In his latest video, Arctic Retro fires up an Oceanic 1541 clone to find out whether this slim, lesser-known floppy drive is still in working shape. Known in North America as the FSD-2 Excelerator Plus, this clone of the classic Commodore 1541 arrives with no guarantees—and a broken power supply. But the sleek, low-profile design and built-in JiffyDOS make it worth the repair attempt.
The Oceanic 1541 clone has a solid reputation for compatibility with Commodore systems—though it falls short when it comes to tougher copy protection schemes. That said, it boasts faster access times than the 1541-II, reportedly up to 30% quicker than the original 1541. Once repaired, Arctic Retro compares load speeds to see how well this drive holds up today. Spoiler: JiffyDOS doesn’t hurt.
If you’ve ever wondered how well third-party drives stand against Commodore’s originals—or just want to see if this one whirrs to life—this is a fun repair with some speed tests thrown in for good measure.
