Datacraft 5208 14" Hawk Cartridge Disc Drive 10.9MB 406TPS Vintage For Parts

Datacraft 5208 14" Hawk Cartridge Disc Drive 10.9MB 406TPS Vintage For Parts

The Datacraft 5208 is a 14-inch removable cartridge disc drive produced by Datacraft in the 1970s for use with their minicomputer systems. This floor-standing unit stores 10.9 megabytes on a removable 14-inch cartridge disc and operates at a transfer rate of 406 TPS. It represents early large-format removable-media hard disk technology from the era when minicomputers relied on these sizable storage subsystems as primary data storage. This unit is being sold AS-IS for parts, repair, or display only and is not guaranteed functional.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Datacraft
• Model: 5208 (Hawk Cartridge Disc Drive)
• Disc Size: 14 inch (removable cartridge)
• Storage Capacity: 10.9 MB
• Transfer Rate: 406 TPS
• Spindle Speed: 4 SPD (as marked on nameplate)
• Drive Type: Cartridge Disc (removable-media hard disk subsystem)
• Form Factor: Floor-standing cabinet with drive unit on top section
• Front Panel Controls: START/STOP, READY, WRITE PROTECT, FAULT RESET pushbuttons with red LED indicators
• Top Cover: Glass observation window (cracked — see photos)
• Internal Controller: Large multi-section PCB with rows of ICs, discrete components, and labeled diagnostic indicators (fault, servo, voltage)
• Secondary Board: Analog/servo circuit board with discrete transistors, potentiometers, and mixed through-hole components
• Read/Write Head Component: Marked DMP060XCD5, secondary PN 22941402
• Condition: AS-IS — unit is disassembled; drive mechanism removed from cabinet in photos
• Shipping: Requires freight shipment due to size and weight

Applications

The Datacraft 5208 is a 1970s-era large-format removable cartridge disk drive, the kind of storage peripheral that served as primary data storage for minicomputer installations of that decade. Datacraft Corporation produced minicomputer systems in the early-to-mid 1970s, and drives like the 5208 were integral to those systems, offering operators the ability to swap data cartridges for archival storage, program loading, and data transfer between systems. The 14-inch removable cartridge format was a precursor to later generations of smaller, higher-density removable media. Today, units like this are collected by vintage computing enthusiasts, computer history museums, and researchers studying early minicomputer and storage technology. The open, disassembled state of this unit makes it well suited for parts sourcing, technical study, or display.