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ΛΛdZ
Registered: Jul 2005
Posts: 153 |
Drive alignment
I have some problematic 1541's which I have tested on speed and alignment, with various old tools. Drive-speed was easy to fix but alignment is a bitch to control and adjust! I'm new in the area of fixing drives, so I need some experienced advise on tools to use and info on the techniques :)
Request: Tools (which you use with success) and info/text on how to fix the alignment!
Thanks! |
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ready.
Registered: Feb 2003
Posts: 441 |
yes, it is strange. Also if you Google for www.sharewareplus.co.uk there are very few infos about it. It seems a guy ordered some disks to be shipped to Australia who paid lots of money (lemon64 link)...but the link does not seem to exist.
In case naybody has some feedback, please post it.
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Mace
Registered: May 2002
Posts: 1799 |
I bought that FreeSpirit kit through eBay.
The first disc that arrived was wrong: there seemed to have been a manufacturing error, so the floppy sleeve was cut and the magnetic disc was damaged.
I emailed the seller about it and within days I received 2 or 3 (can't remember) replacement floppies without additional charge!
Those worked perfectly.
The guy even warned me about copying the disk; that that wouldn't work & stuff :-)
/me = happy customer. |
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ready.
Registered: Feb 2003
Posts: 441 |
about the copying of an alignment disk. People says it will not work if the disk is copied, but what if I copy it with an aligned disk drive, then it should work, right?
Of course the more the disk drive used for copying is misaligned the worst the alignment of other disk drives will be. Basically it is just a matter of having a good referce disk. |
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MagerValp
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1078 |
Again: alignment disks have *analog* data, not digital. You can't copy it with a 1541, as the 1541 can only write digital data.
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ready.
Registered: Feb 2003
Posts: 441 |
Hello all!
I just re-tuned my Oceanic drive (1541 clone) with the FreeSpirit alignment disk: the head stop needed some tuning.
Then I also used it to analize a built-in 1571 drive of a C128DCR. The drive could not read almost anything. But I discovered something very strange, to me at least. On half tracks (18.5, 19.5, 20.5,.....) the alignment condition was EXCELLENT. While on full tracks (18, 19, 20,....) the FreeSpirit program said it needed re-alignment.
I would expect a more average, but constant alignment condition, like POOR for all tracks. So, I don't know if my 1571 really needs re-alignment or it is something else that is wrong with it. Also the head stop was succesfully tested.
In case anybody has a good suggestion...
thanx
Ready. |
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chatGPZ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 11386 |
Quote:
In case anybody has a good suggestion...
yes, unless you have a scope and a real alignment disk.... just DONT =P |
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The Shadow
Registered: Oct 2007
Posts: 304 |
Ready. you need to use a "jeweler's hand" and carefully turn the step motor until you at least get a "poor" every track and half track. Poor works greater than "needs re-alignment". If you can get at least "satisfactory", you will have no problems. "excellent" for half and full tracks is best but you do need to use a steady "jeweler's hand". |
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Devia
Registered: Oct 2004
Posts: 401 |
Quote: Hello all!
I just re-tuned my Oceanic drive (1541 clone) with the FreeSpirit alignment disk: the head stop needed some tuning.
Then I also used it to analize a built-in 1571 drive of a C128DCR. The drive could not read almost anything. But I discovered something very strange, to me at least. On half tracks (18.5, 19.5, 20.5,.....) the alignment condition was EXCELLENT. While on full tracks (18, 19, 20,....) the FreeSpirit program said it needed re-alignment.
I would expect a more average, but constant alignment condition, like POOR for all tracks. So, I don't know if my 1571 really needs re-alignment or it is something else that is wrong with it. Also the head stop was succesfully tested.
In case anybody has a good suggestion...
thanx
Ready.
Some drives are just fucked like that.
A few ideas pop into my head, though: Inspect the ribbon that pulls the head back and forth. If this ribbon has some "bumps" on it, that could result in the condition you're describing, I guess. If the rails the head slides on are "dirty", that might also produce a similar result.
Is it the same behaviour when stepping from 21 down to 18 as when stepping from 18 up to 21?
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ready.
Registered: Feb 2003
Posts: 441 |
@Devia: yes same behaviour. Strange thing is also that on other 1571 drives I get a quite unstable condition (i.e.: poor/satisfactory oscillating), but here I either get EXCELLENT or NEEDS RE-ALIGNMENT stable.
By the way, the Free Spirit sw yesterday help to detect that another 1571 had the opto switch for the head stop broken, since the head would not move during bump test. I then tested the opto with a voltmeter: output was always high regardless there was something in the opto or not. After replacement of the opto the drive worked again!!!
I'll do more testing on the 1571 of my 128DCR.... |
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null
Account closed
Registered: Jun 2006
Posts: 645 |
bit offtopic perhaps, but these guys are okay to buy from?
http://stores.ebay.com/The-Commodore-Store
I don't want to get screwed, not even for a small amount of money :/
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http://zomgwtfbbq.info |
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