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Best 8-bit Atari disk drive? 810, 1050, XF551


ACML

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As to the Happy, as I recall, the switch was extra. But except for a bit of luck on eBay or similar, I think the only place you can get a Happy is from Atarimax today. And no, they do not have a switch either. But the software only takes about ten seconds to load up and disable the Happy for normal 1050 operation.

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As to the Happy, as I recall, the switch was extra. But except for a bit of luck on eBay or similar, I think the only place you can get a Happy is from Atarimax today. And no, they do not have a switch either. But the software only takes about ten seconds to load up and disable the Happy for normal 1050 operation.

B&C/myatari.com also sells upgrades for the 810 & 1050 drives, their prices are higher but I believe they are selling NOS instead of reproductions.

 

Below is taken from: http://www.myatari.com/atarixlh.txt

 

ACA011 ICD US Doubler 1050 Upgrade EPROM 29.95 J2/J4 in

Gives a stock 1050 true double density

ACA007 HAPPY 1050 UPGRADE 125.00

Turns a stock 1050 into a 1050 Happy drive

ACA008 HAPPY 810 UPGRADE 99

Turns a stock 810 into a 810 Happy drive

ACA009 HAPPY 810 ROM UPGRD >5000 24.95

ACA010 HAPPY 810 ROM UPGRD <5000 24.95

Upgrade Rom for original 810 Happy Drives

ACA012 SUPER ARCHIVER 1050 CHIP 69.95

Turns a stock 1050 into a Super Archiver 1050

Requires soldering!!

ACA013 PCB 810 ARCHIVE W/SIDE 39.95

Turns a stock 810 into a Archiver 810

ACA014 ARCHIVER 1050 HAPPY 29.95

Turns a 1050 Happy into a Archiver 1050

ACA015 ARCHIVER 810 HAPPY 29.95

Turns a 810 Happy into a Archiver 810

ACA016 SUPER ARCHIVER UPGRADE 29.95

Gives many Super Archiver features to any Archiver

 

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The only noisy stuff about a 1050 is when it steps tracks with DRY head support rods.

 

Lube those rods with a bit of vaseline (the kind that has no acid in it)....... and you've got a very silent 1050.

 

 

But reading entire tracks in one go with a (Mega)Speedy sure helps too :)

 

In the past I tend to think so too, but it is not the only reason for noisy 1050's. If it was this simple, I would have had only silent 1050's. The noise is not only from the head-support rods. The noise is from the step-motor and the rest of the mechanism itself. Even when everything that should be lubricated is running fine without any form of resistance, it still can be a noisy 1050. I have a stack of more than 30 1050's here and there are slight differences between them, and so is the noise.

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There was produced around 300-380 Toms 720 drives only and mostly only people from Poland knew about this device. Additional, price for Toms 720C was simillar to price of new Amiga 500 so it was definitely not cheap.

 

This is true!
But maybe less.?
Who know about...
Toms 710 they did almost 100 pcs.
Toms 710 and Toms 720 is the best drive for Atari 8bit.
-availability, does not exist (some time, some one find one this item toms, price is around more thank 500-800 usd, but not sales dont exist )... In the past only 3 maybe five times this items show on allegro (something like ebay, but this is Polish market)
Edited by as...
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In the past I tend to think so too, but it is not the only reason for noisy 1050's. If it was this simple, I would have had only silent 1050's. The noise is not only from the head-support rods. The noise is from the step-motor and the rest of the mechanism itself. Even when everything that should be lubricated is running fine without any form of resistance, it still can be a noisy 1050. I have a stack of more than 30 1050's here and there are slight differences between them, and so is the noise.

30? Wow - you trying to make one of those "floppy organs"?

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  • 4 weeks later...

I notice a lot of folks seem to have like 10 similar atari drives, mostly 1050 and its upgrades, stacked up. Some mention going through a lot of them over the years (for unmentioned reasons), while others mention having the same one 20 years. Do people stock pile them because they tend to die every couple years, and a few folks are lucky, or why? I just got a Happy 1050 and I'm a bit curious if the increased speed and functions wear on it faster. It does seem to be a possible trend in this thread that the stock 1050s are faring better than the upgraded ones. Still, always wanted a happy 1050 with the unhappy switch.

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I purchased a happy mod earlier this year. I have put it in 2 drives and in both cases, the drives have failed weeks later with very light usage. I have been using a non-happy modded drive off and on for months with no issues. Could be a conincidencs. I'd love to hear what others think.

 

-Todd

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I notice a lot of folks seem to have like 10 similar atari drives, mostly 1050 and its upgrades, stacked up. Some mention going through a lot of them over the years (for unmentioned reasons), while others mention having the same one 20 years. Do people stock pile them because they tend to die every couple years, and a few folks are lucky, or why? I just got a Happy 1050 and I'm a bit curious if the increased speed and functions wear on it faster. It does seem to be a possible trend in this thread that the stock 1050s are faring better than the upgraded ones. Still, always wanted a happy 1050 with the unhappy switch.

 

 

I purchased a happy mod earlier this year. I have put it in 2 drives and in both cases, the drives have failed weeks later with very light usage. I have been using a non-happy modded drive off and on for months with no issues. Could be a conincidencs. I'd love to hear what others think.

 

-Todd

 

Hmm I have a different experience. Most of my failing 1050's are the stock ones, and the 1050's that seem to live forever are the ones with an original Happy board.

 

Since some time I moved from Happy to the Mini Speedy (not the Mega Speedy!) and I must say, that tiny upgrade did steal my heart. It is simple, it is accurate, and it just works. Have ordered a huge stack from tf_hh.

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some upgrades can reveal capacitor or regulators at the end of their lives... this can be a coincidental crap shoot... I have found that once an upgrade has been installed it is best to allow a proper burn in from 24 to 48 hours.... it seems when this is done it confirms it is rock solid and I never have a problem after that...

the quick I installed it, it works and I turn off installs and builds seem to fail at higher rates... perhaps caps and other circuitry reform during the burn in... not really sure... but I darn well perform the burn in period on almost everything I do. It's good enough for the entire industry, it's good enough for me ;)

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some upgrades can reveal capacitor or regulators at the end of their lives... this can be a coincidental crap shoot... I have found that once an upgrade has been installed it is best to allow a proper burn in from 24 to 48 hours.... it seems when this is done it confirms it is rock solid and I never have a problem after that...

the quick I installed it, it works and I turn off installs and builds seem to fail at higher rates... perhaps caps and other circuitry reform during the burn in... not really sure... but I darn well perform the burn in period on almost everything I do. It's good enough for the entire industry, it's good enough for me ;)

 

Thermochemistry, electronics and the atmosphere make a strange menage et trois

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Since some time I moved from Happy to the Mini Speedy (not the Mega Speedy!) and I must say, that tiny upgrade did steal my heart. It is simple, it is accurate, and it just works. Have ordered a huge stack from tf_hh.

 

Oh? I'm going to check with him then if he has any more, might tie me over since I missed the Mega Speedy boat! :)

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Maybe an stupid question, but why is that Atari xf551 can format, write and read HD floppies and the 1050 can only read them?

I am already surprised it can read them, through.

I just got a 1050 for first time and I started to have problems and then I figured out the source is that some of my diskettes are HD. I never paid attention to that before, I thought that since I used them in DD mode anyways with ED Dos 2.5 format it wouldn't matter, I guess I was wrong...

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XF551 can't use HD disks either. It only adds true double density over a stock 1050, and double sided support.

 

HD disks use a different magnetic formulation that requires a stronger magnetic field to write, and a smaller/finer read/write head to focus it in smaller tracks.

Edited by Nezgar
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I've used 3m and basf hd diskettes for years without a problem. I have a xf551 with misumi mech since 1990. Every time I got the opportunity to get some floppies I just got them, from flea markets, friends getting rid of their old pc, etc. I never paid attention on the 2D OR HD thing. That is how I ended up with those 3m and basf diskettes. I even have a couple of 1S/2D which are formatted for both sides and they are still reliable after all these years.

Is it maybe that 3m are good quality hd floppies and that is why they worked?

It is just I am very surprised about all this.

Edited by manterola
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