Interesting item to duplicate copy protected tapes

Boray · Post by **Boray** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 1:28 pm

http://www.tradera.com/auction/AMIGA___ ... id_9719540

Schema · Post by **Schema** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 3:18 pm

Nifty!

But were tapes even copy-protected? I used to make pure audio copies of tapes without problems.

Post by **Jeff-20** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 9:21 pm

Maybe I am confused. Why wouldn't a pure audio copy not work? How are they protected?

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 2:59 am

A little depending on the fidelity of your stereo or boom box maybe. Those audio copies (called "hard copy" in my neighbourhood) would probably work most of the time, but would the analogue signal read by one tone head be passed unchanged through the stereo to the head on the other unit?

The copying device shown here, which I also never have seen, looks like it receives the digital signal from C2N and then saves it back to a new tape. Another benefit is that you could load a game and make a copy of it at the same time, but what about power consumption? Would it drain a computer with a weak PSU?

Boray · Post by **Boray** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 5:24 am

Yes, it would sure have to drive two cassette motors at the same time. ( But... According to my measurements - how many amps was it a cassette motor uses?

)....

I have never managed to copy a computer tape on a stereo... And with tape turbos, it should be 7 times harder....

/Anders

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 10:19 am

Up to 0.2A per cassette player, if your measurements are reliable. I assume the card itself takes a few mA too. On the joystick and user ports, there is a recommended max drain (50 mA on each joystick, 3*100 mA on user port), but the official manual doesn't have a statement for tape or cartridge?

As noted before, inside the C2N is an identical connector, supposedly used for internal testing. I wonder if it is possible to modify it in some way to "leak" the data to another daisy chained C2N, maybe with external power. On the other hand, if it was that easy, one could hack a plug onto the cable for similar effect.

Bacon · Post by **Bacon** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 1:41 am

carlsson wrote:As noted before, inside the C2N is an identical connector, supposedly used for internal testing. I wonder if it is possible to modify it in some way to "leak" the data to another daisy chained C2N, maybe with external power.

It is indeed possible. On his now defunct Digital Archeology site, Ward Shrake had instructions on how to do it. Luckily I downloaded the whole site when he announced that he would take it down, so I have it archived on a CD somewhere. I'll try and dig it out this weekend.

Arma · Post by **Arma** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 11:38 am

I actually have the unit ward made and have made a few myself, have ruined a few as well cos my soldering skills suck

)))
I also have another unit for making copies using two datasettes and also have software that has never failed yet to make a copy of a tape using just one datasette.