Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    I think the problem is caused by the fact that the VAXmate drive
    is HD (i.e. 1.2 Mb) which means a very narrow track width and therefore
    a very narrow read/write head. If there is the *slightest*
    mis-alignment then writing to a 360k floppy can be dodgy. I sometimes
    have the same problem and I've found that formatting the disk on
    the drive that will eventually be used to read the disk helps. i.e.
    format the disks on your own 5� and have the VAXmate write to them.
    
    					Alan T.

   re. -1
   
   Alan, 
   
 |  a very narrow read/write head. If there is the *slightest*
 |  mis-alignment then writing to a 360k floppy can be dodgy. I sometimes

   I'd buy that, but the same floppy that Dos-2-Dos goes into the loop
   over, PCCopy can handle - no problem!?
   
 |  format the disks on your own 5� and have the VAXmate write to them.

   I do format the 5 1/4" diskettes on the AMIGA.
   
   Art
   

    I think the problem you've encountered lies in the VAXmate,
    since the VAXmate User's Guide (Volume 2, appendix H) has the
    following message:
    
    """""""""""""
    IMPORTANT
    If you write to any Rainbow diskettes, or to any single or double
    sided industry standard diskettes using the VAXmate's high-capacity
    drive, you may not be able to read the diskette in a low-capacity
    drive.
    
    """""""""""""
    
    So I am afraid the only way to make sure you can read VAXmate-written
    diskettes is to connect a high-capacity drive to your Amiga.
    
    Hope this helped,
                             greetings, Harrie R. from Holland.
    

    Try PcC720 and PcF720 ... these two utilities patch the PcCopy and
    PcFormat programs on Extras:PcUtils to allow formatting 720K or
    360K 3.5" disks on your Amiga dfn: drives, or copying files from
    to and from. I use it with my T1200.
    
    -Paul
    
    Oh .. they are freebies.

>>Oh .. they are freebies.
Where?
Thanks in advance

       Thanks for the advice and commentary.  
       
       The question I still end up asking myself is: "What is PcCopy
       doing differently than Dos-2-Dos that allows it to copy files from
       a VAXmate 'written on' floppy without hanging?"  I have being
       using PcCopy for transferring text and AMIGA binary files for a
       couple of years now and despite the warning in the VAXmate U.G.,
       can't remember the last time I couldn't read a VAXmate written
       floppy on my AMIGA.
       
       The reason I went with Dos-2-Dos was the need to get files onto
       and from a 720k 3.5" MSDOS disk, as well as looking for the
       ability to do wildcard copying.
       
       Looks like a call to Central Coast Software is in order.
       
 |  Try PcC720 and PcF720 ... these two utilities patch the PcCopy and
 |  PcFormat programs on Extras:PcUtils to allow formatting 720K or

       They always say the best things in life are free!
       
       Paul - same question as in .5 - got a pointer to PcC/F720.
       
       Thanks again.  I'll keep you informed of my progress.
       
       Art
       

    Like .1 said, the head in the VAXmate is smaller than the head in
    the 1020 (5� Amiga drive).  If you format on the 1020, and then
    write on the VAXmate, only the center portion of the track is erased
    and written to, "shoulders" of garbage are left (previous format),
    this is not picked-up by the VAXmate, but the 1020 does and the
    resulting wave shape is NOT what the data should be.  The solution
    is to format and write the disquettes on the VAXmate, these can
    then be read, written on the 1020 ONLY IF they never go back to
    the VAXmate.  Disquettes formatted and written on the 1020 can be
    read back and written to on the VAXmate, again if they never go
    back to the 1020.
    
    Jean
    

�    resulting wave shape is NOT what the data should be.  The solution
�    is to format and write the disquettes on the VAXmate, these can
    
    The problem here is that the VAXmate CAN'T format disks to 360k
    the /t and /s switches are illegal.
    
    
    					Alan T.

    reply :.8
    
    Vaxmates CAN format at 360K.  (I read very often diskettes
    written AND formated on a VAXMATE.)  A co-worker gave me
    few of them and I always succeeded reading them on my Amiga
    5 1/4"  (So far, anyway).   I will ask him what MSdos command
    he uses and will post it then. (He's out for the week)
    ( I seem to recall FORMAT A:/1 (or /2, or /4) someting rather
      but don't quote me!)
    
    Vince.

       re. - .7
       
 |  resulting wave shape is NOT what the data should be.  The solution
 |  is to format and write the disquettes on the VAXmate, these can
 |  then be read, written on the 1020 ONLY IF they never go back to
 |  the VAXmate.  Disquettes formatted and written on the 1020 can be
 |  read back and written to on the VAXmate, again if they never go
 |  back to the 1020.

       I don't understand the above.  
       
       I have been formatting my 5-1/4's on the 1020 and used them on
       both the VAXmate and AMIGA for the past couple of years.  Writing,
       reading, deleting, etc., with no problem.
       
       Relative to formatting and writting the diskettes on the VAXmate,
       that was the suggestiong of George Chamberlain (former DEC
       employee by the way) of Central Coast Software.  I formatted a
       diskette on the VAXmate ("format a: /4" will get you a 360k
       diskette), copied a file to it on the VAXmate, and took it home.
       Using Dos-2-Dos I encountered the same problem as described in the
       base note.  Using PcCopy, I could transfer the file.  I also
       copied a file from the AMIGA to that same VAXmate formatted
       diskette using Dos-2-Dos.  Only moments go, I copied that file to
       the VAXmate, and copied another file on the VAXmate to that
       diskette - not problem.
       
       Jean, you are implying that interchanging the diskettes between
       the 2 drives (AMIGA and VAXmate) somehow contaminates them.  If
       so, my experience hasn't shown that to be true - unless I'm
       missing something.  

       How come PcCopy can copy the file put on a diskette using the
       VAXmate drive and Dos-2-Dos can't!?
              
       Art
       
       P.S. George Chamberlain was more than helpful, although I still
            have the problem!  This is one they haven't encountered in
            the past and has him baffled as well.  I will be sending a
            VAXmate produced diskette and file to him to see if he can't
            solve the mystery.
       

I have run into this situation myself when moving data between VT180/RB100,
RB100/VAXmate, RB100/Amiga and VAXmate/Amiga.

The solution in my experience is to erase the disk using either a magnet
or a bulk tape eraser before using.  Then if you are moving data from 
VAXmate to the Amiga, format and write on the VAXmate and ONLY READ on 
the Amiga.  Going from the Amiga to the VAXmate, format and write on the 
Amiga and ONLY READ on the VAXmate.

The erasing before formatting takes care of the garbage that is left on
both sides of a narrow track written by a high density drive over top of
a wide track previously written by a low density drive.

Because I do this regularly, I even have seperate disks which are labeled 
on which system type they are formatted and written.

I hope this helps
John...

    Sorry, you're right the Vaxmate can format 360k floppies but the
    manual does say (page 32.59)
    
    " We recommend that you do not format 8- and 9-sector
      diskettes on your VAXmate workstation if you plan to use
      these diskettes in a low capacity drive."
    
    					Alan T.           
    

   re. -.11

 | or a bulk tape eraser before using.  Then if you are moving data from 
 | VAXmate to the Amiga, format and write on the VAXmate and ONLY READ on 
 | the Amiga.  Going from the Amiga to the VAXmate, format and write on the 

       John - what are you using to read the disk (PcCopy, Dos-2-Dos,???)?

       For some strange reason, I'm not getting my problem across here -
       although appreciated all the suggestions and pointers.
       
       All of what you folks have been saying sounds fine and well.  I've
       read the warning in the VAXmate User's Guide, etc.  All that being
       said, until I tried to use Dos-2-Dos, I have never had a problem
       reading from and writing to disks I interchange between the AMIGA
       and the VAXmate - using PcCopy on the AMIGA.  Believe me when I
       say that I have been doing this almost everyday for the past
       couple of years (saves modem/phone use).  Never a mis-read file,
       never a corrupt disk, never a read error, never a write error.  If
       I was having those type of problems, then I would agree that I was
       playing VAXmate roulette and bulk erasing, restricting the use of
       specific disks to certian drives only, etc., etc., would make
       sense.
       
       Again, my problem is that PcCopy will read the disk, and Dos-2-Dos
       won't.
       
       Art
       
       (Bigger question is why did I get Dos-2-Dos when PcCopy work.  I'm
        beginning to wonder that myself!)

       I did some further testing - using some of the suggestions made in
       the responses (again thanks!) - but with no luck.  I have sent 2
       disks - 1 formatted on the VAXmate (format a: /4) and another
       formatted on the AMIGA (even though neither of the disks could be
       read by Dos-2-Dos, but both could be read by PcCopy) - to Central
       Coast Software, to see if they can't get to the bottom of this
       one.
       
       I'll inform of their findings.
       
       Art