Date : Sat, 26 May 1984 13:21:00 GMT
From : bower@Dca-Eur.ARPA
Subject: Flippies and diskettes
Date: 26 May 1984 12:59:34 Z
Text: Two bits on diskettes and the flippie issue.
I have been punching holes in 5-inch diskettes for about six years
and have not experienced more than a couple of bad sectors in approx.
30 5-inch and 10 8-inch diskettes so modified. As a matter of fact, I
have had better luck with reliability on the flip side of Dysan disks
than on the "front" side of some off brands.
On the head pas issue, one Shugart SA-400 (35-track, single-sided)
drive has been in heavy use for 5 years running both sides of flippies,
and I just ordered the first replacement head pad for it (on general
principle). I am not saying that the technique is for everyone, or
that I just haven't just been lucky, but I have another SA-400 which
has also been running flippies for 4 years (ordered another pad for
that one too), and a Siemens 8-inch drive (my only) has been in very
heavy use for about 4 years with better luck on the flip sides.
I have been an ardent user of Dysan diskettes for some time, but
have also had excellent luck with 3-M and Heathkit 80-track, double-
density 5-inch diskettes on two Siemens FDD-221-5 drives. Have some
6-year old 35-track Verbatims in use as archive disks double-density,
so cannot say too much bad about them, although have not bought any
recently. Have only two Elephant disks, and one of them is evidentally
cut in an oval pattern, because it makes a "whoosh-whoosh" sound as
it rotates, so I will buy no more.
Also have one Tabor 3.25-inch micro drive (80-track single-sided,
double density) and now have three boxes of Dysan diskettes. One of
the boxes is evidentally from a bad lot, because one of the five
diskettes make the same noise as the Elephant, and all five display
erratic reads and writes even after repeated re-formatting. The
other two boxes are great. Maybe even Dysan is having production
problems...
Maybe this is four bits worth, but hope it helps.
Hal Bower
Bower at DCA-EUR