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Looking for RX-50 diskettes

Twylo

Twylo

Experienced Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2009
Messages
230
Location
Poulsbo, WA
Last week, I scored a big pile of free DEC gear, including a couple of MicroPDP-11's and about 6 RD52 drives, woo-hoo!

Bad news: all the RD52 disks but two had been wiped clean some time in the early 2000s. They all have nearly empty RT11SJ installs with little more than DIR.SAV on them.

Worse news: My only computer with a 5.25" floppy in it seems to have a controller that doesn't like PUTR.

So, I'd like to plead with anyone who might be able to help. I'd especially be interested in getting MicroRSX and RT-11 on RX50 diskettes. If someone here has PUTR and knows how to use it, I would be happy to pay for the media, shipping and handling, and your time.

-Twylo
 
You should prepare for the long haul and get another suitable PC with a high density 5-1/4" drive. This is a tool you really need to have yourself. Then you need to spend quality time with your other tools, PUTR and Imagedisk.

Lou
 
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What would it take to talk you out of a drive? Also if you had a spare M8639 controller that can be useful too. Would not mind having a RX50 set up on my 11/23 and if that was the case have no issues providing you things like RT-11 or DEC Basic on that format, it’s just now all I have are RX-01 and 02 drives along with the RL family of hard packs.
 
Qbus said:
What would it take to talk you out of a drive? Also if you had a spare M8639 controller that can be useful too. Would not mind having a RX50 set up on my 11/23
Click to expand...

Any particular reason why you want an M8639 RQDX1 and an RX50 instead of an M7555 RQDX3 and an RX33 or equivalent? The latter are probably a lot more easier to find.

I wouldn't mind having any RX50 drive myself, only because I don't have any and anytime anyone asks for anything on RX50 formatted media that is not something I have any experience creating or using.
 
No reason, just when I looked up what type of controller the RX50 uses the M8639 came up first. The M7555 looks like it may be more available and cost less so that’s a plus. That’s about the sum total of my knowledge of RX50 drives right now but know if I get one will learn quickly. At the end of the day the problem is always how to move information from one world to another, the world of effortlessly networked modern systems and primitive systems. Have been working on things like SCSI base TK50 tape drives with the goal of having a drive on a SCSI port on a modern system and another connected directly on my 11/23 but have been dogged by not having a powerful enough version of RT-11 so know that I have to get an more advanced version and would need that for the RX50 also but have no issues with working on several projects at once. That way when one pisses you off just leave it and go work on another. So maybe a RX50 can be the answer being that I have several DOS and early Windows systems that support 360K 5 ¼ drives. Soon I will have the new Micro Vax 2 with its tape drive. That’s guaranteed to create whole new levels of frustration!
 
Good news! I've gotten my hands on a few diskettes a fellow collector was able to make for me with a very basic install of RT11, and one with the RQDX3 formatter on it, so I'm good to go for the time being.

Additionally, I've found another controller to use in my 486, and PUTR seems to like it, so in the future I'll be able to make my own diskettes.

-Twylo
 
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