From: fjkraan@xs4all.nl   
      
   Knut Roll-Lund wrote:   
   > F.J. Kraan wrote:   
   >   
   >> wmikrut@comcast.net wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> On Thu, 5 Mar 2009 10:04:30 -0800 (PST), sid.huff@connections-usa.com   
   >>> wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>> One of our customers has data on some old 8" TRS-80 floppy disks and   
   >>>> needs this data retrieved.  Know anyone who can/would do this for a   
   >>>> reasonable price and put on a CD?   
   >>>> Thx, Sid Huff / Connections USA / sid.huff@connections-usa.com /   
   >>>> 770.479.7508   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>> Wow... I haven't seen an 8" disk since the days of B Model AS/400s   
   >>> back in the early 90's.   
   >>>   
   >>> The 8" disks have a longer shelf life than the 5.25 disks, but I doubt   
   >>> they would be readable after so many years. (unless they have been in   
   >>> constant use up until recently).   
   >>>   
   >>> You could try contacting a data retrieval company -- but the medium   
   >>> may have degraded if they were not stored in absolutle pristine   
   >>> condition and unused for 10 or more years.   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> Recently I had no problem reading very similar 8" floppies written in   
   >> 1981 (actual original DEC RX01 SS SD). But as I am in The Netherlands,   
   >> I'm not the first choice to ship to ;-).   
   >>   
   >> Fred Jan   
   >   
   > Hi   
   >   
   > Yes, in my experience old floppies and cassettes usually works (1979 and   
   > later), sometimes it is a bit tricky and I think that only once I gave   
   > up on a floppy (it was not important and should contain no unique data.)   
   > My experience is with 5.25" floppies and I think 8" floppies are very   
   > much the same.   
   >   
   > I have a stack of 8" floppies that I hope to extract some data from when   
   > I get my 8" drive up and running (even though it is not TRS-80 format).   
   > I need to set up a powersupply for it and to make an adapter for the   
   > 50pin connector.   
      
   The power supply problem can be solved by those miracle boost regulators   
   like the LT1070/LT1071. One of those, a coil of proper inductance and   
   some other simple parts are needed for a 12 to 24 volts transformer.   
   >   
   > BTW could a model 4 read DD 8", is it fast enough?   
      
   The LNW80 at 4MHz is fast enough. But I didn't test it yet on my LNW80,   
   just on a PC with a AHA1542B and ImageDisk. The Catweasel experiment is   
   next.   
   >   
      
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