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5.25" format used in Zenith Data Systems EIA 416?

Fire-Flare

Experienced Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2009
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Washington State
I recently acquired a ZDS EIA 416 luggable system that appears to have a bad floppy drive.

If someone could tell me what disk capacity it's designed for I may be able to start troubleshooting it.

Edit: Looks like the keyboard cable is bad too, does it use a straight-through 5-pin DIN cable or is it proprietary?
 
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The Z100 series were all XT clones, so I suspect that a plain old half-height 360K drive would be appropriate. If you're interested in the exact brand and model, a closeup of your dead one would help. Zenith used several different vendors for those.
 
"EIA 416" would not be the model number. Does it have any other markings on it? Zenith's part/model numbering system was kind of wacky. If it is luggable with 5.25" drives, I would guess a Z-160? (A model number like Zxx-16x-xx where x represents component and configuration). And if so, nice find.

The Z-160 would be a member of the "Z-100 PC Series", which is IBM compatible. And I believe that is a luggable version of the Z-150 desktop computer. Anyway, those should use standard 360k drives, but if that is not what it looks like then post some pictures.

Just be glad you are not dealing with the Citizen 3.5" drives they used on some their laptop-like Z-100 PC Series machines.

BTW "Z-100 PC Series" are the later IBM PC compatible machines and "Z-100 Series" are the earlier non-PC compatibles . But in the context of just floppy drives, even those used standard 360k drives.
 
When he said "luggable", the 161 immediately came to mind. The existing floppy drive appears to be a CDC/MPI unit, but Zenith wasn't consistent in their use of one brand or another.
 
I put in a 360k DOS disk and the machine read it and booted without the disk error message, but still no keyboard functionality.

I ordered a male-to-male DIN cable, hopefully that will work.
 
Update: I got the cable and the keyboard works, as do both floppy drives. :D

Now the question is: What price should I set it at? No Zenith Luggables are in Ebay's recent history.
 
Here's a Zenith PC luggable (although not the same model) that sold for $174.99:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201700824133

24v44yd.jpg
 
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