Marius Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Hi. What can this be: During format: My 1050 drivehead goes in normal speed to the center, but on it's backway (towards the trackzero sensor) it is slower. The 1050 diagnostics disk gives an error on the step/settle part. Has also strange drive speed results 208 208 417 0 208 208 0 208 417 strange eh? Writing gives no error, but booting the just written disk is a problem. I've replaced the step-motor, but this did not solve the problem. The PCB is ok. With other mechanism (100% same type) the PCB works great. The drive mechanism gives same trouble on other PCB. The thing that pushes the magnetic foil on the head is also in good condition, and so is the drive belt. I really don't know what this can be.... any ideas? Marius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bob1200xl Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 What was the order of things you did? Did you align the head after you replaced the stepper motor? Did you run the speed test before you did anything else? Is the speed correct? (watch the pie-plate on the bottom of the drive while it is running) Does the head bind on the rails when you manually push it backwards? (should feel the same to your fingers forward and backwards - unplug the stepper) Where was your test disk formatted? Will it format a disk? The drive is bad - do you really need to fix it? Bob Hi. What can this be: During format: My 1050 drivehead goes in normal speed to the center, but on it's backway (towards the trackzero sensor) it is slower. The 1050 diagnostics disk gives an error on the step/settle part. Has also strange drive speed results 208 208 417 0 208 208 0 208 417 strange eh? Writing gives no error, but booting the just written disk is a problem. I've replaced the step-motor, but this did not solve the problem. The PCB is ok. With other mechanism (100% same type) the PCB works great. The drive mechanism gives same trouble on other PCB. The thing that pushes the magnetic foil on the head is also in good condition, and so is the drive belt. I really don't know what this can be.... any ideas? Marius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl0re Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Yeah, looks like a nice case for a CD drive to use with an SIO2IDE adapter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bob1200xl Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 OK... the drive mechanism is bad. No need to toss the whole drive! Convert the thing to use normal drives, like the XF551 does. Bob Yeah, looks like a nice case for a CD drive to use with an SIO2IDE adapter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 How do I allign the head? I know I can allign the track 0 sensor. This part of the drive works great. And no... there is not really need of fixing this drive.... but It gives me more experience on fixing my atari equipment. I simply do not want to throw things away, that might be fixable. The head seems to work (I can boot a floppy with this drive) The drive rotates without problems, and the new stepping-motor appears to be fine too. So I still want to fix it. Just for the fun. Fixing this thing is also part of the hobby (for me). And last but not least. Let's say I'm going to convert this 1050 into a CD Rom unit. Is it possible to use the +5v and +12v from the PCB, or not? A CD rom drive does not use power all the time. How "much" power can be used? (In Ampères) ... I guess 5V and 12V has different values for this? Marius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl0re Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 (edited) Let's say I'm going to convert this 1050 into a CD Rom unit. Is it possible to use the +5v and +12v from the PCB, or not? A CD rom drive does not use power all the time. How "much" power can be used? (In Ampères) ... I guess 5V and 12V has different values for this? Marius I'll have to double check but I don't believe 12v is in SIO. Plus, for bigger drive like that.... even if it were.... you'd need it's own PS. Maybe you can get away with using the SIO 5v though (I have not done it yet, will do it in a couple weeks). Edit: yep, it does have it. I'd still do an external for a cd. Edited February 12, 2009 by sl0re Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bob1200xl Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Head alignment requires a special disk and a scope. You read the disk and align the head by watching the scope. If it boots, reads, and writes, what is the problem? Bob You can't convert the 1050 to a CDROM. You can use the case to house a CDROM drive - that's about it. Nothing from the 1050 is useful, really. I'm with you - fix it - but it is 'legal' to just replace the mechanism. How do I allign the head? I know I can allign the track 0 sensor. This part of the drive works great. And no... there is not really need of fixing this drive.... but It gives me more experience on fixing my atari equipment. I simply do not want to throw things away, that might be fixable. The head seems to work (I can boot a floppy with this drive) The drive rotates without problems, and the new stepping-motor appears to be fine too. So I still want to fix it. Just for the fun. Fixing this thing is also part of the hobby (for me). And last but not least. Let's say I'm going to convert this 1050 into a CD Rom unit. Is it possible to use the +5v and +12v from the PCB, or not? A CD rom drive does not use power all the time. How "much" power can be used? (In Ampères) ... I guess 5V and 12V has different values for this? Marius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted February 13, 2009 Author Share Posted February 13, 2009 Well the problem is... It boots and reads. Writing not. And that is the strangest part of this. But till this one my experience is/was that the PCB is vulnerable than the mechanism, so I'm glad that this drive has a healthy PCB. Thanks for the help. Marius p.s. but I still don't get that allign thing. Even when I had a scope and that special disk, what kind of action must be done on the drive mechanisme to allign that head? I don't see any screws or other adaptable things to change head position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 (edited) I think the 8 bit faq or some similar place on the net has instructions on the write protect replacement, manual switches and bypass. I remember reading it. And soon after our club also did it so we could make club library disks without notching them all.... _The Doctor__ Edited February 13, 2009 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 if it boots and it reads but does not write, make sure the write protect notch led and sensor are clear of spider webs and egg sacks, if that is clear then bypass the detector and try it again, if it works you can put a switch in to manually write protect or un protect. might just be the write detect led or sensor. that is cake for you to fix with parts from a dead unit or some parts lying about. Well the problem is... It boots and reads. Writing not. And that is the strangest part of this. But till this one my experience is/was that the PCB is vulnerable than the mechanism, so I'm glad that this drive has a healthy PCB. Thanks for the help. Marius p.s. but I still don't get that allign thing. Even when I had a scope and that special disk, what kind of action must be done on the drive mechanisme to allign that head? I don't see any screws or other adaptable things to change head position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted February 13, 2009 Author Share Posted February 13, 2009 hehe *sigh* please read the thread from the beginning doctor It DOES write and format, but it goes wrong. The speed of the head is really strange slow on when it goes backwards on the formatting. That is a strange behavior. And 12V is on the PCB on the 1050. I'm not talking about getting current from the SIO, but from the 1050PCB. It has +5 and +12 on it. greetz Marius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 based on this post it seemed you had everything working except for this last piece of the puzzle, guess not.... Well the problem is... It boots and reads. Writing not. And that is the strangest part of this. But till this one my experience is/was that the PCB is vulnerable than the mechanism, so I'm glad that this drive has a healthy PCB. Thanks for the help. Marius p.s. but I still don't get that allign thing. Even when I had a scope and that special disk, what kind of action must be done on the drive mechanisme to allign that head? I don't see any screws or other adaptable things to change head position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 (edited) replacement mech was 100 percent, and you replaced stepper, still would not hurt to check if write protect is not marginal. might be slipping belt? sticky spindle? try cleaning belt and oil of bearings? to align without alignment disk or scope I used an electronics arts store bought disk, turning speed up till load failed and adjusting stepper by 1/16 inch increments till it worked again doing this several times. best to do with alignment disk and scope, but when checked sometimes that method got incredibly good results when done I set speed to normal and formatted away. single and enhanced. Edited February 13, 2009 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 last but not least have you cleaned the drive rails? I got a few that someone oiled or greased the rails and that stuff dried and got sticky. After cleaning the head settled faster and moved fine in both directions. do not use liquids to lubricate rails, only graphite or teflon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted February 13, 2009 Author Share Posted February 13, 2009 adjusting stepper by 1/16 inch increments HOW? Thanks! Marius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bob1200xl Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Loosen the mounting screws on the stepper and rotate it. This moves the head on the carriage. What disks does this read? Disks formatted and written on other drives? If it can't read disks written on itself, and it can read disks written on other drives, the head is bad. Check the wires at the connector very carefully. Maybe meter them with a digital ohmmeter. (limit the current) If the alignment is off, you can usually read disks that you write but not others. Bob adjusting stepper by 1/16 inch increments HOW? Thanks! Marius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted February 13, 2009 Author Share Posted February 13, 2009 It is just what you said: It boots disks from other drives perfect. I bought this drive second hand, and my first impression was: cool another working 1050 for my inventory. I kept the drive connected, and found out a few days later, that it has the troubles as described. It has big troubles writing and it won't read it's own written disks. I have been thinking of a wire problem too. Is it hard to fix that? Thanks Marius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 Yesterday I have been playing around for the last time with this broken 1050. I have decided to quit fooling around. It's a lost drive now. The deal was not bad. It was very cheap, and the PCB is good, so that is a spare part for me. One thing I was wondering ... is formatting another task of the drive head (using another part or wire?) ... I found out that when I format a disk with another drive, the writing went perfect too. But because I tried a few other things, and things went terribly wrong with that (hehe) the drive is in the drive-heaven now end of story... Thanks for the help. Good part is, that my experience has grown a little on this. Marius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 (edited) no formatting is not a different function of the head, It uses the same method to write as it does to format, a drive that reads other disks and can write to disks that have been formatted by another drive but fails to format it's own disks is usually dirty or out of alignment. If another mech works 100% the pcb and firmware are fine. If after lubrication/cleaning is done. the drive should have consistent rpm from a disk written by a know good drive using rpm tester from sparta or real disk. do not depend on speed from any pc sio converter. If rpm fails on on the 'bad' mech then look toward spindle motor. if rpm is now fine, then align. Make sure the head rails are clean and seated properly, if worn you can sometimes rotate them about 45 degrees and be good to go. Yesterday I have been playing around for the last time with this broken 1050. I have decided to quit fooling around. It's a lost drive now. The deal was not bad. It was very cheap, and the PCB is good, so that is a spare part for me. One thing I was wondering ... is formatting another task of the drive head (using another part or wire?) ... I found out that when I format a disk with another drive, the writing went perfect too. But because I tried a few other things, and things went terribly wrong with that (hehe) the drive is in the drive-heaven now end of story... Thanks for the help. Good part is, that my experience has grown a little on this. Marius Edited February 15, 2009 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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