Sick 1050

Thomas Main

unread,

Apr 3, 2001, 8:52:35 AM4/3/01

to

I took my Atari 8-bit out of storage yesterday and hooked it up again.
The 800XL works fine but I'm having a problem with the 1050 drive. The
drive was working fine a few months ago, but now won't boot from any
disk I put in. I took the cover off and cleaned the head. Any
suggestions as to what might be wrong?

Here are some symtoms I noticed:

* power comes on fine and disks spin fine in drive

* after first turning the power on and spinning for a second, there is a
rattle sound

* There is a spring on the carriage that moves the head back and
forth...how is this supposed to be connected?

Any ideas and/or suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks.

--
Thomas Main
ma...@appstate.edu

DunxUK

unread,

Apr 3, 2001, 3:16:53 PM4/3/01

to

>
>* There is a spring on the carriage that moves the head back and
> forth...how is this supposed to be connected?

The carriage wire should be tight and wrapped around a capstan right beside it,
rather like the dial wire on a radio. When then positioning capstan is turned
the head *must* move in and out of the drive.

Thomas Main

unread,

Apr 4, 2001, 8:38:15 AM4/4/01

to DunxUK

Yes, that wire is connected and the head moves as the capstan turns.
The spring is actually on top and in back of the carriage, centered.

Still no luck in getting the drive to work, though :(

--
Thomas Main
ma...@appstate.edu

Rick Cortese

unread,

Apr 4, 2001, 12:04:58 PM4/4/01

to

"Thomas Main" <ma...@appstate.edu> wrote in message
news:Pine.PMDF.4.21L.0104040...@appstate.edu...

With the drive cover off and a disk inserted, what happens to the head if
you repeatedly cycle the power?

Message has been deleted

Rick Cortese

unread,

Apr 5, 2001, 9:42:47 AM4/5/01

to

"Thomas Main" <ma...@appstate.edu> wrote in message

news:Pine.PMDF.4.21L.0104050...@appstate.edu...

> On Wed, 4 Apr 2001, Rick Cortese wrote:
>
> > > Still no luck in getting the drive to work, though :(
> >
> > With the drive cover off and a disk inserted, what happens to the head
if
> > you repeatedly cycle the power?
> >

> It moves forward in small increments until it reaches the end of its
> path and then keeps trying to move forward, but just rattles because it
> has run out of space.

Good news is I am 99.9% sure it is the track zero sensor. Bad news is they
are a bit hard to find and expensive when you do find them.

I remember when one went out on me I balked at paying the ~$13 B&C wanted. I
ended up carefully taking the sensor case apart and found it was just a flat
rectangular LED in the plastic. I just sanded a regular IR LED from Radio
Shack to fit in the plastic and glued the case back together. Yes, I am that
cheap.<grin>

RHamiIton5

unread,

Apr 5, 2001, 10:20:57 AM4/5/01

to

Well, that pretty much diagnosed the problem right there.. I won't steal Rick's
thunder, but he has it pinned down.

>Thomas Main ma...@appstate.edu

>> With the drive cover off and a disk inserted, what happens to the head if
>> you repeatedly cycle the power?
>>
>It moves forward in small increments until it reaches the end of its
>path and then keeps trying to move forward, but just rattles because it
>has run out of space.

-Ron

Inform everyone that communications have completely broken down.