Catweasel on a600? Trying to get round HDs

08 March 2002, 17:38

I have a standard a600 with external drive and I have been porting adf files over to floppies using ADFsender, Transdisk, and a link cable, but have found many game to not work 100% when using HD disks (don't worry I won't start that thread again!)

Seems both drive will read and write to formatted HDs with or without tape, the only thing being that the games load 7/10 times perfectly.

For example, I've tried disk1 of pinball dreams on DD, HD as written in DF0:, HD as written in DF1:, and even twice more with or without tape, and always the same. Seems from the other posts the magnetic fields aren't strong enough, but strange thing is I've had some HD games for months now and they are still fine

so it's more just that they every now and again a few stop mid load, seems to be only certain game and parts, but tried again work fine!!??

I'm just trying to find a HD drive that I can attach to my amiga, internal or external. I would get a Catweasel but don't know if it's 1200 only.

Maybe I should get an extra meg of ram first? I have found one for about 20 quid Uk but for that could invest in a good 2.5" Hard disk and a connector lead.

If I get a catweasel, will it run on a bog standard a600? Also will I be able to just connect any pc floppy as df0 or df1?

RetroMan · 08 March 2002, 19:54

Sorry, but it won´t work ! Catweasel is fitting into Clockports of 1200 and 4000, into any Zorro II Slot, or into PeCe´s with ISA Slot ..... have a look here : http://www.e-trade.to/en/catweasel/catweasel.html

08 March 2002, 20:39

Thanks RetroMan, up until now the whole catweasel was just a device I knew hardly anything about.

Well I've just found an A1200 on ebay for a good price so I'll get that plus the catweasel seperately. This combination will also solve the 2meg problem, and I will sell me A600 on (I remember the A1200 was slightly less compatible with older games than the A600, but I have relokick etc so it should be okay).

Amiga1992 · 09 March 2002, 04:48

How much do you want for the 600? In which condition is it?

TikTok · 09 March 2002, 05:01

LOL, I read eNVy's last post and I just knew Akira would post that question immediately

.

09 March 2002, 15:37

@Akira :laugh well I might still keep it, but I just want to make sure the A1200 is in good condition and the drive etc still has life in it.

I would sell my 600 for about 20 pounds , it's got no yellowing etc, but alas is just a basic setup with powerpack, ariel, mouse, megadrive pad.

I'll let you know as soon as I have the 1200 and have checked it out and decided.

@Everyone... Strangely enough I've noticed with the HD disks it seems to be only on certain games or loading parts of certain games. Anyone else ever found this?

Also tried looking at the 600's internal floppy and changing the jumpers, seems to have D0 1 2 3 - must be for drive number, plus two other jumper switches that are TY and MS something I think, but on trying those changed the drive wouldn't load anything but the shortest of crack intros on games.

Amiga1992 · 10 March 2002, 01:05

NO NO NO dont touch the switchs!!! The drive wont read the disks anymore if you misconfigure that crap!

Some drives jyust dont work with HD games, if you tape the extra hole or not. And HD disks tend to be shittiewr than 2D ones, so they will die an horrible death faster....

It's strange though, most of the new Amigas (600 and 1200) do accept HD disks

10 March 2002, 12:16

That's exactly what I mean Akira, my 600 does read HD disks, and it reads them fine with or without tape. It will even quite happily write to an untaped disk with Transdisk and format them in X-copy too.

Plus the game all work fine apart from a few that always go wrong in the same loading part. And the HD disks have seemed to keep their data fine for weeks too. Jimmy Whites was written to a HD disk almost 2 months ago and still loads perfectly. It just seems to be certain game loading places such as Premier Disk 3, Pinball Dreams disk 1, and 8/10 they load fine. Yet on DD disks they always load 10/10.

Very strange, maybe it's just me. I'm new to adfs on real amigas, but have had amiga experience with my old a550, a600, and a1200 in the past. Just never tried hd's before.

Thanks for the tip anyway, well I found it wouldn't load and put the switches back to their presets. I was just curious.

Amiga1992 · 11 March 2002, 23:00

Well, keep in mind, that you might be able to write a whole HD disk without taping its hole, but when you try to read it, it will fail. Alwaysd keep them holes taped and give it a try.

RetroMan · 11 March 2002, 23:02

Better : try to get a bunch of DD disks from EBay ! Just bought 300 DD disks for almost nothing, they are really cheap there

whiteb · 06 April 2002, 06:19

Quote:

Originally posted by eNVy
Thanks RetroMan, up until now the whole catweasel was just a device I knew hardly anything about.

Well I've just found an A1200 on ebay for a good price so I'll get that plus the catweasel seperately. This combination will also solve the 2meg problem, and I will sell me A600 on (I remember the A1200 was slightly less compatible with older games than the A600, but I have relokick etc so it should be okay).

The A1200 sometimes has spastic fits about not having df0: if you mount the drive internally, well MY A1200 does.

If you really want to be able to boot from the A1200 with the PC drive, get a KYWALDA interface.

jmmijo · 06 April 2002, 08:23

Yes I agree, if you wanna boot from this drive then get a Kylwalda adapter too, I have one in the A4000 and it works quite nice, but I must say I use both sets of drives more often

08 March 2002, 17:38	#1
eNVy Posts: n/a	Catweasel on a600? Trying to get round HDs I have a standard a600 with external drive and I have been porting adf files over to floppies using ADFsender, Transdisk, and a link cable, but have found many game to not work 100% when using HD disks (don't worry I won't start that thread again!) Seems both drive will read and write to formatted HDs with or without tape, the only thing being that the games load 7/10 times perfectly. For example, I've tried disk1 of pinball dreams on DD, HD as written in DF0:, HD as written in DF1:, and even twice more with or without tape, and always the same. Seems from the other posts the magnetic fields aren't strong enough, but strange thing is I've had some HD games for months now and they are still fine so it's more just that they every now and again a few stop mid load, seems to be only certain game and parts, but tried again work fine!!?? I'm just trying to find a HD drive that I can attach to my amiga, internal or external. I would get a Catweasel but don't know if it's 1200 only. Maybe I should get an extra meg of ram first? I have found one for about 20 quid Uk but for that could invest in a good 2.5" Hard disk and a connector lead. If I get a catweasel, will it run on a bog standard a600? Also will I be able to just connect any pc floppy as df0 or df1?

08 March 2002, 20:39	#3
eNVy Posts: n/a	A whole new system! Thanks RetroMan, up until now the whole catweasel was just a device I knew hardly anything about. Well I've just found an A1200 on ebay for a good price so I'll get that plus the catweasel seperately. This combination will also solve the 2meg problem, and I will sell me A600 on (I remember the A1200 was slightly less compatible with older games than the A600, but I have relokick etc so it should be okay).

09 March 2002, 15:37	#6
eNVy Posts: n/a	I was once engaged to my first A600 lol @Akira :laugh well I might still keep it, but I just want to make sure the A1200 is in good condition and the drive etc still has life in it. I would sell my 600 for about 20 pounds , it's got no yellowing etc, but alas is just a basic setup with powerpack, ariel, mouse, megadrive pad. I'll let you know as soon as I have the 1200 and have checked it out and decided. @Everyone... Strangely enough I've noticed with the HD disks it seems to be only on certain games or loading parts of certain games. Anyone else ever found this? Also tried looking at the 600's internal floppy and changing the jumpers, seems to have D0 1 2 3 - must be for drive number, plus two other jumper switches that are TY and MS something I think, but on trying those changed the drive wouldn't load anything but the shortest of crack intros on games.

10 March 2002, 12:16	#8
eNVy Posts: n/a	must be something with the verify That's exactly what I mean Akira, my 600 does read HD disks, and it reads them fine with or without tape. It will even quite happily write to an untaped disk with Transdisk and format them in X-copy too. Plus the game all work fine apart from a few that always go wrong in the same loading part. And the HD disks have seemed to keep their data fine for weeks too. Jimmy Whites was written to a HD disk almost 2 months ago and still loads perfectly. It just seems to be certain game loading places such as Premier Disk 3, Pinball Dreams disk 1, and 8/10 they load fine. Yet on DD disks they always load 10/10. Very strange, maybe it's just me. I'm new to adfs on real amigas, but have had amiga experience with my old a550, a600, and a1200 in the past. Just never tried hd's before. Thanks for the tip anyway, well I found it wouldn't load and put the switches back to their presets. I was just curious.

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08 March 2002, 19:54	#2
RetroMan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Germany Age: 51 Posts: 3,704	Sorry, but it won´t work ! Catweasel is fitting into Clockports of 1200 and 4000, into any Zorro II Slot, or into PeCe´s with ISA Slot ..... have a look here : http://www.e-trade.to/en/catweasel/catweasel.html

09 March 2002, 04:48	#4
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	How much do you want for the 600? In which condition is it?

09 March 2002, 05:01	#5
TikTok Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Malayasia Age: 43 Posts: 657	LOL, I read eNVy's last post and I just knew Akira would post that question immediately .

10 March 2002, 01:05	#7
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	NO NO NO dont touch the switchs!!! The drive wont read the disks anymore if you misconfigure that crap! Some drives jyust dont work with HD games, if you tape the extra hole or not. And HD disks tend to be shittiewr than 2D ones, so they will die an horrible death faster.... It's strange though, most of the new Amigas (600 and 1200) do accept HD disks

11 March 2002, 23:00	#9
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	Well, keep in mind, that you might be able to write a whole HD disk without taping its hole, but when you try to read it, it will fail. Alwaysd keep them holes taped and give it a try.

11 March 2002, 23:02	#10
RetroMan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Germany Age: 51 Posts: 3,704	Better : try to get a bunch of DD disks from EBay ! Just bought 300 DD disks for almost nothing, they are really cheap there

06 April 2002, 08:23	#12
jmmijo Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: PDX Age: 62 Posts: 2,395	Yes I agree, if you wanna boot from this drive then get a Kylwalda adapter too, I have one in the A4000 and it works quite nice, but I must say I use both sets of drives more often

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