[vcf-midatlantic] USB Floppies that are flexible? Cleaning a 3.5" drive?

[Bill Degnan]

I don't have my USB 3.5 floppy here in front of me, but that was always the
issue, formatting disks to be 720K.  I know how to use the command line set
tracks and sectors, etc. but I recall, and it has been a while so I may be
mistaken, but I seem to remember it not working.
b

On Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 2:32 PM Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic <
vcf-midatlantic at lists.vcfed.org> wrote:

>
>    Hmm, I don't remember if I've actually formatted disks with it, but I
> can give it a shot and find out.  I've used it exclusively under Linux.
>
>               -Dave
>
> On 12/8/20 2:30 PM, Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
> > you mean format 720K too? a USB drive that formats 720K using what OS?
> > b
> >
> > On Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 2:11 PM Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic <
> > vcf-midatlantic at lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>     I have a LaCie USB 3.5" drive (model "MYFLOPPY3") that handles 720KB
> >> disks just fine, I use it all the time for those.
> >>
> >>     These will never be able to do arbitrary non-PeeCee disk formats,
> >> though.
> >>
> >>                 -Dave
> >>
> >> On 12/8/20 1:57 PM, Jason Perkins via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
> >>> I have a ~2003 vintage NEC usb floppy drive that can read and write,
> but
> >>> not format PC 720k disks. Inside it has a normal laptop disk mechanism,
> >>> with an external USB converter board.
> >>>
> >>> I can look up the model if anyone is interested.
> >>>
> >>> On Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 8:59 AM Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic <
> >>> vcf-midatlantic at lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> IMHO there is no modern solid USB substitute for the 720K disk drive,
> >> for
> >>>> both software and hardware reasons.  I'd set up a "tweener" PC for
> this
> >>>> kind of work that has an actual 3.5" drive installed and an OS like
> >> Windows
> >>>> 2000.  You can also install a 5 1/4" drive..
> >>>> Bill
> >>>>
> >>>> On Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 10:00 AM John Heritage via vcf-midatlantic <
> >>>> vcf-midatlantic at lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> Hey folks,  two asks -- I'm looking for advice:
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Are there any USB or external floppy drive arrangements that are
> >> flexible
> >>>>> like internal floppy drives for allowing formatting and/or reading of
> >>>>> unusual sector sizes or formats?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Ex:  800KB Atari ST floppies and PC DOS disks formatted in unusual
> >> sizes
> >>>>>
> >>>>> ..
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Second question is -what is the easiest way to clean the heads on a
> >> 3.5"
> >>>>> floppy?   If I have a bunch of 'suspect' floppies that I want to
> clean
> >>>> the
> >>>>> head between every disk it seems a little painful to disassemble the
> >>>> drive
> >>>>> enough to see the heads and clean.  Are there any alternatives?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> (I'm used to 5.25" drives where there's often enough space in there
> to
> >>>> wipe
> >>>>> without disassembly).
> >>>>> Maybe there's a good (modern) source of 3.5" cleaning floppies?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> (P.S.  I have a K6-3+ PC I can put a fresh OS on so I may be
> cleaning a
> >>>>> legacy 3.5" drive instead of a USB floppy).
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Thanks!
> >>>>> John
> >>>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
> >> New Kensington, PA
> >>
>
>
> --
> Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
> New Kensington, PA
>