bfollowell

You don't have to look any further than earlier in this thread. I referred TGB1718 to a thread on Exxos' site that is full of excellent information on setting up and using a Gotek. Go here and check out the thread. https://www.exxoshost.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=593 I really can't help you much more without knowing where you're starting from, like which flavor of firmware your Gotek is setup with, either HxC or FlashFloppy, and which version.

True, but many of the copy protected images have been made available as STX files and I’ve had a lot of luck converting those to HFE and getting them to run just fine from my Gotek. But, like you said, most of those copy protected disks are available in other ways, especially if you have a hard drive in your system.

The Gotek is a floppy emulator. It will allow you to do anything with your ST that that you would have been able to to with it using a floppy drive. It has nothing to do with a hard drive. It doesn’t emulate a hard drive. You need an UltraSatan or some other device for that. All the Gotek does is replace the floppy drive; nothing else.

I don't believe you have a good understanding of how the Gotek works or what a disk image is. Let me explain. First of all, a disk drive, or a disk emulator isn't like an audio cassette player. It doesn't "play" anything. It merely allows you to access the data stored on the disk drive. The computer knows what to do with that data. Now, let's looks at a real physical diskette. It is merely a wrapper. A storage media for the files stored on it. Likewise, a disk image, be it an ST file, and STX file, or any of the other disk image files, is merely a wrapper. A storage media for the files stored inside it. The files stored inside a Dungeon Master diskette are the same exact files store inside a Dungeon Master.st disk image. The only difference is that you need a real physical disk drive in your machine to access those files, whereas you need a Gotek installed in your machine to access those same files from a disk image. The Atari ST has no clue which device is installed, and it can't tell the difference between a real diskette in a drive and a disk image on a Gotek. It thinks they're both real disks in a disk drive and it accesses the files stored there in the exact same way. The only difference is that your no longer putting wear and tear on your disk drive or the diskettes when you use disk images on a Gotek. I think you're trying to compare the ST file to one of the file types you're familiar with from the ST, but that is an incorrect comparison. You need to compare the ST file to the diskette itself. Now, that is only good for files that were intended to be ran from a disk. If you're trying to run something that was originally intended to be ran from an Atari hard drive, then you're correct. The Gotek was never intended to be a replacement for a hard drive, just like a disk drive wasn't. It just merely replaces the floppy drive. Once you have it installed though, you can do all of the things with it that you said that you can't. You can makeup as many boot disks as you like. You can copy as many files as you want over to blank disk images, just like you would to a blank diskette. As far as the Atari ST is concerned, a Gotek with a blank image installed on it is the exact same as a disk drive with a blank diskette in it. I think you really need to read up more on Goteks and experiment with the one that you have. I think you're really missing the boat on what a Gotek is, what is does, and what all it is capable of. I'll be glad to help you out more with getting it setup and enjoying it if you'd like. Just PM me and I'll help you out as much as I can.

I'm really curious as to what you've tested that you can make this statement. I've used literally hundreds of ST disk images with my Gotek, and almost every single one of them works exactly as they would if they were on a real disk in a real disk drive. The ST all but clueless that a Gotek is connected to it. The machine can't tell the difference between a real disk drive and a Gotek in most instances, and I have found almost nothing that I couldn't do with a Gotek that I could do with a real disk drive. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course, but I think the sheer number of Atari/Gotek users that use their Goteks without issue says something isn't quite right with what you're saying.

Excellent! Thanks DrVenkman

I looked back several pages of threads looking for an appropriate SpartaDOS or U1MB related thread to ask this question, but couldn't really find one, so I decided to start a new one. So, here goes. Is there any way to change the date format in SpartDOS? It's in dd-mm-yy format. I think, at least here in the U.S., mm-dd-yy is the much more commonly accepted format these days. I'd like to switch to that if possible. I kind of assume that it isn't, or I figure I would've seen some images of SpartDOS setup that way by now, but I never have. Still, I thought I'd inquire.

I remember my floormates and I spending many hours between classes and in the evenings play Montezuma 35 years ago! I'll have to give this one a try.

Yes, but still, not being able to write seems like a major drawback. A better option seems like Lotharek's SD S - HXC SLIM 34PIN for only about $10 more USD. Like I said, it's a lot like the SIO2USB or SIO2PC-USB for the 8-bits, and I have one of those that I still use sometimes. However, the main, big difference is that I can write back to disk images with it. To each their own though.

Only if the postal clerks don't check out what it is you're mailing. One of the key points for shipping via media mail is that the items beings shipped can't have any sort of advertising in them. It doesn't matter that the magazines, and the ads, are 30+ years old. Sometimes you can get away with it, sometimes not. Media Mail Service Rules

That's pretty cool! Of course, in this day of atr images Megabytes in size, and storage media being so cheap, so that we can store an almost unlimited amount of disk images without needing to purchase diskettes, I don't know that there's really much need or use for multiboot disk menus anymore, other than nostalgia, of course.

I would certainly never knock any of Lotharek's products. He makes and sells great items and has great service, but this doesn't look like a very good device in my opinion when compared to a Gotek or one of Lotharek's SD HxC floppy emulators. The two major issues that I see are: 1) This would keep your ST shackled to a modern PC much like SIO2PC-USB for the 8-bits. This may or may not be a problem for the OP. 2) It says right on the product page that this device is read only, so the OP would never be able to save anything to a disk image, no game saves, nothing. That seems like a major drawback to me, almost to the point of being a defect. TGB1718, you definitely have other options besides the Gotek if you want to consider them, but I don't think the device suggested here would be a good one for the above-mentioned reasons.

Here are pictures of the last two I've done. This first one went into the SF314 case of a dead drive that went with a 520STM that I sold off a few months ago. The mount was for a long button STF, but it worked just fine for the long button style external SF314. I had another printed for a long button 1040STF that I plan to sell off soon. This one went into my personal 4160STE You can find the files to print these here For long button style For short button style

Yes, and that was sort of my point. I know I can "normally" get them here in the U.S. for $20-$25 USD shipped, but not necessarily what you can expect to get them for in your part of the world. Just do your research. Spend 30-40 minutes searching until you get an idea what the normal going rate for your region is and then go for it. Don't just search for Gotek on your region's ebay and order the first or second one you come across. Also, make certain that you sort by lowest price with shipping. Never leave your search results in the Best Match sort. I did a quick search on ebay U.K. and it seems like the best prices I see in your area are £25.99+£10.20 for shipping. That shipping may have been picking up the fact that I was in the U.S. though, and raising the price accordingly. You might be able to find the shipping a little cheaper to you. Also, keep in mind, like I mentioned before, this is for a basic unit that will still need to be setup for your computer. Also, I have never used the basic Gotek case, regardless of the color that I chose. I don't like modifying my ST's cases, so I always take the Gotek board completely out of the case and install it onto a custom 3D printed mount that allows me to install it in my ST and access everything without modifying the case. Also, I can then paint the mount a much better color that more closely matches my ST's case. They look great, much better than even the best mounting job I've ever seen using an original Gotek case, but that'll add another $25 or so to my final tally. An OLED display is another awesome little addition for the Gotek that you can pickup for $2-$5 USD, almost certainly shipped from Shenzhen, China. I have to give a shoutout to Shenzhen, China's silicon valley, since I have a four-year-old grandson there. If you have any questions about setting one up, I've done several recently and would be glad to help if you have any questions. Feel free to ask.

I'm assuming you mean you haven't seen them go that low? I haven't bought any in a while, but I bought one a month about four months in a row, the last one being back in January, and never paid more than $20 to $25 for any of them. I've listed six quick finds below. I could go on for quite some time, but this gets the point across. All it takes is a little bit of searching to come up with these. Anyone that is paying more than $25 or $30 for a basic Gotek that isn't already setup for an Atari ST isn't looking very well and is likely getting ripped off, depending on how much more they're paying. Now, if you don't have the tools or the skills to setup one for yourself, then of course you're going to have to pay extra for the service. Also, if you need an external case or cable, that will cost you more. I was only talking about the price of a basic Gotek drive itself that needs to be setup to work with the ST. Gotek 1 Gotek 2 Gotek 3 Gotek 4 Gotek 5 Gotek 6

That one would probably work just fine. In the U.S. you should never pay more than about $25 for one. That would be about £20, but I'm not certain what they typically go for in the U.K. The one you liked to doesn't seem like a bad price. Below is an excellent thread with details for setting up a Gotek to work with your ST. https://www.exxoshost.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=593

I gave it a try, but it made no difference. Still boots to a green screen. The BASIC B chip is definitely bad now though, even if it wasn't before. Pin #1 looked a slight bit rusty at the shoulder, which is odd, because it's never been kept anywhere even the slightest bit damp, and there isn't any rust to speak of anywhere else in the machine, but anyway, pin #1 broke off as I was pulling it out of the new precision socket I'd installed earlier in the week.

How much per set? I have an 800XL I need to repair the keyboard cable on and this looks to be one of the best fixes I've seen yet.

That was the first one I desoldered and installed a socket on. I'll give it a try when I get a chance. My wife and I have two of our out-of-state grandsons this week and they're wild. We can't take our eyes off of them for a minute. I may get a chance one night after we them tranquilized, I mean, in bed. Any good videos, threads, or links about repairing an 800XL keyboard cable? The adhesive and mylar for the ribbon cable is all coming apart on mine, making all but impossible to reinsert. I have an idea or two but am definitely open to suggestions if there's a best practice. Never mind, I did a Google Advanced search and found at least two good threads here loaded with good information and pictures. I'm trying to decide which may be the best method to undertake. Thanks.

Well, the main reason I wanted the BASIC chip is to help me in troubleshooting my 800XL which now only boots to a green screen. I'm not even certain my original BASIC B chip is bad at this point. SysCheck doesn't help at all. I've swapped all of my socketed chips, which are all of the big 40-pin chips and the memory chips, but everything else is soldered straight to the board. So far, everything I've swapped with other machines check out just fine. I've already ordered replacements for all of the LS logic chips, as well as sockets so that my 800XL will be fully socketed. All that leaves is BASIC, OS ROM, and MMU. Then I'll have everything I need to start swapping chips and trying to narrow down my problem. I don't want to spend $100 on a U1MB until I know I've saved my 800XL, though I may install one and a UAV once I get it going again. I'd planned to sell my 800XL once I got my 1088XEL going well, but I've had this 800XL since it replaced my 800 in about 1986, and I'm just not sure I can part with it.

Thanks! I think the one I found was either the 1995 or the 1996 catalog. I'll have to download those.

It's a must have utility for STs. https://sites.google.com/site/stessential/system-tools/sysinfo If you don't have a Gotek or a hard drive on the machine, it may be kind of hard to get it onto the machine though. I guess if you have a 3.5" floppy on your modern computer you might be able to put it onto a disk, but very few people have working disk drives these days.

Ahhhh... Toad Computers. I remember getting their catalogs in the early nineties. They were like the Sears Wish Book of Atari retailers. I actually came across an old Toad Computers catalog when I was going through Atari magazines to send to The Doctor a few months ago. It was in great condition. I may have to scan it one of these days.

A quick Google search with several search results seems to imply that it is from a TOS 1.6 set. Do you have a machine with that in it? If so, and it's running, run SysInfo to tell you for certain which version of TOS it is.

I thought about programming my own OS ROM and I read somewhere that we could program a GAL chip as a MMU replacement, though I'm not sure where I'd get the MMU code. The OS ROM code is readily available these days. I may look into those. It might just be good to know how to make these before we actually need to because the originals are even harder to get. I'd like to put a BASIC C in my 800XL, but it came with BASIC B, and I'm not aware of having ever experienced any ill effects. I'm not even 100% certain that I need one. I'm just troubleshooting at this point. Would I be right to assume that there's a CO24947A BASIC C chip in every BASIC C cartridge? Though the thought of sacrificing a cartridge to get at the chip inside kind of goes against my nature. Can we use an EPROM to make our own BASIC C chip? Is that code available for download anywhere?