🚀 go-pugleaf

hello out there...  i hope i am not adding to the clamor of people 
crying out for help with 5.25" drives;  this is actually a different
question.  i would like to have an external 3.5" DSDD floppy drive 
to go along with the one already inside my 1040ST.  i do not, however,
desire one bad enough to pay the $200 plus which atari dealers seem to
want to charge.  i do not mind a little hardware hacking, and don't 
mind scabby looking assemblies with wires hanging out all over them.

the question(s):  who out there has actual experience with roll-your-own
3.5" floppy drives?  how much should i expect to spend for a drive,
and where to get it?  where to find technical info on the atari external
floppy interface (abacus book?)?  any interface electronics necessary?
any caveats? (i believe i've heard about some 3.5 inchers which can't write
as many tracks as some others - what to beware of?)

i would like to do this for under $100, if possible - is this out of line?
i already have plenty of power available from an external power supply 
used for my DIY hard disk setup.

i'd greatly appreciate hearing from anyone with experience in this area.
and yes, i admit it, i'm also interested in 5.25" interfacing too, if you
have $0.02 on that topic too/either.

since the demise of seismo you may have trouble reaching me;  try me at

rochester!rocksanne!xrxns!toml

if you can figure out how to reach rochester.


thanks.

tom love
xerox edds
leesburg, va usa. 22075

genie:  TOMLOVE
att:    703-430-2853