1541 Drive Query

[+Atari2600PAL]

Hi. I recently picked up a 1541 drive (as a secondary drive to my SD2IEC) and read on the C64 wiki to prevent knocking to run the command below

 

Does anyone have any experience of this recommendation please?

 

I assume it needs to be done every time the systems are powered on though?

 

Many Thanks

 

OPEN 15,8,15: PRINT#15,"M-W";CHR$(106);CHR$(0);CHR$(1);CHR$(113):CLOSE 15

[+evg2000]

curious, why do you want to eliminate the knock?  It supposed to do that, and it's that vintage feel. Mine from back in the day did a lot of knocking every day for many years and never had an issue.

[+Atari2600PAL]

Just now, evg2000 said:

curious, why do you want to eliminate the knock?  It supposed to do that, and it's that vintage feel. Mine from back in the day did a lot of knocking every day for many years and never had an issue.

I read that the knocking, on a bad sector etc, can knock the head out of alignment?

[+evg2000]

depends on the drive mechanism

here some info, with some solutions
https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=63585

[+Atari2600PAL]

25 minutes ago, evg2000 said:

depends on the drive mechanism

here some info, with some solutions
https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=63585

Thanks. Reading that, mine doesn't seem to be knocking as much as mentioned.

 

Am waiting for some blank floppies to arrive so when I get those I'll try a format and read/write tests and see (or rather hear) what it sounds like then.

 

 

[+OLD CS1]

3 hours ago, Atari2600PAL said:

I assume it needs to be done every time the systems are powered on though?

Every time the 1541 is powered on or reset.  The command essentially POKEs a value into 1541 RAM.  As for the need to disable it, that is covered in previous posts, and I posit it is largely unnecessary.  The crappy drive mechanisms which will go out of alignment for regular head-knocks are likely to fail in the same time period, anyway.  Just do not play the "1541 Daisy" demo on continuous loop for several weeks and you should be fine, otherwise.  (The demo uses the stepper motor knocking against the head stop to play "Daisy.")

 

2 hours ago, Atari2600PAL said:

Am waiting for some blank floppies to arrive

Make absolutely certain you are using double-density disks and not high-density.  Single- or double-sided 2D/DD/MD are what you want to use as they match the magnetic parameters of the Commodore drive heads.  HD disks have a higher magnetic coercivity.  If they record any data at all it will be unstable.  Track width between the DD/HD stuff is an issue, as well.  The same warning over magnetic coercivity goes for 3.5" disks if you pick up a 1581.

[+Atari2600PAL]

Thanks @OLD CS1

 

Will just use it "as is" and if it breaks down look for a replacement (1541-ii probably), too much hassle to worry about running the command every time!

 

I've just used a freeze frame cart to copy to a disk I had available and it saved and reloaded fine with very little noise. Will avoid the demo though...

 

The disks I have on order are all double density, so all good there thanks

 

Thanks all

[+Atari2600PAL]

Back in the 80's my C64 only had a tape drive, so I'm totally new to using floppy drives with the C64

 

I'd like to copy some files from a floppy in the 1541 to my SD2IEC (this has a device ID of 9) but can't for the life of me work out how to do it (have been searching the web and am still none the wiser)

 

I have an epyx cart with a copy function, but this only seems to have a function to copy a file from floppy to floppy in the same drive

 

Could anyone give me some simple instructions on how I would go about this please?

 

Many Thanks 

Edited April 16, 2023 by Atari2600PAL

[+Atari2600PAL]

27 minutes ago, Atari2600PAL said:

Back in the 80's my C64 only had a tape drive, so I'm totally new to using floppy drives with the C64

 

I'd like to copy some files from a floppy in the 1541 to my SD2IEC (this has a device ID of 9) but can't for the life of me work out how to do it (have been searching the web and am still none the wiser)

 

I have an epyx cart with a copy function, but this only seems to have a function to copy a file from floppy to floppy in the same drive

 

Could anyone give me some simple instructions on how I would go about this please?

 

Many Thanks 

Have found a utility called DraCopy which has done the trick (once I got my head around it)

[+OLD CS1]

2 hours ago, Atari2600PAL said:

I'd like to copy some files from a floppy in the 1541 to my SD2IEC (this has a device ID of 9) but can't for the life of me work out how to do it (have been searching the web and am still none the wiser)

CBM Command (I think I got my copy with my SD2IEC.)  Also, JiffyDOS has the ability to copy files between drives.  I always used my WarpSpeed cartridge to copy between drives, but it seems a bit flakey with my SD2IEC.

[+OLD CS1]

5 hours ago, OLD CS1 said:

Single- or double-sided 2D/DD/MD are what you want to use as they match the magnetic parameters of the Commodore drive heads.

Interestingly, I was taking a gander at a retail flyer for the 1541-II and noticed this:

 

Quote

MEDIA    5¼" floppy disk· Single sided, single density, soft sectored (double density can be used, but is not needed)

 

[+Atari2600PAL]

10 hours ago, OLD CS1 said:

CBM Command (I think I got my copy with my SD2IEC.)  Also, JiffyDOS has the ability to copy files between drives.  I always used my WarpSpeed cartridge to copy between drives, but it seems a bit flakey with my SD2IEC.

Have reformatted my SD, too many files I won't use on it, and have found CBM command. Will give it a go thanks.

[+Atari2600PAL]

As it's decades since I used 5.25" floppy disks, am I correct in thinking that I can I notch out a double sided disk so I can turn it over to use both sides in the 1541 please?

 

Thanks

[+Atari2600PAL]

1 hour ago, Atari2600PAL said:

As it's decades since I used 5.25" floppy disks, am I correct in thinking that I can I notch out a double sided disk so I can turn it over to use both sides in the 1541 please?

 

Thanks

Actually I've got enough disks for what I want to do, for now, so will just use them as is

[+OLD CS1]

4 hours ago, Atari2600PAL said:

Actually I've got enough disks for what I want to do, for now, so will just use them as is

If you wind up needing to, yes, you can notch a double-sided disk and use it as a "flippy," recording on the second side of the disk.  Doing so was very common back in the day.  Commodore drives like the 1541 and 1571 use the sync marks on the disk to determine if it is spinning rather than the index hole (the small hole in the disk next to the hub.)

[+Atari2600PAL]

My box of unused disks arrived, but I don't think they are in the best condition magnetically (look like new though)

 

When I formatted a couple the drive got very noisy, maybe this is normal for this drive?, I don't know

 

I've managed to copy files to a disk and read them back ok, but not very confident in them yet in all honesty (one file ended up at zero bytes but I may of powered off the C64 before the 1541 finished writing...)

 

Will try copying a full disk of files from my SD2IEC and reading them all back a few times

 

Will also try and find some more disks, preferably sealed this time, to see if they are any different

 

Perhaps I'll reformat my one existing disk and see how noisy that is!

 

EDIT: Have ordered a sealed box of disks to see if they are any different

Edited April 17, 2023 by Atari2600PAL

[+Atari2600PAL]

Seems I'm just paranoid...

 

The known good disk makes the same noises during a format as the newer disks

 

I also filled a newer disk with files and there were no write problems and all loaded back ok each time

After not using a C64 for 35+ years (the first computer I ever used was a Pet) I think I should probably rtfm for a refresher!

 

Thanks for all the advise

 

[+OLD CS1]

Yup.  It is not unusual for a good disk to dumb the head right before formatting, then you get the characteristic head clicks as the head moves two positions per track, 35 tracks to format, then return to track 18 to write the directory.  Then normal use.  Disks often create a sound as they spin from the disk moving against the inside of the jacket.  Sometimes the media will cause the head to squeak (I would be wary of those disks.)  The drive motor itself has a noise to it.  So much noise in the mechanical world!