Replacement floppy for A3000

tonyyeb · 20 August 2008, 10:18

Hi all

I'm after a replacement floppy for my A3000. Direct replacements are hard to find but i've read about making changes to PC floppies to make them compatible. What is the best route to try? I'm not worried about getting my soldering iron out.

Regards

Chris

alexh · 20 August 2008, 10:28

I am not an expert. But I believe modified PC drives are incapable of loading certain copy protected disks? (I might very well be wrong on this case).

Also a PC disk will not be mechanically compatible with the A3000 eject mechanism.

tonyyeb · 20 August 2008, 10:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexh

I am not an expert. But I believe modified PC drives are incapable of loading certain copy protected disks? (I might very well be wrong on this case).

Also a PC disk will not be mechanically compatible with the A3000 eject mechanism.

Hmmm. Is there a way to use another Amiga internal drive (A600/A1200) and modify? Not bothered too much about the eject mechanism - I can feel a mod coming on!

alexh · 20 August 2008, 10:47

Not my area of expertise.

Although I would recommend you try to get an A4000 1.76MB HD drive if possible?

tonyyeb · 20 August 2008, 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexh

Although I would recommend you try to get an A4000 1.76MB HD drive if possible?

@alexh: Yes that would be the drive of choice.

@Thread: Has anyone tried to fit one of these to an A3000?

alexh · 20 August 2008, 12:58

Are A3000's shipped with HD drives? What model is yours?

tonyyeb · 20 August 2008, 13:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexh

Are A3000's shipped with HD drives? What model is yours?

According to BBoAH there was a choice of DD and HD. Not sure what model mine is. Ill take a look when I get home.

alexh · 20 August 2008, 13:15

I take it yours is fubar?

Fingerlickin_B · 20 August 2008, 13:51

Hi Chris,

A500 & A2000 floppy drives are the same drive as the lower capacity A3000D drive but for one minor difference...the eject button

Grab one of them, clip your eject button to it & bingo, you're in business!

Just be careful when removing the plastic eject button, as the locking tab is fairly easy to snap!

A2000 drive also has a longer metal casing which may foul on your faceplate, but if that's a problem it can be swapped with your original casing with great ease, just a few screws

PZ.

tonyyeb · 20 August 2008, 14:20

Cheers for that. Now to find a (cheap

) A500/A2000 floppy drive... failing that buy a faulty A500 and strip it.

Jope · 20 August 2008, 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexh

I am not an expert. But I believe modified PC drives are incapable of loading certain copy protected disks? (I might very well be wrong on this case).

If it's done properly, it works 100%, but if you don't have a ready signal, then you get that exact problem.

rkauer · 20 August 2008, 16:13

Then it's the case of doing a proper modification.

The method I mentioned on the proper thread works 100% for anything Amiga.

tonyyeb · 20 August 2008, 16:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkauer

Then it's the case of doing a proper modification.

The method I mentioned on the proper thread works 100% for anything Amiga.

So the mod done on a suitable PC floppy drive will do as a replacement?

Jope · 20 August 2008, 17:22

Yes, but the eject button problem is for you to solve. The drive needs to be put on 5mm standoffs (or around that height) in order to be at the correct height.

tonyyeb · 20 August 2008, 21:28

Shouldn't be too much of an issue. Now to find a willing drive for modification... anyone got one to spare?

gklinger · 21 August 2008, 00:50

My recollection is that that the 16MHz 3000s shipped only with LD drives and the HD drive was an option on the 25MHz model. It could have been a configuration limitation specific to Commodore Canada though. My 3000UX came from the factory with an HD drive.

tonyyeb · 21 August 2008, 10:42

I think mine is a Chinon FZ-354. I think that is the DD. The HD is a Chinon FZ-357?

jimbo100 · 21 August 2008, 12:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonyyeb

I think mine is a Chinon FZ-354. I think that is the DD. The HD is a Chinon FZ-357?

The drives were Chinon

FB-354A for DD found in A500/A2000/A3000/A1011 etc
FB-357A for HD found in A3000 and early A4000 (Only fit 1 in A4000)

FZ-354A for DD found in A600/1200
FZ-357A for HD found in later A4000 (able to fit two into an A4000)

PC drives are minus the A on the end of the model name. Of course other brands were used in A500 etc

tonyyeb · 21 August 2008, 14:02

Sorry yes it will be a FB.

20 August 2008, 10:18	#1
tonyyeb Has the Amiga bug again Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hull, UK Age: 43 Posts: 791	Replacement floppy for A3000 Hi all I'm after a replacement floppy for my A3000. Direct replacements are hard to find but i've read about making changes to PC floppies to make them compatible. What is the best route to try? I'm not worried about getting my soldering iron out. Regards Chris

20 August 2008, 13:51	#9
Fingerlickin_B Amiga Nut Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Belco, Australia Posts: 2,242	Hi Chris, A500 & A2000 floppy drives are the same drive as the lower capacity A3000D drive but for one minor difference...the eject button Grab one of them, clip your eject button to it & bingo, you're in business! Just be careful when removing the plastic eject button, as the locking tab is fairly easy to snap! A2000 drive also has a longer metal casing which may foul on your faceplate, but if that's a problem it can be swapped with your original casing with great ease, just a few screws PZ. Last edited by Fingerlickin_B; 20 August 2008 at 14:01.

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20 August 2008, 10:28	#2
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,339	I am not an expert. But I believe modified PC drives are incapable of loading certain copy protected disks? (I might very well be wrong on this case). Also a PC disk will not be mechanically compatible with the A3000 eject mechanism.

20 August 2008, 10:47	#4
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,339	Not my area of expertise. Although I would recommend you try to get an A4000 1.76MB HD drive if possible?

20 August 2008, 12:58	#6
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,339	Are A3000's shipped with HD drives? What model is yours?

20 August 2008, 13:15	#8
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,339	I take it yours is fubar?

20 August 2008, 14:20	#10
tonyyeb Has the Amiga bug again Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hull, UK Age: 43 Posts: 791	Cheers for that. Now to find a (cheap ) A500/A2000 floppy drive... failing that buy a faulty A500 and strip it.

20 August 2008, 16:13	#12
rkauer I hate potatos and shirts Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sao Leopoldo / Brazil Age: 58 Posts: 3,482	Then it's the case of doing a proper modification. The method I mentioned on the proper thread works 100% for anything Amiga.

20 August 2008, 17:22	#14
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,861	Yes, but the eject button problem is for you to solve. The drive needs to be put on 5mm standoffs (or around that height) in order to be at the correct height.

20 August 2008, 21:28	#15
tonyyeb Has the Amiga bug again Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hull, UK Age: 43 Posts: 791	Shouldn't be too much of an issue. Now to find a willing drive for modification... anyone got one to spare?

21 August 2008, 00:50	#16
gklinger Vegetable Lasagna Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto, CANADA Age: 54 Posts: 711	My recollection is that that the 16MHz 3000s shipped only with LD drives and the HD drive was an option on the 25MHz model. It could have been a configuration limitation specific to Commodore Canada though. My 3000UX came from the factory with an HD drive.

21 August 2008, 10:42	#17
tonyyeb Has the Amiga bug again Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hull, UK Age: 43 Posts: 791	I think mine is a Chinon FZ-354. I think that is the DD. The HD is a Chinon FZ-357?

21 August 2008, 14:02	#19
tonyyeb Has the Amiga bug again Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hull, UK Age: 43 Posts: 791	Sorry yes it will be a FB.

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