From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

Hello all - there are many options I have seen out there and I was to take the dive into using a SD2IEC card drive with my Commodore systems.

I am looking for suggestions of a device that is reasonably simple to use with multidisk images and would work on a C128/64 unit - Vic20 and Plus4

Appreciate the assist all - thank you!
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

On Sunday, October 2, 2022 at 7:39:42 PM UTC-5, Fred Beans wrote:

Hello all - there are many options I have seen out there and I was to take the dive into using a SD2IEC card drive with my Commodore systems.

I am looking for suggestions of a device that is reasonably simple to use with multidisk images and would work on a C128/64 unit - Vic20 and Plus4

Appreciate the assist all - thank you!

There's lots of tutorials and such on sd2iec based devices. Are you asking about a drive emulator in general (not all are sd2iec-based), or which sd2iec-based device is best?
All sd2iec based devices work exactly the same. THe ones with an LCD might be easier to use since there's a screen to navigate. All of them work with all Commodore machines that would work with a 1541 drive (VIC,64,128,128D,+4,16, 116,SX)
I doubt I can offer an unbiased recommendation, as I sell an sd2iec-based unit called the uIEC/SD, which I believe is the smallest of the devices (it works fine as is, but is designed for internal mounting). Some have screens, cases, look like little 1541s, etc.
About the only recommendation I can provide is to buy one from a reputable seller, as they do have issue every so often, and I've regrettably heard from owners whose seller disappeared and now their device has issues. Sadly, while they are all sd2iec-based, the hardware is different for various units and one seller cannot often diagnose issues in the HW on other units.
Jim Brain
www.go4retro.com
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

On 02 Oct 2022, Fred Beans said the following...

Hello all - there are many options I have seen out there and I was to
take the dive into using a SD2IEC card drive with my Commodore systems.

My suggestion is Jim Brains uIEC/SD I own 1 and have used it for a few years now. I pop a SD card in and copy my files to it, it accepts JiffyDOS commands and have used it to enter and mount .d64, .d71, and .d81 images with no issues at all.. In fact when I was copying my Lt Kernal HD over to my Emulated system,
I backed up to .d81 images on a uIEC/SD card, then copied them to my PC via a SD Card reader and mounted them and copied the files off the images. You can have 12 partitions on it and pretty much if you want treat it like a hard drive. You might want to read up on it at go4retro.com Jim Brain is a good guy and is keeping the Commodore alive with what he sells...

... A .GIF is worth a thousand .TXT.

--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

On Mon 3-Oct-2022 5:54p, Al Derosa@1:267/157.0 said to Fred Beans:

My suggestion is Jim Brains uIEC/SD I own 1 and have used it for a few years now. I pop a SD card in and copy my files to it, it accepts JiffyDOS commands and have used it to enter and mount .d64, .d71, and .d81 images with no issues at all.. In fact when I was copying my Lt Kernal HD over to my Emulated system, I backed up to .d81 images on a uIEC/SD card, then copied them to my PC via a SD Card reader and mounted them and copied the files off the images. You can have 12 partitions on it and pretty much if you want treat it like a hard drive. You might want to read up on it at go4retro.com Jim Brain is a good guy and is keeping the Commodore alive with what he sells...

I would have to agree. Al pointed me in that direction and I now have 1 for my C64 which is running my BBS and one for my C128. They both work great
without any issues.

* ACIS Member. AmigaNet ArakNet C=Net FidoNet RetroNet
* C-Net/5
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

On Sunday, October 2, 2022 at 8:39:42 PM UTC-4, Fred Beans wrote:

I am looking for suggestions of a device that is reasonably simple to use with multidisk images and would work on a C128/64 unit - Vic20 and Plus4

Most SD2IEC's being sold use a cassette port adapter so that power can be drawn from that C64/128/VIC-20 cassette port edge connector. However, the Plus/4 uses a 7-pin mini DIN cassette port connector, and so for the Plus/4, you'd have to buy/build an adapter with a male, mini-DIN plug and a female cassette port edge socket, or you'd have to find SD2IEC's that don't draw power from the cassette port. Such SD2IEC's, which draw their power from the Commodore user port, are marketed by The Future Was 8 Bit. Below are the links to their SD2IEC's with the user port option or with the user port adapter already there.
https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/shop/commodore/sd2iec-be.html https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/shop/commodore/sd2iec-gr.html https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/shop/commodore/sd2iec-sm.html
With these SD2IEC's, you can use them with all of your Commodores that you list.
Writing from Haywards Heath, England,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - http://www.portcommodore.com/sccan
Commodore Los Angeles Super Show - http://www.portcommodore.com/class --- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

On 10/7/2022 2:37 AM, Robert Bernardo wrote:

Most SD2IEC's being sold use a cassette port adapter so that power can be drawn from that C64/128/VIC-20 cassette port edge connector. However, the Plus/4 uses a 7-pin mini DIN cassette port connector, and so for the Plus/4, you'd have to buy/build an adapter with a male, mini-DIN plug and a female cassette port edge socket, or you'd have to find SD2IEC's that don't draw power from the cassette port. Such SD2IEC's, which draw their power from the Commodore user port, are marketed by The Future Was 8 Bit. Below are the links to their SD2IEC's with the user port option or with the user port adapter already there.

As does uIEC/SD (it uses a Mini-USB connector for alternate power)

https://store.go4retro.com/commodore/uiec-sd/

Jim
--
Jim Brain, brain@jbrain.com
RETRO Innovations: Contemporary Gear for Classic Systems
www.go4retro.com


--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

On Fri 7-Oct-2022 12:37a, Robert Bernardo@3:770/3.0 said to Fred Beans:

On Sunday, October 2, 2022 at 8:39:42 PM UTC-4, Fred Beans wrote:

Most SD2IEC's being sold use a cassette port adapter so that power
can be drawn from that C64/128/VIC-20 cassette port edge connector. However, the Plus/4 uses a 7-pin mini DIN cassette port connector, and so for the Plus/4, you'd have to buy/build
an adapter with a male, mini-DIN plug and a female cassette port edge socket, or you'd have to find SD2IEC's that don't draw power from the cassette port. Such SD2IEC's, which draw their power from the Commodore

I don't use the cassette port on my uIEC/SD, I picked up a USB power cord and plug that into the uIEC/sd and get power from that, the unit just sits on the table behind my Ultimate 64..
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

On Friday, October 7, 2022 at 11:20:22 PM UTC-4, Bucko wrote:

On Fri 7-Oct-2022 12:37a, Robert Bernardo@3:770/3.0 said to Fred Beans:

On Sunday, October 2, 2022 at 8:39:42 PM UTC-4, Fred Beans wrote:

Most SD2IEC's being sold use a cassette port adapter so that power
can be drawn from that C64/128/VIC-20 cassette port edge connector. However, the Plus/4 uses a 7-pin mini DIN cassette port connector, and so
for the Plus/4, you'd have to buy/build
an adapter with a male, mini-DIN plug and a female cassette port edge socket, or you'd have to find SD2IEC's that don't draw power from the cassette port. Such SD2IEC's, which draw their power from the Commodore

I don't use the cassette port on my uIEC/SD, I picked up a USB power cord and
plug that into the uIEC/sd and get power from that, the unit just sits on the
table behind my Ultimate 64..

Hi all - I bought the SD2IEC from Jim Brain - I have not been able to run a .d64 file - any ideas what I am doing wrong?
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

On 12/10/2022 12:00 AM, Frodo Baggins wrote:

On Friday, October 7, 2022 at 11:20:22 PM UTC-4, Bucko wrote:

On Fri 7-Oct-2022 12:37a, Robert Bernardo@3:770/3.0 said to Fred Beans:

On Sunday, October 2, 2022 at 8:39:42 PM UTC-4, Fred Beans wrote:

Most SD2IEC's being sold use a cassette port adapter so that power
can be drawn from that C64/128/VIC-20 cassette port edge connector.
However, the Plus/4 uses a 7-pin mini DIN cassette port connector, and so
for the Plus/4, you'd have to buy/build
an adapter with a male, mini-DIN plug and a female cassette port edge
socket, or you'd have to find SD2IEC's that don't draw power from the
cassette port. Such SD2IEC's, which draw their power from the Commodore >>

I don't use the cassette port on my uIEC/SD, I picked up a USB power cord and
plug that into the uIEC/sd and get power from that, the unit just sits on the
table behind my Ultimate 64..

Hi all - I bought the SD2IEC from Jim Brain - I have not been able to run a .d64 file - any ideas what I am doing wrong?

You need to treat D64 images (and all image types) like a directory or
folder. So, "cd" into the D64 image.

Jim
--
Jim Brain, brain@jbrain.com
RETRO Innovations: Contemporary Gear for Classic Systems
www.go4retro.com

--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

On 09 Dec 2022, Frodo Baggins said the following...

Hi all - I bought the SD2IEC from Jim Brain - I have not been able to run a .d64 file - any ideas what I am doing wrong?

You need to mount the image, if you have JiffyDOS installed it is very easy,

@cd:image.d64

Without JiffyDOS
open1,8,15,"cd:image.d64":close1

That will mount the image and allow you to treat is just like a real 1541 directory..

... "I am" is the shortest sentence in English. Is 'I do' the longest?

--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

On Fri, 9 Dec 2022 22:00:35 -0800 (PST), Frodo Baggins <frodob20222022@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi all - I bought the SD2IEC from Jim Brain - I have not been able to run a .d64 file - any ideas what I am doing wrong?

There are programs designed specifically for browsing and running
programs from the SD2IEC and similar devices.

The most common one is simply named FB64 (for FileBrowser).

If you don't have any of the fastloaders supported by the SD2IEC, you
may want to take look at "FB1K". It has a built-in fastloader.

TheRetroChannel shows how to use both here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BqYrQi859s

He also does some performance comparisons, as well as showing a method
for transferring a D64 or single file between the SD2IEC and a real
floppy.
--
RoRo
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

Hello Frodo,

09 Dec 22 22:00, you wrote to Bucko:

On Friday, October 7, 2022 at 11:20:22 PM UTC-4, Bucko wrote:

On Fri 7-Oct-2022 12:37a, Robert Bernardo@3:770/3.0 said to Fred
Beans:

On Sunday, October 2, 2022 at 8:39:42 PM UTC-4, Fred Beans
wrote:

Most SD2IEC's being sold use a cassette port adapter so that
power can be drawn from that C64/128/VIC-20 cassette port edge
connector. However, the Plus/4 uses a 7-pin mini DIN cassette
port connector, and so for the Plus/4, you'd have to
buy/build an adapter with a male, mini-DIN plug and a female
cassette port edge socket, or you'd have to find SD2IEC's that
don't draw power from the cassette port. Such SD2IEC's, which
draw their power from the Commodore

I don't use the cassette port on my uIEC/SD, I picked up a USB power
cord and plug that into the uIEC/sd and get power from that, the
unit just sits on the table behind my Ultimate 64..

Hi all - I bought the SD2IEC from Jim Brain - I have not been able
to run a .d64 file - any ideas what I am doing wrong?

d64/d81/etc are disc image files, like an .iso
you have to 'mount' it.

the best way to download FB and copy it into the root of your SD card,
so you can just load"fb",8 as you turn on your computer.

https://www.nightfallcrew.com/21/08/2013/cbm-filebrowser-v1-6-by-nbla000/

Regards,
--
dp

telnet://bbs.roonsbbs.hu:1212 <<=-

... 10:35pm up 22 days, 16:56:21, load: 87 processes, 293 threads.
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

On Sat 10-Dec-2022 3:22p, Robert Roland@3:770/3.0 said to Frodob20222022@gmail.com:

The most common one is simply named FB64 (for FileBrowser).

This works awesome for me. FB64 and FB128.

* ACIS Member. AmigaNet ArakNet C=Net FidoNet RetroNet
* C-Net/5
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm

On Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 11:20:08 AM UTC-5, Gary McCulloch wrote:

On Sat 10-Dec-2022 3:22p, Robert Roland@3:770/3.0 said to Frodob2...@gmail.com:

The most common one is simply named FB64 (for FileBrowser).

This works awesome for me. FB64 and FB128.
* ACIS Member. AmigaNet ArakNet C=Net FidoNet RetroNet
* C-Net/5

Thank you - one and all for the information - I was able to access th D64 files with your assistance - I have yet to download and try the FB64 program, but will give that a try also - thanks again !!
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113