Apple IIe Platinum and dual disk drive question

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Apple IIe Platinum and dual disk drive question

Hi everyone!

I'm excited as my A2E Platinum just came in today. This is my first Apple IIe system, so I am very excited to be using it. Smile I'm a classic computer collector and love to be able to go back and experience what I missed first time around. Smile

Anyhow, I have two single floppy drives for the system. I bought them separately a while ago to use with my A2E emulator board for my Mac Color Classic. Sadly, that system is out of order until I can fix the HD issue. Anyway, the drives are the later platinum color drives. I wanted to ask how can I hook up two to the machine? I thought there might be a pass through port on the drives, but there isn't. Do I need another disk drive adapter card? Please let me know how I can get the two drives working.

Thanks
John

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Re: Apple IIe Platinum and dual disk drive question

Hi everyone!
I thought there might be a pass through port on the drives, but there isn't.

Are you talking about 5.25" disk drives? Are you /sure/ there isn't a little door hiding the pass-through port?

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yes the 5.25" drives. I looke

yes the 5.25" drives. I looked there is no little door or anything where a pass through might be hidden. I can take a small pic of the back of the drive to show that there is no door or slide that might reveal a port.

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Platinum 5.25" drive passthrough connectors. . .

The pass through connectors on the back of these drives often had a removable coverplate. Look for that, and remove it with a small flat head screwdriver tip.

What was the model number on these drives?

Mutant_Pie

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The back of the unit is just

The back of the unit is just solid plstic, there is no outlines or breaks that may look like a piece could be pulled off or slid over to reveal a hidden port. The model number is: Model A9M0107

Thanks

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On the back of the Platinum 5

On the back of the Platinum 5.25" drive you should see a 19-pin female connection socket for daisy-chaining a second drive.

Of course, you still need a 5.25" controller card for your //e to connect to one of the drives.

I assume you *are* talking about a Platinum 5.25" drive and not a Disk ][ 5.25" drive ?

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Ok, At least I can own up to

Ok, At least I can own up to my own stupidity. Smile

Well, here goes. Yes the drive does have the female 19 pin connector on the back of the drive, so there is a passthrough port. Here was where I goofed up.

There is only one port on the back and the built in cable. Being a user of the Atari 8-bit and Commodore 8-bit systems, I am used to two ports so for example on the C64 a serial cable goes from the back of the computer into port 1 on the back of drive A, then a second cable plugs into port 2 on drive A and that cable connects to drive B port 1. The Atari is also very similar.

The difference as I'm sure you Apple users know is that there is a built in cable on the drive and then a single port to connect a second drive. Well, dumb me, whether it was because I was too excited about getting my new A2E Platinum system, or just that I didn't pay enough attention, I simply didn't realize that the built in cable wasn't a power plug, and was actually a drive cable to connect to a second drive or to the actual computer. It wasn't until I pulled out a Super Drive that the problem stared aat me right in the face and I realized what I was missing.

Oh, well, sorry for starting this post and not realizing how the back of the 5.25" drive was put together. For my own ego, I'll just blame the fact that I was too used to the damn Atari and Commodore systems. LOL

Thanks to everyone who responded and tried to help me figure this out.

Sincerely,
John

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