DriveWire deluxe cased adapters

[tormod]

I think I have found the ideal cases for the DriveWire adapters. Almost retro-looking, and just a tad paler than the Dragon (sunlight needed?). They are too thick to slip into a maximum 2 cm letter, so they need to be shipped as a package - shipping is 12 USD for economy to Europe, optionally +10 USD for registered priority mail, rest of the world 14 USD (+14 USD). I can pack many of these into one package though. The complete, cased adapter itself cost 32 USD (magic number).

Real, tested adapters. No photoshopping :)

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Please send enquiries and orders to:

My "biz" e-mail address

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They have 3 lights (see the small slots on the photo) for 1) Dragon power, 2) Line activity*, 3) USB power. They can also come without the lights for those who feel the LEDs wouldn't be retro enough

The one on the below photo is a non-functional dummy, I would need to make a custom PCB and it would be many weeks before I can ship any. However I throw this out in a "crowdfunding" fashion (no payments up front though). So please let me know if you are interested. Update: Ready to ship.

*) Some other ideas were considered but rejected: Connected to printer port data pin? The printer data outputs are not latched and are shared with the keyboard scanning, so probably not easy to make any use of it. DTR on the computer virtual serial port? I expected it to activate when the server opens the port, but it did not work here.

Plugged deluxe adapter

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[pser1]

Hello Tormod,
I have an "Inverting Drivewire adapter for Dragon" that I bought from you some time ago.
Will this adapter fit inside the case you are talking about?
Or will this one be a complete new set (adapter board and case)?
If this were the case, but the old adapter fits well inside, would you sell me just the case?
regards
pere

[tormod]

Hi Pere,
Unfortunately not, the DW adapters are a bit too short so that the USB plug doesn't come out of the case. Also, there is no good way of fixating the adapter properly in the case. Hence the need for a custom, larger PCB. You might be able to make something by carving away enough of the USB side opening to fit your extension connector, and fixing it with plenty of hot glue, and plugging all cables before closing the case... No warranties I will contact you and see what we can try out.

[msch]

I like the case. Is it available only in white? Maybe black is a good choice...

[tormod]

Black would be soo 90's :p Seriously, it would be possible in theory to get them in black. But because of shipping and batch expenses I have to buy a bunch at a time in order to keep the prices low. So unless many people ask for black, or some of you are willing to pay a premium, I am sticking to white. I think most people would agree with me that white/gray/beige look more retro, but I could always be wrong!

[robcfg]

Then, how much would it be for the cased Drivewire?

[tormod]

The cased adapter is 32 CHF, including the flat cable. An optional USB extension cable is 3 USD extra. Shipping/packaging is 12 USD for Europe (Economy mail). If you also want registered mail, it looks like the Swiss Post only offers it for the Priority mail option, so that would be like 10 USD on top. I would suggest using non-registered for single cases, and use registered mail if you buy many. For people in countries with cheaper mailing rates it might be interesting to do a group order and then distribute locally. Unfortunately it makes such a differerence to go beyond the 2 cm letter thickness limit.

For the rest of the world, it looks like economy shipping will be 14 USD (+14 USD more for registered priority mail).

[rolfmichelsen]

Count me in. I'm interested.

[tormod]

Back in black

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Due to popular demand and me realising that many classic Dragon accessories are black (joysticks, cartridges, disk drives), the Deluxe DriveWire adapters will also be available in black! At the same magic price of 32 USD + shipping/handling.

However they are still some weeks away. For the third LED I am trying to get a line activity indicator to work. Update: Works great!

If you want to pre-order one, send an e-mail here stating desired colour and shipping option:

My "biz" e-mail address

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[tormod]

The Deluxe adapters are here!

Now I am graphic designer, too :p

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The first units have been sent out to those who pre-ordered. I have 8 more of these. Free choice of black or white until further notice. If you're interested, send e-mail as instructed in previous post.