Intermittent 1050 Disc Drive

[Arkanoid_376970]

Hi AA!

 

I finally got my 600XL back up and running, and decided to try getting my 1050 going again after the original PSU I had for it let out the blue smoke. I read somewhere about using a NES/SNES power adapter with it (used my SNES 9VAC adapter from Australia) and it worked somewhat.

 

I was able to intermittently read discs, and was once able to format and duplicate DOS 2.5+ from my SDRIVE. Following this, I tried to format and duplicate YOOMP! to a disc and found that i started getting Errors 144, 139 and sometimes the drive would very quickly flash the activity light when I chose to init or dupe a disk. I noticed that my SNES PSU and the Heat Sink in the Drive were getting a little toasty so I turned everything off. Could the wimpy SNES PSU not be providing enough juice to the 1050 for reliable operation? If this is the case where can I find a replacement PSU for the 1050?

 

Thanks

 

Ark

[Guest]

the original NES/SNES 9vac PSU worked @ 1.3a max - you need at least 3A on a 9vac PSU for the 1050 to function comfortably

- as you can see from the list below - your PSU can handle almost NO atari equipment at all!

 

it can get a little "confusing" as there are lots 9vac PSUs that work on various Atari/Atari compatible equipment.

it gets clouded a little by some atari/compatible disk drives working on 1.7a and 2a PSUs...whereas others need 3a (or more)

 

here's an idea of what works with what (you can find more info @ http://atari.boards.net/thread/203/psu-specifics )

 

9V AC (600mA)
1030

9V AC (1.7A)
400, 800, 822, 850, 1010, 1200XL, Rana 1000

9V AC (2.0A)
400, 800, 810, 822, 850, 1010, 1200XL, Rana 1000

 

9V AC (3.0A)
400, 800, 810, 822, 850, 1010, 1020, 1050, 1200XL, XF551, Rana 1000

 

9V AC (3.2A)
400, 800, 810, 822, 850, 1010, 1020, 1050, 1200XL, XF551, Rana 1000

 

9V AC (3.4A)
400, 800, 810, 822, 850, 1010, 1020, 1050, 1200XL, XF551, Rana 1000

9V AC (5.6A)
400, 800, 810, 822, 850, 1010, 1020, 1050, 1200XL, XF551, Rana 1000

Edited November 3, 2017 by Guest

[Arkanoid_376970]

Thanks for the reply!

 

I was aware that the SNES PSU was way too underpowered to run the 1050, but I don't have any other 9VAC PSU's on hand and wanted to see if it would work at all. Original Atari PSUs and other equipment are extremely hard to come by in Australia, so I was wondering if there is a modern replacement someone here has used successfully.

[+Nezgar]

If there is a local electronics shop in your area, check with them to see if they have a power supply that can output 9VAC @ 3A. Here is an example of a new one I purchased locally and spliced on a compatible barrel connector. Only thing that sucks is this brick plugs directly into the power bar and blocks other plugs. Nice to have a modern compatible power source for the drive though. Being in Australia, yours would obviously be different than mine with a 240V 50hz input...

 

Edited November 3, 2017 by Nezgar

[_The Doctor__]

operating equipment in brownout conditions cooks and can damage them... I am certain you can find suitable psu replacements though not Atari branded pretty easily in Australia... you will have to change the connector out with a barrel plug that fits the Atari...but it's all easily done...

[_The Doctor__]

lol always seconds late on the post button!

[xrbrevin]

If youre handy with a soldering iron, you may want to swap out the 2 voltage regulators for modern switching equivalents

they make the drive run much cooler and likely demand less amps. I use NES / SNES PSUs without any issue

 

here is a guide:

http://www.mathyvannisselroy.nl/Atari%201050%20goes%20green.htm

 

there are many manufacturers for these components so shop around for a good price

 

hope this helps

[Arkanoid_376970]

Searches with the local Electronics store (Jaycar) an a bunch of Australian distributors came up with nothing. The local electronics store has a 240V->9A transformer coil capable of handling 3A on the seconary but no AC/AC plugpacks whatsoever. The closest I could find from other distributors was 9VAC at 1.33A. Australia is a ****ing hole when it comes to finding any electronics supplies.

 

I'll probably end up getting the Transformer from Jaycar and making some form of plugpack, would just rather not mess with Mains Electricity.

[Arkanoid_376970]

If youre handy with a soldering iron, you may want to swap out the 2 voltage regulators for modern switching equivalents

they make the drive run much cooler and likely demand less amps. I use NES / SNES PSUs without any issue

 

here is a guide:

http://www.mathyvannisselroy.nl/Atari%201050%20goes%20green.htm

 

there are many manufacturers for these components so shop around for a good price

 

hope this helps

Yeah I may end up having to go this route, I'm ok with a soldering Iron so swapping out the Voltage Regulators shouldn't be an issue.

[1050]

There is a fuse inside your power supply that will

blow when the 1050 makes a mess in the bed and becomes

too power hungry because of it's own issues.

 

Which I suspect is the real reason for your troubles.

Shorted diode, bad capacitor, shot voltage regulator

could all be possibles on the 1050.

 

But the power supply itself can be taken apart and

the fuse replaced, no harm, no foul.

 

swtiching 7805 7812 voltage regulator

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/268721-ac-output/?do=findComment&comment=3824750

[Rybags]

Wouldn't it be just easier to modify the drive and introduce DC power in after the bridge rectifier stage?

Or maybe something like an old external HDD PS which supplies +5 and +12 VDC (though mightn't supply enough current).

[_The Doctor__]

best to stick with the regulator replacement... it's a much nicer fix and safer fix allowing the drive to move about like it should... the pc 12 3 5 switching power supply method has ended in tears in the past with a resulting non standard power hack to that makes it limited to a one or two people who might do it...

[+Nezgar]

swtiching 7805 7812 voltage regulator

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/268721-ac-output/?do=findComment&comment=3824750

 

Fascinating, these are news to me! Thats pretty revolutionary being a drop-in replacement - no heatsink? You could almost just remove the 1050's heatsink altogether, if not for the "Darlington transistor of the rpm control" (as per mathy's page) that would stll need it. Very tempted to try these out on a drive to measure what the actual power consumption reduction is.

Edited November 4, 2017 by Nezgar

[_The Doctor__]

it's a wonderful solution.. but you can't warm your sandwich on the 1050 after your done...