Hi!
I usually post only in spanish forums, but i would like to present my last two mods, and also ask for help regarding Gotek reader :-)
I'm collecting all Sony F1 msx2 computers, and wanted to get rid of old FDD units (i don't want to use floppy disks anymore) so i bought a 720ks Gotek which already works connected to the F1XD without any modification.
Next step was on how to modify the computer to replace FDD without breaking it's beatifull design (for me this is the most beautifull MSX machine ever built ;-) )
My initial idea was to dismount the Gotek, stripping the usb port, buttons, display and activity led, and mount all of them in the FDD bay, finding a way to anchor all items so with manipulation it won't move.
I had this mod waiting for months because of not finding any good alternative to anchor all items without compromising external aspect... until last week, when i found in a local hardware store a wall corner cover (i don't know how it's called in english) made with plastic, and in several colors available... one of them, the same beautifull red :-) i thought inmediately in my beloved F1XD
So, i took all materials, and started the mod:
The wires are dupont type (i think that's its name), used in arduino proyects, and bought in ebay very cheap... mounting board, the wall corner cover, and the Gotek case, wich i used to extract the display window, and some corners to use as support to anchor all buttons and usb ports, to make sure i won't move them when using the machine.
Here we have the wall corner cover already cut and the F1XD case... it's a good thing that this model has the red part over the black, with a border inside which can be used as a guide to insert the wall corner cover adapted, so i went trying and cutting a little bit, until it was a perfect fit so the "L" form hides the disk hole...
I also did the holes for the buttons and led in the case... for the usb port i'll use the hole for disk extract button :-)
This is just the look i wanted!... very good :-)
As the disk number display from the Gotek will be at the top position, i had to remove the black case to make space for wires... this is something i tried to make very carefully, but i overworked a litte to much with my Dremel and the black plastic melted, so it became very hot and now the top red shows a little bump... what a terrible mistake! (T_T)
Here we can see how i'm using the strong Gotek case with micro-screws to fix a strong base for the buttons, and the usb port
Dismounted the buttons, led and usb from the Gotek, and mounted them using mounting board and dupont wires, bending at 90º the connectors so the wire will use very little vertical space.
Here we can see the buttons already mounted, and below, over to the black case, the display. Using hot glue i fixed all items to their position.
Now we can see the Gotek, which i connected some wires to the points for the usb signals, buttons and led.
...and this is the final result :-D
I think it really fits very well, and gives the HBF1XD a very modern look (^_^)
About the Gotek use, i have no problems launching DSK images, renamed as 0XX.IMG and putting them inside a folder named "IMG720", but the file mode of the Gotek doesn't work, or i'm doing something wrong: i have several folders in the root, named 001, 002, 003 and so on... with files inside that folders, so when i load a folder into the gotek, the MSX should see a new disk with the files from that folder... but the MSX keeps rebooting all the time... any advice?
As a bonus, here is a quick mod i did also this weekend :-)
I have an arcade stick for MSX, a "Telematch 200", which is very nice, but i wanted to use also one of the Hori arcade sticks i have for PS1/PS2, so, using a DB9 wire from a faulty megadrive chinese pad, i added a new wire to the Hori arcade stick, using only ground signal and each signal for each button/direction (i'm not using 5v signal... i don't know if it's really needed). I used a tester to find the correct solder points for each direction, and then assigned buttons X and O to trigger1 and 2. I didn't add any other button because this is a simple mod and i want to be able to use the arcade stick in PS1/PS2 again :-)
Now i can use the arcade stick in my MSX machines or even in my atari/amiga :-D
