I wanted to format a number of 3.5” floppy disks so for this I set up a IIe where I could easily reach it beside where I was working. Decided to use a superdrive controller and my only two original superdrives. Pretty soon I noticed an unusually high incidence of errors while formatting. While I went to get a head cleaner I tried formatting with the other drive. Same problem. Cleaned the heads but no real difference.
So I swapped in a drive that had been upgraded with a superdrive mechanism and the same disks formatted without failure. Tried the original` superdrives one at a time and still got errors. Got out a spare superdrive mechanism and replaced the one in one of the original superdrives and now it formats without difficulty.
The original superdrives came from a school. I can’t see anything visibly wrong with it. I was thinking maybe head wear from being a boot drive in a school for 15 years but the heads look the same as in the replacements. Bad caps? Anyone happen to know the spec of the caps? The numbers are on the side I can’t see without removing them. Other suggestions?
Superdrive issue
August 1, 2016 - 1:24pm
#1
Superdrive issue
Did you overhaul the drive mechanism?
Can you post pictures of the Drives and a picture of the Controller Card?
Steven![Smile](https://www.applefritter.com/sites/all/modules/smiley/packs/kolobok/smile.gif)
I can't see much to do to it. The heads are clean, the mechanical part is moving freely.
I'm not home right now but it's a standard superdrive controller card and standard superdrives
I did replace the capacitors last night to no effect
There are mechanical parts on it that cannot be determined to "move freely" unless the mechanism is disassembled first.
The case was opened at the time I replaced the drive. With the bare mechanism you can see how the parts move
Fine.
If you don't do what is required, then that's your decision.
There are two different Superdrive Controller Cards.
Which one are you using?
Steven![Smile](https://www.applefritter.com/sites/all/modules/smiley/packs/kolobok/smile.gif)
Maybe I should have said it was the Apple Superdrive controller. I wasn't thinking about the one from Ultimateapple2 as I thought they only made a couple of cards
Sounds like it. They sold only two cards.
They were gone in one day.
I saw them for sale at night but I wanted to go to sleep but my instincts told me that I had to get it at that time because they would be sold out...
And that's what happened.
I'm glad I got one of them.
It's a clone of the original Superdrive Controller.
I would have to say that there are different floppy disks going around for it.
The Apple utilities disk that did not come out with the card (according to the manual) does not work with the Superdrive.
In that case there are 3:
Ultimateapple2 Controller (clone)
Liron Controller
Apple SuperDrive Controller
I too had seen the Ultimateapple2 card, but was not in time.
Steven![Smile](https://www.applefritter.com/sites/all/modules/smiley/packs/kolobok/smile.gif)
There’s still only 2. The Liron controller isn’t a Superdrive controller. It only works with the 3.5” UniDisk which is an 800k drive. The Superdrive controller would work with Apple’s 1.4mb drive which they called a Superdrive. Hence the name Superdrive controller.
I've got several Apple Superdrive controllers. I believe 3 of them came with floppy disks but I don't recall ever using the disks. Most of them came from Shreve. Once I convinced the telephone sales guy that Canada isn't in South America
Wayne is right. The Liron only works with the 3.5 Unidisk drive.
I would have to say that the Liron is the worst 3.5 controller that you can get for the Apple ii.
The Laser UDC controller card can control the Apple 3.5 drive and the 5.25 but not the Unidisk.
And the Apple 3.5 drive is better than the Unidisk 3.5 for 2 reasons:
1). The Unidisk is slow compared to the Apple 3.5 drive.
2). The Unidisk will NEVER use a 1.44MB floppy disk. The Apple 3.5 drive can even though they say you shouldn't. Still, it will work for a while.
The Superdrive controller can use the Unidisk 3.5, the Apple 3.5 and the Superdrive plus the AE 1.6MB drive, but it can't use a 5.25 drive.
The SuperDrive controller worlks great with the BMOW Floppy EMU in Hard Drive mode in a //e. FYI.
What is that?
I've never heard of it.
"Big Mess Of Wires", Floppy EMU...
MarkO