HELP! Kaypro 2X Drive (Was: HELP! Osbourne drives) - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

14 Sep 1999

I've seen lots of floppies with this problem.  I find that it occurs on
systems which (a) leave the motor on and the head loaded (not an option on
low-cost 5-1/4" drives, the head was always loaded) and (2) drives with some
form of contamination, i.e. particulates, on either the head or the
head-load pad.  Dust and smoke are often the offending contaminant, i.e.
they damage the extremely hard surface of the head, normally polished to a
very fine finish, and leave a burr which subsequently scratches the emulsion
off the media.  In any case, the  problem is much scarcer in "clean"
environments than in my basement or anyplace like it.

Solution: (a) take the media out of the drive when it's not in use and (b)
make the fan in whatever enclosure houses the drive blow into rather than
suck out of the enclosure, preferably through a filter of some sort.

Dick

-----Original Message-----
From: CLASSICCMP(a)trailing-edge.com &lt;CLASSICCMP(a)trailing-edge.com&gt;
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
&lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;
Date: Monday, September 13, 1999 6:41 PM
Subject: RE: HELP! Kaypro 2X Drive (Was: HELP! Osbourne drives)

...
 >This made me remember that I have a perhaps similar
problem with one of my
>Kaypro drives.  It works at first, but eventually wears away portions of the
...
  disk making the
disk unusable.  (After a few uses, if you hold the disk
up to the light there are arcs
that are clear.)  I assume this is a head alignment issue. 
Why assume this?  And why is everyone so quick to assume that the
first thing you want to do to a floppy drive is realign the heads?
Reminds me of those folks who insist on tweaking the IF cores in all
their AM/FM radios without the proper test equipment, and then they
wonder why it doesn't perform so well anymore...

In my experience, the only floppy drives I've ever had to realign
the heads on were drives that someone else decided to align the heads on :-).
...

Two questions:

1.  Single sided drive?  If so, check the head load pad.  An extremely
worn head load pad will gouge up the media for sure.

2.  Double sided drive?  If so, is there anything wedged in the spring
supports that'll make the heads press against the media with too much
force?

--
 Tim Shoppa                        Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
 Trailing Edge Technology          WWW:   http://www.trailing-edge.com/
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