Testing Commodore 64 Epyx Fast Load Cartdidge

A quick video showing the C64 Epyx Fast Load Cartridge in action. I'm testing it to make sure it's working properly.
I am looking at buying a SD2IEC drive which allows you to load software from a compact flash card instead of loading from disk or tape drives.
www.thefuturewas8bit.com
They offer a bundle which includes a Fast Load cartridge so I just want to test mine to see whether I needed to take advantage of the bundle deal or not.
Please consider helping support the channel by becoming a patron - www.patreon.com/retro_spective

[@jkeelsnc]

The fast load was so useful, simple, and effective that I always left it plugged in full time (and still do). Most software was compatible with it and the programs that weren’t usually had their own fast load routines. It was a staple add on for the C64.

[@AureliusR]

I know this is really old now, and you probably already figured this out, but just for the benefit of anyone passing by: the Fastload cartridge that TFW8B sells is the Fastload Reloaded, which has additional routines for dealing with the SD2IEC. I'm fairly sure that a normal Fastload cartridge will not work with SD2IEC, or at the very least it'll just load at the normal speed. There are other fastloaders that have been tweaked for the SD2IEC, I can't remember if the SNAPPY2020 (updated version of Super Snapshot 5) is one of them.

[@ClassicTrialsChannel]

I had a C64c and the Diskdrive(in fact I still have them). for some reason the fastload cartridge totally past me by. no idea why I didn't get 1 back in the day.

[@johneygd]

I wouldn’t be surprised if that cartride contains it’s own cpu and os system and that it will also require a faster diskdrive,that’s because the 1541 diskdrive was never designed to load things fast and since the c64 itself does not go blank once going into disk mode to load the data from it, it loads everything slow,simply because it’s cpu isn’t fast enough,

[@jkeelsnc]

Actually it does not have a cpu at all. It loads new disk protocols into the kernel AND into the disk drive. More efficient protocols that allow faster transfers. Pretty clever approach really. The only thing inside the Fastload cartridge is a PCB and a ROM. What was nice about the Fastload is that it was compatible with most software and for programs that didn’t work with it they usually had their own Fastload routines to begin with. The dos wedge and built in simple utilities from the menu were invaluable as well. It integrated with CBM basic so well that it seemed like it was part of the whole system so often stayed plugged in full time. There was no reason to unplug it to disable Fastload because you could disable it from the menu.

[@robrat5162]

Fastload, I think if you press the commadore key and the key above at the same time it saves you from having to type load"*",8,1 and also automaticaly run after its loaded. Umm i have not had my hands on a c64 for many years. I Was loading games like that with fastload cartridge before i could read and write.

[@jkeelsnc]

I also loved the wedge commands
For disk operations.

[@mjp29]

Your test proves that it is true to form, they Epyx advertised the fAST LOAd cartridge wAS 5 TIMES FAster, AND YOUR TEST AT 30 SECONDS IS INDEED Five times fASTER THan 2 minutes aND 30 SECONDS....

[@jkeelsnc]

It really did make a difference. It was not as fast as some later fast loaders but still a great improvement. One thing I did like about this one was that it was compatible with most software. And the few disks that didn’t work with it usually had their own fast load routines.