Atari 815 Dual Disk Drive going to ebay soon

[KLund1]

Hello,

    The 815 my friend was able to save from an E-recycle will be going to ebay soon. This is a fully working drive in almost perfect condition. It has an Atari printed original owner's manual and Master 2.0d disk. This drive has been fixed to working order by AA Bob1200XL. That was about 2 years ago. It has been in my possession after that, in controlled, sealed boxed, storage while I was doing a full house remodel. I have been using for the last couple weeks. I will miss it, as I am not the owner.  There is a picture, I love, that Bob1200XL took of this drive with 4 other 815's in here somewhere.

I thought I would give this community some advance notice of this sale. I do not know when he will list it, but it should be in the next couple of weeks, I think. So, check your HELOC balances, I don't think he will be giving this away.

If you have any questions I will do my best to answer them, but only as much as my friend will allow.

Good Luck to everyone

[sup8pdct]

Hate to think what it will go for. I need my arms and legs

 

James

[+Nezgar]

@KLund1 Would it be possible for you to image the DOS 2.0D disk with a sector copier to an ATR? I'm not sure if there is a verified image of an original 2.0D disk around.

 

Hmm since the drive is "always double density" and doesn't support PERCOM block command, I wonder if the popular sector copiers would even work!

 

Disk wizard II disk image here:

https://archive.org/details/a8b_Disk_Wizard_II_v2.1_1984_C.A.P._Software_a

 

Some other sector copiers here:

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/318747-which-sectordisk-copiers-are-compatible-with-the-highspeed-sio-patch/?do=findComment&comment=4787822

 

Worst case you'd have to image it with any other DD drive, but the sector data would be inverted, which is not insurmountable post-processing....

 

[+DrVenkman]

19 minutes ago, Nezgar said:

@KLund1 Would it be possible for you to image the DOS 2.0D disk with a sector copier to an ATR? I'm not sure if there is a verified image of an original 2.0D disk around.

Do you think there’s something wrong with the ATR on AtariWiki?

 

https://atariwiki.org/wiki/Wiki.jsp?page=Atari 815

[+Nezgar]

Just now, DrVenkman said:

Do you think there’s something wrong with the ATR on AtariWiki?

I don't think something is wrong with it, now that you have reminded me this exists. Thanks - I am confident LuckyBuck has a good authentic image there, so nevermind @KLund1 !

[+DrVenkman]

14 minutes ago, Nezgar said:

I don't think something is wrong with it, now that you have reminded me this exists. Thanks - I am confident LuckyBuck has a good authentic image there, so nevermind @KLund1 !

I mean, it’s certainly good to have another ATR from a second source - ideally it would be a flux image for the Software Preservation Initiative, but I’m sure the historians would be happy with whatever they get. 

 

I just was trying to be clear if we knew there was a problem with the existing ATR, that’s all.

[KLund1]

You guys know the know the 815 writes 256 bytes at a time, not 128? And it writes 'backwards' from then 810? Or it writes data like 'everyone else' and doesn't 'NOT' the data?

[+DjayBee]

Fortunately it only inverts (in relation to 810 and 1050) sector data but not track- or sector-headers.

So 1. it should be possible to sector copy 815 disks with any other DD drive and 2. an EOR #$FF to every data byte makes the disk or image readable in non-815s. We did this already successfully when we received Curt's copies of the Atari Accountant disks.

 

IF(!) you make dumps then please do not only make an flux dump but an ATR too, because we currently cannot decode double density flux dumps.

[+ZuluGula]

Do you can ship to Europe?

[sup8pdct]

3 hours ago, KLund1 said:

You guys know the know the 815 writes 256 bytes at a time, not 128? And it writes 'backwards' from then 810? Or it writes data like 'everyone else' and doesn't 'NOT' the data?

There has to be at least 1 sector that has only 128 valid bytes as that is what the OS supports during boot.

The ATR has a header that makes the OS request 3 sectors at 128 bytes so the 815 supports the 1st 3 sectors as 128 bytes.

How the 815 handles those 1st 3 sectors on the disk is unknown. All other drives/upgrades (except duplicator), has all sectors at 256 bytes and the firmware ignores/pads out the unused 128 bytes on sectors 1 to 3 on the disk.

The 815 doesn't have a FDC so it would be highly likely that other drives cannot read a 815 disk. (I could be wrong on this one)

 

James

 

[KLund1]

4 hours ago, ZuluGula said:

Do you can ship to Europe?

I'm sure my friend will ship to Europe.

[+bf2k+]

8 hours ago, Nezgar said:

I don't think something is wrong with it, now that you have reminded me this exists. Thanks - I am confident LuckyBuck has a good authentic image there, so nevermind @KLund1 !

DOS 2.0D came on the MMG Compiler disk.  I have it here.  Don't know if it is an 'original' image or not...

[KLund1]

I sent this Master Disk to K Savitz (ANtic POdcast) just after I got this. (about 2 years ago maybe?) I think he made a kyroflux(?) image of it. He would normally put it on Archive.org.

[cwilbar]

did this ever sell ?

 

I watched on eBay for it a few times....  should have setup an alert ?

 

Though I'm sure it would have gone beyond my budget.... though I've always dreamed of an 815.

 

 

[xrbrevin]

id give £20 quid for it! ?

[cwilbar]

I'd do better than that ? .... 

 

Either way, still curious if this was ever listed ?

 

[xrbrevin]

yeah im interested to know too. these rare hardware items do need to be looked after.

its a shame the 815 didnt have enhanced density and that it's double density uses reversed flux otherwise it would be the ultimate drive

[cwilbar]

The ultimate drive would be a re-imagining of my ultimate 810....  XF551 controller, in this case in an 815 capable of driving 2 drives. 

 

In reality with the 815, beyond a collectible would be an updated firmware that makes it due double density like every other Atari DD drive.  Supporting ED would also be good.

Then you could have 2 firmwares, stock, and 'enhanced', and be able to used it like any other Atari drive, but still do the 815 stuff the way an 815 was designed.  (Of course, no drilling of the case to support a switch ! ? ).

 

Atari gear I lusted after was the 815, and the 1450XLD, though I'd be happy with a 1400XL ? ..... 

 

I think the rarest computer I own is a Sun 486i.  Though I also own a Symmetric 375, an Altos 886, an Okistation, and a Sun 2/120....  last I tested it the Symmetric still boots.  The Altos doesn't ? ...  I have to re-install the 2/120 and the 486i.  I'd love to have something as rare in an Atari piece (closest thing might be my ATR8000 ? though that isn't made by Atari either).

 

[CommodoreDecker]

I saw an 815 on eBay a couple months ago. Listed  at only $10,000, there were at least 8 people interested in it...

 

 

[cwilbar]

Damn, I'd cut up and glue 2 810s together 1st ?

 

I presume it didn't sell ?  Any idea if it was the one discussed on this thread ?

 

[KLund1]

It did sell. Only after being listed a few days for the $10K !

Yes a re-image of the 815 would be Great !!

With the ease of 3D printing, and same for getting PCB's cheap. it could be done with out too much trouble.

I often see new Apple ii+, Atari, C64/Amiga newly designed cases offered up for sale.

Finding 360K Tandon drives is not that hard. I have 7 or 8 around here somewhere.

But the 815 is HUGE. It literally is 2 810's high, and a lot heavier as the PSU is inside the case.

Or make " Condescend" 815 with 2 1/2 height drives in a 810 case. A new face plate would have to be designed, and printed. And new interface/power PCB made.

 

I have often thought, and occasionally post in here that a 'generic 1450XLD' case could be designed. It would able to hold any XL/XE motherboard from 600-1450 tang, and 65/800/130/XEGS. There would screw in standoffs for them all (so you can switch boards on occasion). and slide in back and side panels for I/O. Possibly room inside for modern PUS that would be able to power the MB and 2 drives.  I have seen and used a 1450 and the case is also HUGE. it has lots of room inside. Without the drives it probably can hold a 48K 800 too.

But I do not have nearly the skills to even start such a project. But I would like to be involved with it. Maybe a kick-starter?

[+mytek]

For $10K I would want to be able to drive it (no pun intended).

 

It must be nice to have that kinda cash to throw at something that has very little practical use now days. I would imagine best case scenario it'll probably end up sitting on the shelf or in a display case. Because of its strangeness as compared to other Atari drives and DOS requirements, it isn't likely to get used for much else.

 

My wife would never trust me again if I had been the one to drop $10K on that

 

[StickJock]

36 minutes ago, mytek said:

My wife would never trust me again if I had been the one to drop $10K on that

But honey, it's only $5K per drive.  ?

 

Besides, $10K today is only $2931 in 1980, when the 815 was new, and that's less than twice the MSRP of $1499!

And when you think about it, since it's double density, it's really like getting four 810 drives!  And since those were $600 each, that would be $2400 right there!  So, as you can see, it's really a reasonable price, and an outstanding value!

 

 

[+mytek]

4 hours ago, StickJock said:

But honey, it's only $5K per drive.  ?

 

Besides, $10K today is only $2931 in 1980, when the 815 was new, and that's less than twice the MSRP of $1499!

And when you think about it, since it's double density, it's really like getting four 810 drives!  And since those were $600 each, that would be $2400 right there!  So, as you can see, it's really a reasonable price, and an outstanding value!

All good points, but my wife would still kill me

 

I am curious as to what ultimately will happen with this $10K purchase. Will it actually get used, or will it live out its life in a display case? I'm sure at first it will be exercised appropriately to see what all it can, and cannot do, but I suspect that practicality will step in and the novelty will wear off. Hopefully whoever bought it has plenty of surplus cash, so that the outlay for this drive seems small by comparison to other things.

 

[Mclaneinc]

 

Another item destined to be a 'talking point' and never used... Seems a shame.. I so want to be wrong, but I bet I'm not.. If you pay 10K for something, then the fear of breaking it means it won't get used..

 

The 815 was an item I saw, but it never appealed to me, double density was nice but as a player rather than a coder it was not something I really took advantage of, sure I liked the menu disks with lots more games on, but that was about it. I know it sounds a bit Neanderthal, but we are what we are, I liked to play and tinker, others use them for different reasons, it's all good.