Just got a Kaypro II! Now I need to rip some disk images...

[Streck]

I recently acquired a Kaypro 2 from a former member of the Boston Computer Society.

It's in great shape and works perfectly. This is my first CP/M machine.

It also came with a load of disks, both application and data. They look like they've been stored in good, controlled conditions.

My impulse is to start ripping images of these disks, as I've done with hundreds of Apple II disks, so they can be put online and preserved. I know there's already a lot of Kaypro software that's been archived, but I might have something that's been missed, and the data disks are surely irreplaceable.

I've been able to find some articles about creating Kaypro disks from images - but none about the reverse, creating images from Kaypro disks.

Would anyone with Kaypro experience be willing to give me some pointers? What software should I be using on the Kaypro end?

[Opry99er]

Is there a terminal emulator program on the Kaypro? I imagine there is a serial interface on the machine...

[82-T/A]

Oh man... I wish I had saved mine. I sold off a KayPro 2 that someone had given me... I had dozens and dozens of disks for the CP/M Kaypro!... there were some good games on there too, heh.

 

I actually just bought a Kaypro myself... a BRAND NEW KayPro KPC. It's an 8088 with the NEC V20 chip, a single 5.25" floppy and an internal hard drive, plus 640k of ram. It's nearly identical to the one I had as a kid, but this one has never been used. I turned it on, and it's got everything it originally came with, with nothing having been saved on the hard drive except the originally installed software. It came as part of a Government lot that had been auctioned off. I paid through the nose for it... $400 shipped... but it was worth it to me because I have my original that is identical, that needs some resistors replaced (damaged from battery acid) and I had no idea what is supposed to go on the motherboard. I can now use this one as a pristine model for comparison.

[MarkO]

I remember seeing the Kaypro 2, 4, & 10 at the Business Land store in Salem, Oregon.. Back in the 1980's...

 

The Kaypro 10 had a 10MB Hard Drive with a Park Command.. When it Parked, it went, KLUNK!

 

I actually have an Osborn I that was given to me... And the Disks still boot, or did a few months ago..

 

MarkO

[Lendorien]

Missed this topic. I have a Kaypro 2x that belonged to my Dad. I am afraid that I haven't used it in some time. It has Epson half height drives that probably need new belts. I should really pull it out and try and fix it, but I have no idea where to get new belts! I still have all my games for it.

[MarkO]

Missed this topic. I have a Kaypro 2x that belonged to my Dad. I am afraid that I haven't used it in some time. It has Epson half height drives that probably need new belts. I should really pull it out and try and fix it, but I have no idea where to get new belts! I still have all my games for it.

New Belts... I saw a post recently, that mentioned where to purchase new Precision Drive Belts..

 

It might have been in the Apple ][ section of AppleFritter...

 

I will see if I can locate it..

 

 

Edit: Got some Info on Precision Drive Belts... Looks like there is an e-book available....

 

MarkO

Edited April 6, 2016 by MarkO

[Streck]

Well, I managed to use Dave Dunfield's ImageDisk program to rip a dozen or so of the Kaypro disks, and convert the images into a format that's usable by the MESS emulator. These disks were from the BCS's Kaypro user group (apparently called BOSKUG), and contain the usual things you'd expect from a user group: various apps, tools, games, newsletter content.

 

One of the games is a Pac-Man clone that I don't believe has been archived before.

 

 

I've since sent the images to a couple of archivists, who will hopefully make them publicly available at some point.

Edited June 17, 2016 by Streck