in my PEB, together with one of my TEC slim drives. But I realized that the standard floppy cable is three edge connectors, whereas the Lotharek needs a pin connector.

 

How did you solve this? Is there anybody who can build a floppy cable that has an edge connector for the controller, and then farther off one pin connector and then one edge connector close by?

 

I was searching ebay for this cable, but they only have the twisted variety. Contrary to popular belief, the Lotharek works fine with a twisted cable , but the regular drive won't. I could use a cut cable for an edge to pin adapter and connect it to the regular cable with the help of a cable extender board, but this seems somewhat flaky to me.

 

[+adamantyr]

Hmmm, I had an older floppy drive cable that had a non-twist next to an edge, as well as an edge on the end. (And a twist pin in the middle). This worked fine for my Lotharek and 5 1/4" drive.

 

What is a TEC slim drive, is it a 3.5 or a 5.25?

[ralphb]

Oops, wait a minute ... The internal connection uses a pin connector, so I need

pin============pin===edge,

without a twist.

 

My old "boxed" Lotharek was connected as external drive, which used an edge connector on the disk controller. But still, if there a twist between both pins, would the edge work?

 

The TEC is a half-height 5.25" drive.

[+adamantyr]

Well I hooked up the last "edge" connector which followed a twist pin to my 5 1/4" drive and it has worked, although I haven't extensively tested it yet... I've been able to catalog disks but I'm not sure files are loadable.

 

I'll do some testing tonight to see. I mainly used the last edge connector because trying to hook up a 5 1/4" drive and the Lotharek side by side in that HORRIBLE space is an utter pain in the ass. I've had the pin connector pull out of the Lotharek several times.

 

And don't get me started on the cruddy hole they put in the back for the disk cable to go through which is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to fit into the FDC's slot if you want it in the 8th slot. You basically have to stretch and bend plastic to make it happen. Or use a metal saw to cut out a much bigger gap.

[ralphb]

This cable on ebay should do:

 

 

Quite pricey I'd say ... I doubt they know what they got there.

[+adamantyr]

Yeah, that's the exact style cable I have! What are they charging for it? It's definitely an older style cable designed for the old days of PC's when you had a 3.5" drive and a 5.25" drive next to one another.

[ralphb]

I mainly used the last edge connector because trying to hook up a 5 1/4" drive and the Lotharek side by side in that HORRIBLE space is an utter pain in the ass. I've had the pin connector pull out of the Lotharek several times.

 

I hear you! But the built-in Lotharek (as DSK1) together the real drive is the best solution for me. I had used a small boxed Lotharek before, except that I didn't use it, because the cable was too short to handle it while using the TI, and couldn't get it to work as DSK3.

[ralphb]

Yeah, that's the exact style cable I have! What are they charging for it? It's definitely an older style cable designed for the old days of PC's when you had a 3.5" drive and a 5.25" drive next to one another.

 

About €10. There's another one with a better photo, but it's around €17. I didn't check the US, as it's probably not worth it for such a small item.

 

I'm going to cut off the twist to be on the safe side, and then I have my pin-pin-edge.

[+adamantyr]

Yeah, I found this one U.S. side, $4 with $3 shipping:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Universal-Floppy-Disk-Cables-/352062619857?hash=item51f89140d1:m:my2AgXF1IMa40WGQNwQ6DQg