WTB: Stringy Floppy Cartridges

ZX80 / ZX81 hardware and software requested for either sale or swapping
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jwse30
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Oct 05, 2024 3:13 am

WTB: Stringy Floppy Cartridges

Post by jwse30 »

I just purchased an A &J Microdrive stringy floppy and am hoping someone here has a few unwanted cartridges for it. My understanding is that this drive I’ve got and the ones made for the zx81 and the dual drive for the 2068 all use the same media.

If you’ve got any available, please send me a message. I’m in Indiana, 46368, USA

Thank in advance,

J White
swensont
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 4:55 am
Location: SF Bay Area
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Re: WTB: Stringy Floppy Cartridges

Post by swensont »

IIRC the two versions of the A&J microdrive use different tapes. I have few of each that I am willing to pass on. PM me.

Tim Swenson
David G
Posts: 449
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2014 7:58 am
Location: 48 North

Re: WTB: Stringy Floppy Cartridges

Post by David G »

My understanding is that the A & J tape drive is the same as the Extratron(?) and both use CAI interface

Looking forward to a first-impressions or a review of this unit :D


A & J of Sunnyvale, California
A & J String Floppy
A & J String Floppy

Extatron is still in business. They made versions for S-100, TRS-80 and basically all home microcomputers using their high-speed tape cartridges
Exatron String Floppy
Exatron String Floppy

Being as these tape cartridges were commercial grade maybe they were more reliable than the Sinclair microdrive
String Floppy Wafers
String Floppy Wafers
jwse30 wrote: Sun Oct 06, 2024 2:57 am I just purchased an A &J Microdrive stringy floppy and am hoping someone here has a few unwanted cartridges for it. My understanding is that this drive I’ve got and the ones made for the zx81 and the dual drive for the 2068 all use the same media.

If you’ve got any available, please send me a message. I’m in Indiana, 46368, USA

Thank in advance,

J White
jdfan1000
Posts: 87
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2016 8:06 pm
Location: Buffalo, NY
Contact:

Re: WTB: Stringy Floppy Cartridges

Post by jdfan1000 »

Exatron spun its stringy floppy business off to A&J. One of the principals in A&J was the son of Exatron's owner.

Exatron/A&J used their own interface.

The drives for the ZX81/1000 and 2068 are different and use different tapes.

Fun trivia: Li-Chen Wang, author of Palo Alto Tiny BASIC, worked for Exatron/A&J and wrote, if I recall correctly, the ROM for the Tandy Model I version.

The Rotronics Wafadrive uses the BSR version of the Exatron tape drive mechanism.

From what I've heard, the stringy floppy tapes are pretty fragile and hard to find in good condition.

David
My archive.org collection, containing many Timex/Sinclair related publications.

TimexSinclair.com, my website about Sinclair computers in the US.
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