Question Re drive heads for 1050

reifsnyderb · May 21, 2023

Hello,

I have 2 1050 drives. One works and one does not work.

On the failed drive, I believe the electronics are good. What is known:

1. The drive seems to boot up fine.

2. The head seems to zero fine.

3. The computer appears to communicate with the drive properly.

4. I cannot get a disk speed readout in disk wizard.

The drive isn't reading a disk. Instead, the head moves and it appears to attempt to read but fails.

I have the covers off of both drives and re-seated the chips on the bad drive.

My guess is that the disk isn't being read due to a bad head.

Looking at the heads and comparing them, I noticed both heads look like as described:

1. There is a raised, circular, section.

2. On the left side there is a single line that goes from the left most edge of the circle to the center of the head.

3. On the right side of the head there are 2 parallel lines that go from the right most edge of the circle to the center of the head.

4. The left-most line is slightly wider than each of the right-most parallel lines.

5. The left-most line is arranged so that if it could move, it could slide between the right set of parallel lines.

On the good drive, there are no wires visible.

On the bad drive, I can see what appears to be wire in the center of the head and a small section on the left side of the head.

Should I be seeing the wire on the head? Is this a sign the head is bad?

I've looked for pictures or diagrams of the 1050 head and haven't found anything.

Edit to add: I just found a picture of a drive head for another drive. The head here is an octogon, instead of a circle, but the lines are the same. On the non-functional drive, there are two little lines, that I assume to be wires, that are inline with the single line.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/BASF_6108_-_5_¼”_Floppy_Disk_Drive_Magnetic_Heads_Details.jpg

Thanks!

Brian

Edited May 21, 2023 by reifsnyderb

reifsnyderb · May 21, 2023

UPDATE!

I posted too soon. lol Figuring I had nothing to lose, I decided to scrub the everliving crap out of the head with a Q-tip and alcohol. I figured if the head wire was exposed, it was junk anyhow. The lines, that I thought were exposed wire, were lined up perfectly and looked like wire. It was just perfectly arranged dirt and my drive now works.

I spent a couple hours looking into this and reading the 1050 repair manual before posting. I even cleaned the head multiple times and thought that the head was damaged. So, my 2nd 1050 is now working again. 🙂