In this episode I explore a rare Commodore 1551 disk drive, fix it in the process and learn a little bit about BASIC v3.5 on the Plus 4 and Commodore 16. I also do a head-to-head speed test of the 1551 against a 1541 loading Lemmings.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:21 First examination
00:57 Taking a look inside
02:39 Testing the read/write head
03:29 Testing the drive
10:21 Testing with replaced drive mechanism
14:31 Testing again
17:48 Using the Plus 4 again
19:55 Testing 1551 and 1541 speeds
21:48 Wrap-up

Problems with this drive:

  • The read/write head on the Newtronics/Mitsumi mechanism had failed with some of the coil resistances being 15k ohms. I replaced the drive mechanism (including the head) with another identical mechanism from a 1541 drive.
  • The cartridge port on my Plus 4 and the cartridge connector on the 1551 were a bit dirty - some cleaning fixed them both.

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