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Forums > CSDb Discussions > 1541U or Chameleon?
2011-08-12 14:03
Shadow
Account closed

Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 355
1541U or Chameleon?

So when I was at LCP2011 I saw that many were running 1541U:s, and even the compo entries were ran from one, so it seems like it's been a established hardware.
So I'm looking into getting one. But then I started reading about the Chameleon, which seems to promise to do almost the same, plus even more.

As the Chameleon is still seems to be in beta stages, I guess it's not easy to get any info on whether it's a better choice or not, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

1541U users though I guess there will be plenty of here, so let me ask you - how's compatibility? Does older trackloading demos run? What about disk-swapping, how many multidisk demos survive the freeze-switch-disk-resume cycle?
2011-08-12 14:38
Frantic

Registered: Mar 2003
Posts: 1635
I haven't had any real troubles with my 1541U (have both I and II) for a while. The fact that the 1541U firmware is open source is at least a little "guarantee" that any major problems that may arise will (or at least can) eventually be fixed.

Trackloading works just fine in my experience.

Dunno much about the Chamelon.
2011-08-12 15:03
CreaMD

Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 3036
1541U II, totally rulez. Forget file transfer through cables. Forget disc shuffling with old 1541 disc drives. Put your stuff on USB or MicroSD with D64 files and enjoy (and that's just one example of what it can do). Easily the best piece of expansion port hardware ever created for C64.

p.s.: you can of course use it simultaneously with disc drive to copy your stuff to/from diskettes to D64 files on USB/Micro SD
2011-08-12 16:35
hedning

Registered: Mar 2009
Posts: 4628
The few problems with multiloaded demos (even on lot's of disks) were fastly fixed on both 1541U and 1541U2, they even cared to fix the 1541U2 so it could be run on SX-64:s. Awesome. I have had more problems loading stuff on my real drives than on the 1541U2.

I have no experience with the Chameleon, but I believe the 1541U2 are more accurate, because it is connected to the serial port and not just the cartridge port. It even emulates the sounds of a real drive in you need that. And the 1541U2 does not override the real c64 processor and vic like the chameleon do. But I guess that you can choose if the Chameleon should override the c64 chips or not.
2011-08-12 17:02
Tadpole

Registered: Jun 2002
Posts: 24
Quoting hedning
The few problems with multiloaded demos (even on lot's of disks) were fastly fixed on both 1541U and 1541U2, they even cared to fix the 1541U2 so it could be run on SX-64:s. Awesome. I have had more problems loading stuff on my real drives than on the 1541U2.

Offtopic: the adventures from Magnectic Scrolls (Jinxter, ...) are also not running on the U2... :-(
2011-08-12 17:11
Shadow
Account closed

Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 355
Alright, thanks guys, I'll be ordering a 1541u2 shortly!
2011-08-12 18:48
Mr. SID

Registered: Jan 2003
Posts: 424
The 1541U2 lacks the standalone mode of the original 1541U. This might be a deal breaker if you have to plug other things into the expansion port.
2011-08-12 19:40
Frantic

Registered: Mar 2003
Posts: 1635
MrSID is correct of course. Still, there are also cartridge port expanders out there that might help (depending a little on which hardware you need to connect at the same time as the 1541U) if this is really immportant to you...
2011-08-12 19:58
CreaMD

Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 3036
STandalone mode? You mean it was possible to have 1541U plugged only by serial cable (working like disc drive emulator?) sounds very cool.
2011-08-12 20:01
Mr. SID

Registered: Jan 2003
Posts: 424
Yes, I still use this mode a lot when flashing .crt files onto my EasyFlash.
2011-08-12 23:01
chatGPZ

Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 11176
"I believe the 1541U2 are more accurate, because it is connected to the serial port"
you can connect chameleon like that aswell if you want
 
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