Brickpad wrote on 2021-06-05, 12:10:

thegenerallee86 wrote on 2021-06-05, 10:41:

Brickpad wrote on 2021-06-05, 01:58:

I'll PM you. I'm over in New Hampshire not too far from you. I don't mind mailing you a floppy cable. No charge.

Thank You and it I need to have both Pin and the slot type for my IBM PC series 350 P75, also the distance between both connections has to be 5 or 6 inches because the 2.5 floppy sits on top of a cd drive and the 5.25 will put below the cd drive. Does anyone know what you call those type of connections on old floppy drives where it looks like a pci card type connection?

I believe that is called a single edge connector.

Thank You! I also put in an offer on another one of those Teac 5.25 drives so I can have one that I know works in my zenith as well.

thegenerallee86 wrote on 2021-06-05, 10:41:

Does anyone know what you call those type of connections on old floppy drives where it looks like a pci card type connection?

I think they're called card edge connectors. I can't find new 34 way cable mount connectors from the usual suppliers, but this sort of thing: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154276445197 would let you make your own cable if you need to make a custom length.

snufkin wrote on 2021-06-05, 12:45:

thegenerallee86 wrote on 2021-06-05, 10:41:

Does anyone know what you call those type of connections on old floppy drives where it looks like a pci card type connection?

I think they're called card edge connectors. I can't find new 34 way cable mount connectors from the usual suppliers, but this sort of thing: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154276445197 would let you make your own cable if you need to make a custom length.

Thank You I never knew what they were called and now I know!

Got the cord and Thank You! Now just waiting on the 5.25 Floppy drives to arrive so I can use one and the cable on My IBM PC Series 350 P75.

5.25 Drive has arrived and installed it but for some reason the computer will turn on but won't boot or post? I do hear the PSU Fan is spinning and feel air coming from the back of the case where it is so I don't think it is the PSU but did change the CD drive to newer one though while I was at it. It has 5 Molex connectors 2 are on one cord and 2 on another and 1 by itself, The sets of 2 are labeled p7/p8 and the individual one is labeled p4 or something like that. I believe the computer has the original power supply.

Floppy ribbon connected the wrong way around? Turned 180 degrees that is. If it's not possible on the floppy side, due to edge connector and the tab, it might be inserted wrong on the FDC/mobo side.
Also, certain 3.5" floppy drives can have the connector keyed wrong, that's why we had some floppy cables unkeyed.

Deunan wrote on 2021-06-10, 13:21:

Floppy ribbon connected the wrong way around? Turned 180 degrees that is. If it's not possible on the floppy side, due to edge connector and the tab, it might be inserted wrong on the FDC/mobo side.
Also, certain 3.5" floppy drives can have the connector keyed wrong, that's why we had some floppy cables unkeyed.

I'll try changing them around and see what happens. I'll post back as soon as I can.

thegenerallee86 wrote on 2021-06-10, 13:32:

Deunan wrote on 2021-06-10, 13:21:

Floppy ribbon connected the wrong way around? Turned 180 degrees that is. If it's not possible on the floppy side, due to edge connector and the tab, it might be inserted wrong on the FDC/mobo side.
Also, certain 3.5" floppy drives can have the connector keyed wrong, that's why we had some floppy cables unkeyed.

I'll try changing them around and see what happens. I'll post back as soon as I can.

I put the new cables I got from BrickPad in the red stripe the same way the originals were actually I double checked

thegenerallee86 wrote on 2021-06-10, 12:51:

5.25 Drive has arrived and installed it but for some reason the computer will turn on but won't boot or post? I do hear the PSU Fan is spinning and feel air coming from the back of the case where it is so I don't think it is the PSU but did change the CD drive to newer one though while I was at it. It has 5 Molex connectors 2 are on one cord and 2 on another and 1 by itself, The sets of 2 are labeled p7/p8 and the individual one is labeled p4 or something like that. I believe the computer has the original power supply.

So just to double check, you've now got a Zenith 386 with a 5.25" drive you suspect isn't working, and an IBM series 300 with a Teac FD55 drive that won't boot when the drive is connected?

Are there any beeps from the IBM? Does the drive do anything (e.g. light on, or spin a disk for a second after closing the latch)? Does it boot ok with a 3.5" drive plugged in instead? Assuming the Zenith floppy pinout is the same, does the Teac drive work in the Zenith? Does the IBM still fail to boot if you connect the drive from the Zenith? Do you have any other machines with a floppy connector you could test the drives on?

I'd probably start by trying different combinations of drives and computers to try and find a combination that worked, or at least behaved differently, to try and narrow down whether the problems is the drives, computers or cables. Have the floppy drive as the only drive connected (so no CD or HD). Also, assuming the cable has connectors for two drives, check that you're using the connector after the twist in the floppy cable.

snufkin wrote on 2021-06-10, 22:28:

So just to double check, you've now got a Zenith 386 with a 5.25" drive you suspect isn't working, and an IBM series 300 with a […]
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thegenerallee86 wrote on 2021-06-10, 12:51:

5.25 Drive has arrived and installed it but for some reason the computer will turn on but won't boot or post? I do hear the PSU Fan is spinning and feel air coming from the back of the case where it is so I don't think it is the PSU but did change the CD drive to newer one though while I was at it. It has 5 Molex connectors 2 are on one cord and 2 on another and 1 by itself, The sets of 2 are labeled p7/p8 and the individual one is labeled p4 or something like that. I believe the computer has the original power supply.

So just to double check, you've now got a Zenith 386 with a 5.25" drive you suspect isn't working, and an IBM series 300 with a Teac FD55 drive that won't boot when the drive is connected?

Are there any beeps from the IBM? Does the drive do anything (e.g. light on, or spin a disk for a second after closing the latch)? Does it boot ok with a 3.5" drive plugged in instead? Assuming the Zenith floppy pinout is the same, does the Teac drive work in the Zenith? Does the IBM still fail to boot if you connect the drive from the Zenith? Do you have any other machines with a floppy connector you could test the drives on?

I'd probably start by trying different combinations of drives and computers to try and find a combination that worked, or at least behaved differently, to try and narrow down whether the problems is the drives, computers or cables. Have the floppy drive as the only drive connected (so no CD or HD). Also, assuming the cable has connectors for two drives, check that you're using the connector after the twist in the floppy cable.

Yes and there is no beeps coming from the IBM, No Lights on the drives and does not spin or anything. I will have to try with original setup and see what happens.

First thing to check would be if the systems in question start properly with no floppy drive connected at all. If so that would indicate a problem with the ribbon cable (non-standard) or the drive itself.

That Zenith 386 chassis does not need rails, have two drive cages to hold one FH and HH internal or three HH drives per cage of which one is internal, (aka bays) that slides to the rear after undoing one or three screws at front. Then you can mount the 5.25" drive size in their holes then slide cage back in. These cages are upright with metal and hooks at bottom with top open.

It is not the setup of 360K and 1.2MB drives. Difference is track width that heads writes onto floppy disks. 360K drives are wider than 1.2MB drives so there will be issues.

Cheers,

Deunan wrote on 2021-06-10, 22:42:

First thing to check would be if the systems in question start properly with no floppy drive connected at all. If so that would indicate a problem with the ribbon cable (non-standard) or the drive itself.

I was able to get it to post today but the floppy drives stayed lit and I got that after putting the old cd rom drive back in it. The 5.25 floppy is keyed so I know the floppy cable is on it the right way at least for that floppy drive anyways.

I am insanely happy right now I got it working on my IBM PC Series 350 P75 flawlessly and the Windows 1.03 5.25 Original floppies work as well which makes it even better! I don't know why but for some reason the plug for the cable on the 3.5 inch floppy drive was reversed and I changed it and it worked!