Gotek Floppy Emulator for Amiga Part 2: Mods

WARNING! NEW GOTEKS FROM CHINA HAVE A DIFFERENT PROCEDURE FOR THE Rotary Encoder!!!
My updated video here: • Gotek Floppy Emulator:...
In this video, assuming you have a Gotek with Flash Floppy installed (see part 1), I show you the best mods you can make to the Gotek. Note: putting the rotary encoder inside the Gotek case is for big-box Amigas. You can mount it somewhere else.
Link to part 1: FlashFloppy • Gotek Floppy Emulator ...
Link to part 3: A500 Custom Mounting • Gotek Floppy Emulator ...
Links to items used in this video (my Amazon affiliate)
Gotek Drive: amzn.to/2YfxwoM
Piezo Speaker: amzn.to/2FxGLts
OLED Screen: amzn.to/2FyZowX
Rotary Encoder: amzn.to/2IJWAyR
Circuit Board Holder: amzn.to/3uYzOt5
I sell Goteks pre-modded in my eBay store, and I also sell many other Amiga peripherals: www.ebay.com/sc...
My website: www.retrofriend...
FlashFloppy Wiki: github.com/kei...

[@AlenMarkov]

Thank you - I like the way you explain things (calm, clear and nice friendly voice) - very informative (also watched already a couple of other videos but they mostly lack some basics)

[@retrofriends]

Thank you :)

[@JohnAnderson4242]

Again, very helpful! You have solder smoke blown from your face, but you touch that grubby USB stick of pestilence. Something will get you, live.

[@retrofriends]

I actually now have a sideways fan installed in my workstation. Cancer will indeed get me someday, but hopefully not for 40+ years :)

[@muzboz]

Great to watch you do the whole process! Thanks very much. :)

[@nikicamalezic5388]

Actually there is no need to widen the opening to fit the full size of .91" display, unless you want to use the full size of the display. You can use the Gotek's default cutout size and omit text view to the appropriate size in flash floppy with "ff.cfg" file . narrow[er]: OLED view is restricted to Gotek display cutout -narrow: 18 characters of 6x13 font -narrower: 16 characters of 6x13 font

[@keyserxx]

Thanks, good job. I'm being tempted to getting an Amiga again. I think the OLED is so cool, I might be tempted to mount it on top of the case for easy viewing.

[@retrofriends]

Yes, that is a common mod. It's better than trying to look at the side of the Amiga 500 to see the OLED.

[@officermeowmeowfuzzyface4408]

I picked up a cheap one that didn't have buttons to operate, didn't have a display, and only had one LED. Printed a proper case for an OLED, replaced the green with a red, added an amber LED, added two tactile switches with extended activators. Now the two buttons on the front can be pressed in, or pressed downward like momentary flip switches. Red LED to simulate an old style floppy drive (PC compatible era) and the amber for disk change or whatever it is. People overlook models like this because it's not the kind they want or it was configured for some weird system and they think they can't use it. But just install Flash Floppy and you can mod it up the same as any other. Look for the good deals. The extra parts are very inexpensive and you'll save money on getting a gotek. Something like $15 or $20 total. So, avoid those $25+ goteks! Especially avoid the $80 versions.

[@JasonOfOconomowoc]

This was incredibly informative and helpful. Thanks--

[@Darrenhd2]

Great video, just ordered a Gotek from you :) Just curious, where did you get the blue circuit board holder? I need one of those ! (41:00 minutes in the video). Thanks!

[@retrofriends]

I just added an Amazon link for it in the description :)

[@Darrenhd2]

@@retrofriends Awesome thanks!! :)

[@fcf8269]

Great video, just finished to make those mods and works like a charm. Is there a way to make the speaker louder? You can barely hear it Also beware that the traces on those 2 pins to solder are very prone to lift; I had the brilliant idea to remove the solder in the holes first and doing so the trace got caught on the tip of the soldering iron and lifted. Took me 10 minutes to get that fixed and I am not even breathing close to it :)

[@retrofriends]

I never had a pad problem, and I modded hundreds. Ya never know I guess. BTW asking to make the speaker louder is not a common wish. I have heard a few want no speaker. To each his own. I seem to remember someone added a small amplifier. Don't remember where I read it.

[@fcf8269]

@@retrofriends Guess I got a lemon or I used the solder too hot. The speaker is barely audible once you put it in the plastic case; I would get at least the same volume of a real floppy drive. As far as people that do not want a speaker... The Gotek is not sold with a speaker, so unless you add it, it won't be there ;)

[@retrofriends]

@@fcf8269 I sell them in my ebay store with the speaker, so of course I get requests for ones sans speaker. I sell a ton to Amiga users, and I am surprised how many hate the constant click sound the the Amiga system makes the drive do (I like it myself). Other gotek compatible devices are musical imstruments, and those users often don't like the drive sounds in their studios. As it turns out, the low volume seems to be the perfect compromise. No complaint from the vast majority of my buyers.

[@fcf8269]

@@retrofriends Well, you sell a gotek plus extras; I bought my gotek as bare device, flashed it and added the extras; so there is a difference in what I see and what you see. Got one for my DX7 and one for my retro-computers (swapping it between the amiga and the ST), and the main point for me to get that is to have a reliable way to use software (disks), without the downside of the medium (fragile, easy to corrupt, not made to last). As such, the audio part of a simulated experience is part of it :) The one in the DX7 has nothing on it, buttons work enough since I have like 40 floppy in total, and I don't even need to see the name of the floppy; just to know which floppy am I using to know which patch I can load. The other one is fully decked with the rotary encoder, OLED screen and speaker. If you look at the gotek as mean to load a bunch of pirated files, then of course the speaker is not really a thing, but if you use it as 1:1 replacement for a broken floppy drive, then sound is as important as its speed IMO. To each their own of course; life is not the same for everyone after all

[@retrofriends]

@@fcf8269 Glad it's more than just me who likes the drive sounds. The whole reason for this video and channel is to support my ebay store. Buyers seem to like them with the speaker the way it is, and as a business that is the path I must follow. You are free to your opinion and desire.

[@mogouk]

Great Job Man!

[@sanbyakuman]

Is there a reason for using an active piezo buzzer? The active ones have an oscillator inside that produces a fixed tone when you apply a voltage. You might get a better result with a passive buzzer.

[@retrofriends]

Passive buzzers require AC voltage. The source here is DC, so electrically speaking the Active buzzer is called for. I'll bet Passive buzzers are the buzzers people use that don't care about polarity like the Active ones do. Differences in sound would be subjective/personal preference. I personally don't care either way since nothing will perfectly reproduce the drive sound.

[@sanbyakuman]

@@retrofriends You're right, I tested with a passive piezo buzzer and it doesn't care about polarity. But I'm pretty sure those JB pins are producing an audio signal rather than DC, otherwise the passive piezo wouldn't make a sound. I suspect that if the polarity is correct in the active buzzer, its oscillator circuit is transparent to audio frequencies. In any case I found the buzzer too quiet without amplification so I added a small transistor circuit. Anyway great job with all the mods! It's so neat and professional. I just got a little OLED screen and I'm going to modify the case like you did so that it fits.

[@james5583]

Tanx for The video :) Whats The value of summer you use for Gotek?

[@retrofriends]

I'm not sure what you mean. Language barrier? I value summer greatly - fun in the sun!

[@ShallRemainUnknown]

Re rotary encoder, the one you use does not have a board with pull-up resistors like the standard KY-040 rotary does. Did you desolder the encoder from the board, or else are you using an encoder that came bare, without the board? If bare, what was the model number/type/description keywords to find such a Gotek compatible bare one online? Thanks!

[@commodorecave5581]

Hi, Thanks for this video. My Gotek appears to be the same but already had the R.E. pins installed so I didn’t need to add them. I followed this to the letter and used the same rotary switch. Rotary encoder detects menu when pressed but does not change image when it is rotated. I alternated the CLK and DT wires to both R.E. pins but it made no difference. The existing buttons change images fine. Any ideas what else it could be?

[@retrofriends]

Test continuity of the three connections involved : the data, the clk, and the ground. Maybe verify you have the ground connected to the two pins of the rotary encoder. Also check continuity to the circuit board for all three. A cracked solder joint is possible.

[@commodorecave5581]

@@retrofriends Thanks for the help. I just realised I have the newer version and I don't have the USB cable (yet) to flash it. Will get that sorted and give it another go. Cheers.

[@retrofriends]

@@commodorecave5581 Check my channel for the latest in flashing and modding the new Artery boards.

[@isabellelienard149]

hi Retro friend , great job ! does this tuning work on a gotek sfrm72 fu dl for the rotary encoder instead of the push buton on a mc 50 ? Thank' s for your answer

[@retrofriends]

Should be the same for that gotek. I can't comment on the mc 50 application as I have no experience.

[@isabellelienard149]

@@retrofriends ok thank you

[@desmondsparrs]

Your cheatsheet pictures, could you put them online? Im a beginner at all of this. I flashed the flashfloppy fw last night now I just need to hook up an oled and the rotary encoder right. Pictures with clear graphics works better for me learning stuff like this rather than text alone.

[@retrofriends]

On my website, retrofriends.com

[@modellbobby]

Really ? How long do you want to film your stuff ?

[@jdryyz]

(EDIT: My OLED was preinstalled so I do not have these wires already. Judging by the video, I think these wires will be fine for both the knob and the speaker which I wish to add to mine. I am confused by the presence of a small PCB for other rotary encoders I've seen. Maybe this is to assist with the install a bit?) I didn't see a link for the jumper wires so I found this: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S2RH6Q4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A19TVI3M6WFVG7&psc=1 Are these suitable? Not too long or too short?

[@james5583]

nice, tnx. i was wondering if there is a way to mod the Oled display so you can get it retro style ? like orange or green maby. i havent found a video like that. do you think its possible ?

[@retrofriends]

I have had success changing colors on LED's, but you always cut the light output. Some clear plastic sprayed with yellow would turn the blue display green.

[@mountain177]

On the OLED displays I have, to change the color, i use light color gels. They're thin and do the job.

[@offthewallsk818]

Will this work with a 128x64 oled?

[@RosalvoParadella]

Works on an Roland MC50 ?

[@retrofriends]

Check the Flash Floppy Wiki. Supports the Roland "OUT" format!

[@RosalvoParadella]

@@retrofriends thanks !! I try it. Sorry for my english. ☺️🤙

[@lachietg]

Are these mods compatible with dos?

[@retrofriends]

AmigaDOS, yes. This is only for the AMIGA and ATARI ST computers.

[@officermeowmeowfuzzyface4408]

yeah the mods are compatible with all uses of flash floppy. FF is configured with text files in the root of the USB stick or in the "/FF" folder. Configuration says to use what kind of display, what formats to support, etc. Read the config guide.

[@dariofernandez702]

@@retrofriends necesito tu ayuda amigo por favor

[@Jail-Left-Wing-Traitors]

STOP putting background music to videos with *narration* .. it ONLY makes it HARDER to hear what you are saying and is VERY distracting ... EVERYONE STOP DOING THIS.. we are NOT here to listen to music !!

[@retrofriends]

You didn't notice the music fade out when I talk? Playing a music track under the speech is not something recent or unique. I think all my videos have this feature, so you may want to avoid my channel.

[@squirlmy]

@@retrofriends yes, I appreciate your use of music. It's an issue where somebody will complain no matter what you do or how well you do it!

[@retrofriends]

Thanks for the support.

[@fcf8269]

Music is fine as long as the music volume is not as loud as the narrator voice

[@robertcrystals]

Maybe chill out on the bokeh next time, makes it hard to see as it's out of focus a lot