Greaseweazel/Kryoflux for 8 inch disks in Germany?

[HarryDoPECC]

I'm working with someone who I think has the only other ABC Ai machine left on the planet...  See mine on my site at https://dopecc.net/computers/ai/ if you like.

He's found some significant OS and original software disks, we'd like to image these for preservation and to upload onto HxC2001.

He's in Germany and has had trouble finding someone with flux imaging who can handle 8" disks.

Before he sends them to me in Australia, with risks in that process, can anyone here suggest some help nearer by?

Thanks!

[Andy Chee]

Assuming his drives are functioning, what about sending your Greaseweasel/Kryoflux to Germany instead?  It would only be a temporary loan to image the disks, then he can send it back.

Actually, depending on the track and sector layout and encoding (MFM/FM/etc), your German colleague may be able to hook up his (I'm assuming) functional 8" inch drive to a standard PC and use imaging software on the PC.

[HarryDoPECC]

Thanks, but unfortunately he's not so experienced on the hardware side, so preferred option is to find someone nearer to him than I am, who could help with imaging.

Further info I should have given, disks are almost certainly soft sector, are probably CP/M (so SSSD probably) but could be UCSD P-system or even Ai's proprietary OS.

Therefore, preferring flux imaging so that we can experiment on the images to see what sort of file system could be present.

[Andy Chee]

Evidently there is a vintage computer community in Germany, so maybe this will lead the search towards someone with the right skills and tools:

https://vcfb.de/2023/index.html.en

Alternatively, it sounds like an opportunity to publish your own document on how to Kryoflux an Ai disk (webpage, YouTube video, whatever).

In any case, I would imagine that 8" drives are going to be rare, thus imaging will necessitate the use of his own 8" drive connected to Kryoflux, rather than seeking someone else in Germany with an 8" drive.

I don't know anything about Ai operating system and applications, but presumably there is a diskcopy function that could be used to make a backup of the disk.  I know this won't be a flux image, but I'd make that backup before sending the original floppies on a 16,000km journey across the world and through airport x-ray machines! 

Even the PC imaging approach by Adrian in the videos above, should be considered before even thinking of sending those disks overseas (yes, still not a flux image, but better than a disk irreparably destroyed during transport).

What about shipping to Germany your own 8" drive, Kryoflux, power supply & cables?  Plug n' play.  Definitely cost more than shipping floppies, and you may risk damaging the drive in transit.  But less risky than losing data?

[coromonadalix]

i agree 

data retention is the priority

do post your adventures if you can ... and if you are successful restoring, rescuing now vintage and very rare systems

good luck

[HarryDoPECC]

Thanks all, this post and some others has shaken out a number of useful suggestions and offers.

Agree that shipping the disk is high-risk and should be avoided if at all possible.

I don't think using the Ai system in Germany is the best option in the first instance, better would be to get the disks imaged by someone with experience.  vcfed.org and classic-computing.de forums have been useful and I also found that VCFB is on in Berlin (!) in October, so that may also be an option.

Will update this thread as we progress

[Halcyon]

Not able to assist directly (I have a Kryoflux, but no access to 8" drives), but these video is also a great resource for anyone looking to preserve floppy disks: