Most digital data-rescue kits will want a 5.25″ floppy drive. The main difficulty with these is that extant ones are practically all designed to be installed inside a computer case. To ship one safely, it makes sense to find an enclosure for it.
As best we know, no enclosure is available for purchase ready-designed for a single 5.25″ floppy drive and its connectors. (RADD uses this dual-drive enclosure, which works fine but is rather too heavy to ship.) The best anyone can do is bodge one.
To match PROUD’s setup, you will need:
- A drive. The usual recommendation is a TEAC FD55-GFR, though other drives may work also.
- A drive controller. Your options are a Kryoflux (lovely, but very expensive) or Device Side Data’s small USB controller card, which comes with the needed ribbon cable to connect it to the drive.
- A power source for the drive. Device Side Data sells one that works just fine.
- A standard USB A/B cable (one end squarish, one end rectangular) to connect the controller card to the computer.
- A case! Look for a case that fits a full-height CD or DVD (“optical”) drive. Key to making this work: the rear panel must be either dispensable or plastic. A case with a metal rear panel will not work, unless you have access to metal-cutting gear.
- A small-bladed hacksaw or jab saw.
PROUD is using this CoolGear enclosure. This Addonics enclosure has also been recommended.
The exact manner of putting the drive and enclosure together depends on the exact enclosure chosen, but here is the basic idea:
- Disassemble the enclosure. Rip out all fans, cards, and cables in the rear of the enclosure; you will not need them. (Some will be glued in; pry out the glue blobs.)
- Put the drive into the enclosure, lining up the front of the drive with the enclosure front. (A little electrical tape may keep the drive in line better; not all drives and all enclosures can be screwed together, unfortunately.)
- Look at the back of the enclosure and the back of the drive. Decide how much needs to be sawed off the rear panel to fit the power cord and ribbon cable through.
- Once everything fits, reassemble the entire enclosure. (If possible, mount the FC5025 card inside the enclosure, but that plus the ribbon cable is very likely too large to fit.) Electrical tape can help steady the power cable and cover sawed-off edges.
- Plug the ribbon cable into the FC5025 card, then wrap the cable’s extra folds around it (leaving the USB jack clear), to provide the card a little protection. (In our experience, this card is quite durable, but every little bit helps.)
The result is not beautiful, but it is functional.