Restoration/Repair Video: 1988 IBM PS2 50 PC :o) Help needed :o)

[RetroGamerVX]

Hi all,

I recently came across an IBM PS250, dating from around 1988 that had sat in the back of a projection room of a theater, unused and unloved for at least 20 years! I managed to convince them to part with it and took the extremely dirty machine home. Anyway, below, you will find a link to the video of it's restoration and repair so far.

I am needing a little help in going forward with this one as the machine needs a new floppy drive to re-programe the bios settings and these are proving all but impossible to source!. Does anybody know of one they want to part with, or as it's got an external 5.5 drive, if it could be done from that?

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu2Jv5MrB9A

Please leave any comments / advise you feel relivent and correct me on any ignorance I have with this machine lol.

Best regards,

Steve

 

[cr1901]

Well, I have an IBM PS/2 similar to the one you have, but not a spare floppy drive ... as I recall, power is sourced through through the ribbon cable itself instead of the 4-pin Berg connector for PS/2 internal floppies, but the connections are otherwise compatible with PC floppies. It may be possible to convert a standard 3.5" floppy drive to one which can be powered in a PS/2 system, however...

 

[NeXT]

I have an adapter in my RS/6000 that converts the standard Floppy + Power cabling to the single floppy connector in a PS/2. I've been trying for years to make a pinout but I keep forgetting.

 

[SpidersWeb]

There is also the option of repairing your floppy drive. I know others on here know the details on this - replacing the capacitors comes up a fair bit with those drives but often drives in general just need the rails and heads cleaned.

 

[mikey99]

There is some info about the PS/2 floppy drive pinouts on the following link.

http://ohlandl.ipv7.net/floppy/floppy.html#Planar_Drive_Pinouts

I also recall reading about someone adapting a standard floppy drive to work on a PS/2,
however I cannot find that info now. You should post the make/model of the floppy drive
in your PS/2 because I think there were several different types used.

Also, these do showup on ebay from time to time :
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-PS-2-1-44-Floppy-Drive-with-white-face-plate-/350775002608?pt=US_Floppy_Zip_Jaz_Drives&hash=item51abd1c5f0