Wanted 720k 3.5" Floppy Drive

davemurgtroyd

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As per title I am looking for a 3.5" 720k floppy drive for a PC. I have numerous 1.44Mb dives but DD discs formatted at 720k in them are very unreliable when using them in a very old 8086 PC with built in 720k drive.
 

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davemurgtroyd

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Many thanks for the offer but if it has a card reader then it is 1.44MB. I have dozens of 1.44 MB floppy drives but the problem I have is that although 1.44MB drives will write 720k discs reading them in a 720k drive is very hit and miss (probably down to double width read heads compared to 1.44MB drives.
 

Terryl

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I have several from old PC's that I have recycled that you can have,(I would have to check to see if they are 720 or 1.44) but the postage $$ from the US to you may kill the project.
 

davemurgtroyd

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I have several from old PC's that I have recycled that you can have,(I would have to check to see if they are 720 or 1.44) but the postage $$ from the US to you may kill the project.
Thanks for the offer but unless those PCs were early 486s or older then it is unlikely that any of the drives are 720k.

However I think I may have another solution - 8086 is a Sinclair PC200 and has external plugin floppies - a 3.5 and a 5.25 - and I have found a working tower PC (486) with I believe a working internal 5.25 drive. So I now merely have to find my 5.25 floppy discs.

The PC200 is a very unusual PC built in case like an Amiga (see attached video) and Binary Dinosaurs - Sinclair PC200.
It has CGA monitor and RF UHF output to connect to a TV, standard RS232 and Centronic outputs. The two internal 8 bit ISA expansion slots (NOT 3 as stated in video) are accessed via a hinged flap on top of PC. I have a couple of 8087 co-processors to fit.

Resurrecting this PC may well surpass Vipersan's retro resurrection :D

 

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I wonder if any of the ancient IBM POS systems we have in work that we binned today have one, these are ancient.
Will check tomorrow if I remember. (I work for a company that services POS equipment)

I think they might be Model 4683 or similar, I know they are very old.
 
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