airsoftmodels Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Anyone here use ADTPRO to create disks or to create disk images? Shortly after buying my Apple IIe platnium a few months ago, I went a little crazy buying DS/DD 5.25 inch diskettes. I spent about $80, and made many of the ones I used to have as a kid. First I was using the audio cable method and it took about 184 seconds per disk, when it didn't stop in the middle. Once I got the Super Serial Card and the Serial Cable it took just a few seconds. I don't have a disk notcher, and wasn't willing to buy one for $20 on ebay, so all my disks are currently single sided. By the way, here is a picture taken of me using my Apple //c computer in 1984 at the age of 15. This photo is kinda blurry but I was playing one of my favorites, Mario Bros. http://apple2history.org/wp-content/gallery/reader-submissions/reader-michael-tenen.jpeg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monzamess Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 (edited) The results are ugly, but a normal hole punch will do the trick for making the disks double-sided. I have a IIe coming on Friday (supposedly) and I have a spare laptop for ADT Pro. Seems kind of weird since the laptop would run circles around the IIe, but I guess buying a 30-year-old computer is weird too. This whole retrocomputing hobby is kind of weird. I owned (and later sold) versions of most home computers but wanted a IIe for typical nostalgia purposes. I hope I have room next to my PCjr setup. Edited January 5, 2015 by monzamess 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_ Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Anyone here use ADTPRO to create disks or to create disk images? I use ADT-PRO to create disks with an Apple IIc and IIgs. I have the appropriate serial cable for each computer. The 5.25, 140k disks get written really fast. Especially with the newest version of ADT-PRO. The 800k 3.5 take considerably longer. I think with the 5.25 disks you only have to use a hole punch to notch the write protect hole. It doesn't matter if it doesn't have sharp corners like the factory punch. Just use another disk flipped over to mark where it gets punched. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Anyone here use ADTPRO to create disks or to create disk images? Yep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Use it all the time on my IIc and as other have stated you can just make due with various objects to get the hole, its an optical switch so as long as there is a path for the light to go though its good, I just make a V shape with scissors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david__schmidt Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I use it all the time too! But I'm biased. I'm sorry but glad to hear you toughed it out with the audio interface. It's gotten more reliable over the years, and the 2.0.0 release makes it quite a bit faster if you use a high "blocks at once" setting. But still nothing like serial (which got faster in 2.0.0 too). Audio is there for the truly desperate. But everyone should strive for a serial (or Ethernet) connection. On the subject of notching and flipping disks... I never do it. Just one of those irrational fears I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanrunomad Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 All the time. I'm still using version 1.1.5 so I should probably get with the times! ADTPro is one of the greatest third party items I use with my Apple II and until the CFFA 3000 is able to write disk images to real disks, I reckon I'll continue to use it extensively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 The latest version has a minor issue with real PC serial ports (legacy style). So careful there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnusfalkirk Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 About 03 I fried the motherboard in a GS I had. I was stupid enough to toss it and all the software I had thinking I wouldn't want to mess with it any more since I had a Mac. A year later I changed my mind and found disk images and Mac emulators for the Apple II online. Downloaded lots of software and a few emulators and messed with it on the Mac. Decided later that I wanted to get back into the real hardware. In 06 managed to get an Apple //e (enhanced version) at an estate auction and was looking for a way to transfer disk images back to real disks so I could play all the old games I liked. I asked how to do it in comp.sys.apple2 and was rewarded with info about ADTPro so I went to Sourceforge and downloaded it, this was version 0.0.8. Of course I had to buy a cable for it, I wasn't about to try and make one and probably fry the computer. I have been happily using it since then, first on the //e, now on the GS I got about 4 years ago. About the only thing that might be better would be using the CFFA3K that is in my GS to do the same thing. Of course the only time I need real disks now is if I want to do something on my //c+. It's really nice to be able to mount the disk images as if the were disks and play games, or do other things. just my two cents worth, Magnus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airsoftmodels Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 I use it all the time too! But I'm biased. I'm sorry but glad to hear you toughed it out with the audio interface. It's gotten more reliable over the years, and the 2.0.0 release makes it quite a bit faster if you use a high "blocks at once" setting. But still nothing like serial (which got faster in 2.0.0 too). Audio is there for the truly desperate. But everyone should strive for a serial (or Ethernet) connection. On the subject of notching and flipping disks... I never do it. Just one of those irrational fears I have. Hi David, I love your program, and I didn't mean to criticize it. As someone who grew up using cassette interfaces with my Atari, I understand the limitations are on the hardware side. Seeing what ADTPRO was capable of with little to no expense by me encouraged me to buy the Super Serial Card, and it flies now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_ Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I use it all the time too! But I'm biased. I'm sorry but glad to hear you toughed it out with the audio interface. It's gotten more reliable over the years, and the 2.0.0 release makes it quite a bit faster if you use a high "blocks at once" setting. But still nothing like serial (which got faster in 2.0.0 too). Audio is there for the truly desperate. But everyone should strive for a serial (or Ethernet) connection. On the subject of notching and flipping disks... I never do it. Just one of those irrational fears I have. Hi David! Thanks again, for the software. Cool to see you participating here at AtariAge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 By many definitions, CFFA3000 is a higher-performing solution with a lot of capability and boatloads of versatility. But, and I've said this previously, ADT is an elegant solution that does so much with so little. And ADT utilizes as much vintage hardware as possible. It makes the Apple II "work hard" for its disk images. It doesn't really rely on any new technologies and would have been doable back in the day from day one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Usotsuki Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 (edited) The original ADT is from back in the day, with the server running on MS-DOS. I want to say 1988. Edited January 7, 2015 by The Usotsuki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david__schmidt Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Hi David, I love your program, and I didn't mean to criticize it. As someone who grew up using cassette interfaces with my Atari, I understand the limitations are on the hardware side. Seeing what ADTPRO was capable of with little to no expense by me encouraged me to buy the Super Serial Card, and it flies now. Don't worry, I didn't take it as criticism. I'm honestly sympathetic to anyone who uses the audio interface. Once you get past the "wow, I can't believe this works at all!" it wears thin pretty quickly. :-) Hi David! Thanks again, for the software. Cool to see you participating here at AtariAge. Hi - happy to be of service. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkO Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 << SNIP >> I think with the 5.25 disks you only have to use a hole punch to notch the write protect hole. It doesn't matter if it doesn't have sharp corners like the factory punch. Just use another disk flipped over to mark where it gets punched. First Off, when you Flip the Disks Over, they Spin the Opposite Direction, which means that the Dust and Stuff that was caught it the Material in the Disk is now Dislodged. Also on Single Sided Drives, there is a Pad on the Top Side, Opposite of the Read/Write Head to keep the Disk pressed against it. This Pad also collects Dust and stuff, and can transfer it to the Side being Used to store data. Basically, I don't like to Flip My Disks, anymore.. When I did Flip my Disks, I used an Xacto Knife, and another disk as a Template. If your careful, they look pretty nice... MarkO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david__schmidt Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 The original ADT is from back in the day, with the server running on MS-DOS. I want to say [...] See: http://adtpro.sourceforge.net/credits.html#Lineage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_ Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 First Off, when you Flip the Disks Over, they Spin the Opposite Direction, which means that the Dust and Stuff that was caught it the Material in the Disk is now Dislodged. Also on Single Sided Drives, there is a Pad on the Top Side, Opposite of the Read/Write Head to keep the Disk pressed against it. This Pad also collects Dust and stuff, and can transfer it to the Side being Used to store data. Basically, I don't like to Flip My Disks, anymore.. When I did Flip my Disks, I used an Xacto Knife, and another disk as a Template. If your careful, they look pretty nice... MarkO I've never had a single trouble with using a flippy disk. I've had some floppy that got format errors on the flip side, but very, very few. During the 10+ day power outage here in NJ after hurricane Sandy I sat at my dining room table with 150 new old stock floppy disks, a hole punch, pencil, and a template disk I had pulled the platter out of. I turned them all the nos floppies into flippy disks with index holes for use with all my retro computers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 mileage may vary, but I have one kodak disk that my mother made into a flippy and it predates me by a few months while she was working at the local community college I use it as my main ADT pro disk lol, with VS drive on the back side so it gets lots of use 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Of all my disks (now at 5166), about 3000 are punched to use the reverse side. None have failed and they're 30+ years old. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airsoftmodels Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Of all my disks (now at 5166), about 3000 are punched to use the reverse side. None have failed and they're 30+ years old. thats a lot of disks Keatah! Are they all Apple II, or do you have other disk based systems too? Man, I want to buy more now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 It's all Apple II material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 One of those days I'll get a working serial connection. Recently I bought a cheap card off eBay, only to realize it has a Centronics connector rather than the DB25 that I expected to see, so it looks like I bought a parallel/printer port card rather than a serial card... Also my Basis 108 supposedly has built-in serial but I never got it to work. Perhaps I should try to find a fresh 6551 and replace. I don't think I have any other application with a 6551 so I could try the one in my A2 clone. But hey, the audio interface is great as long as it works. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 David, do you think we could get a point release fixing the legacy serial port issue when doing multiple block transfers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david__schmidt Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) David, do you think we could get a point release fixing the legacy serial port issue when doing multiple block transfers? It's coming, but I have more work to do on other aspects before it's ready. (Keep an eye on the change log.) In the mean time, the Testcase v.r.m version should have the serial fix - it would be great to get feedback on that: https://sourceforge.net/projects/adtpro/files/adtpro/Testcase/ Edited January 13, 2015 by david__schmidt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I'm still using the older 1.1.X version, and yesterday I found that it takes 12-20 minutes to transfer and write 140K. Is that unexpectedly slow? I suppose I should try the 2.0 version if it has speed-ups, in particular if I can get down to 3-4 minutes per disk, it would be an extreme improvement while still looking for a Super Serial Card that is priced right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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