Author: Flash (cvx-sto-1-244.ppp.netlink.se)
Date: 09-20-2000 03:00
Yep, that´s a start...
Don´t know though, if you tried to start your
Mega WITH a good ST disk in the drive, since
you didn´t tell so ;) But if you did, and there´s
still no icons, then, yep, your diskdrive is most
probably "dead". Happens just too often...
Now, a good advise, if you gonna change drive
should be to give the mega an 1.44 MB drive,
while you´re on it. I ripped out the diskdrive
from an ooold ´386, and putted it in my Mega,
and it now reads all disks; Falcon´s, MAC´s
and peesee´s. And it still handles the famous
ATARI ST extended formats perfectly as well:)
Any cheap 1.44 MB drive will do, but check it
up first, that it DO have the microswitch that
tells the computer if the inserted disk is a 720
or 1.44 disk. Then you won´t have to use a
manual switch, like I do with my Mega...
(some drives has LED´s instead of microsw.)
You will need a little program in your AUTO-
folder, that changes the drive´s steprate, when
in 1.44 mode. And you will also need to make
one minor modification on the motherboard,
but that´s "dead easy", I´ve done it to ca 25-30
ST(e)´s tru the years and it has never failed...
If you want, I´ll mail an complete description to
you, with pictures. Then you can´t go wrong.
OOPS, I almost forgot!! BEFORE anyone tries
this: Check on the floppycontroller chip on the
motherboard, (WD 1772) IF it has the text:
"02-02" printed on it!! If not, then forget all this.
It COULD, but most likely won´t, handle it.
Good luck
Flash
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