Roctec RF-332/RF-382 belts

Jope · 08 January 2010, 15:48

CHS still stocks the belts:
http://www.chsinteractive.co.uk/elec...al-purpose.htm

CHS Part No.: VID7092

Belt Flat 71.0mm Diameter 2.8 x 0.6mm

Ebay has them too.

Solarmon has had success with a smaller belt: 69mm Diameter 3.0 x 0.6mm

Old stuff:
I was given a broken Roctec RF-332 ultraslim external drive. These are about half the height of normal slimline Amiga external drives.

I guess small enough direct drive motors didn't exist yet back in the early 90s when these were produced, the drives are belt driven.

Naturally these belts go sour after all the years and you end up with a drive that only makes an abnormal buzzing, which is due to the motor spinning out of control.

I already had four of these, out of which only two worked, so I decided to find out more. I took one drive apart and measured the old belt. I tried a couple of Finnish electronics stores, but they didn't have quite the right diameter belts in stock, so I decided to google with the drive's model - Citizen UODC-12A.

It turns out, that the Sam Coupé used this family of drives, so I googled for Sam Coupé drive belts.. www.samcoupe.com came to the rescue and I bought three belts from him after having swapped a few confirmatory emails. Please note, he no longer has any to sell, don't email him.

The belts came today and I replaced them, now the drives work again.

So, if you have one of these drives with a stretched belt, there's your answer. :-)

Matt020 · 09 January 2010, 04:56

Brilliant work!!

Is is only these type of external floppy drives that use a belt?

Jope · 09 January 2010, 08:37

Yes. Relatively rare. The mechanism is a "laptop height" mechanism, slimmer than your average 3rd party external drive.

Loedown · 09 January 2010, 12:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jope

Yes. Relatively rare. The mechanism is a "laptop height" mechanism, slimmer than your average 3rd party external drive.

You need belts in future, please ask, I can get almost anything out of my electronic supplier, they do sell belts, in all shapes and sizes.

Paul

cpiac64 · 14 April 2010, 18:02

i need a belt for my rocteck rf 332, please help me

Jope · 14 April 2010, 18:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpiac64

i need a belt for my rocteck rf 332, please help me

Please read the thread again and help yourself.

cpiac64 · 14 April 2010, 18:46

sorry, i have read, but chs don't delivery to Italy (no option) and the cost to delivery to Italy is missed.

sorry for my bad english

Jope · 15 April 2010, 07:45

Who is CHS? Did you ask the guy from samcoupe.com?

cpiac64 · 15 April 2010, 10:04

chs is http://www.chsinteractive.co.uk/elec...al-purpose.htm

next time i concact samcoupe

caver99 · 18 April 2010, 00:14

If you are in the UK http://www.chsinteractive.co.uk/elec...al-purpose.htm
is far cheaper and are the right belts.

Amiga1992 · 18 April 2010, 05:00

Some more help here: these belts are aso good for Panasonic MSX disk drives (like teh drive inside the Panasonic FS-A1FM), and interchangeably, you can use Panasonic MSX disk drive belts in Roctec or Sam Coupé drives. Alas, you usually find those in Japan.

I had one spare and I used it in the Rocslim and it's working great now! Also if my Panasonic belt ever breaks again, I now know I can use a Sam Coupé one

cpiac64 · 29 April 2010, 23:30

i have change the belt but not working

cpiac64 · 02 May 2010, 21:46

any idea?

cpiac64 · 06 May 2010, 17:36

news, i test whit 1200 and floppy have read error, i clean and test

p.s.
in my cdtv don't work

22 January 2012, 01:20

From reading this thread, it seems that the Roctec I just bought off of Ebay needs a new drive belt.

Apart from the failing belt, is this drive mechanism itself any good. In other words, is is worth buying 5 or 6 belts as spare? Or should I just throw the thing in the trash?

.... And my 7yr old just bumped it off the table onto the floor.

cpiac64 · 22 January 2012, 10:23

i have one belt, i send you if you want?

24 January 2012, 05:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpiac64

i have one belt, i send you if you want?

Thank you, but I read your offer too late. I went to the local electronics store during lunch today and picked one up.

For those in the USA, the belt you are looking for is either an FBS8.4, or FBS8.6

FBS = belt type, width and thickness.
8.4 = Circumference, in inches.

The FBS8.4 seems a touch on the small side, (the store did not have the FBS8.6). But the drive seems to be fully operational once again.

Jope · 09 September 2013, 09:46

An update to the info here: samcoupe.com no longer stocks these, and the CHS link has changed:

http://www.chsinteractive.co.uk/elec...al-purpose.htm

In case it changes again, you want 71.0mm diameter and 2.8 x 0.6mm cross section

ElectroBlaster · 09 October 2014, 01:57

Is it still possible to obtain drive belts? I have just took in a pair of clone Roctec's. I think they are clones? They appear slim in width and also have the same front bezel style.

They were stated as faulty, have not tried them but 100% assume drive belt failure.

Jope · 09 October 2014, 08:23

Ah, they've moved the link again.

I just tried the search function on the site and yes, 71.0mm 2.8x0.6 is still in stock, was very easy to find by typing in belt 71 28 into the search box.

I'll add another bit of information for the time when the link changes again, currently it is CHS Part No.: VID7092 .. perhaps that could also work as a search keyword, unless they have a tendency to shuffle their SKUs as well as the web store links.

08 January 2010, 15:48	#1
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,864	Roctec RF-332/RF-382 belts CHS still stocks the belts: http://www.chsinteractive.co.uk/elec...al-purpose.htm CHS Part No.: VID7092 Belt Flat 71.0mm Diameter 2.8 x 0.6mm Ebay has them too. Solarmon has had success with a smaller belt: 69mm Diameter 3.0 x 0.6mm Old stuff: I was given a broken Roctec RF-332 ultraslim external drive. These are about half the height of normal slimline Amiga external drives. I guess small enough direct drive motors didn't exist yet back in the early 90s when these were produced, the drives are belt driven. Naturally these belts go sour after all the years and you end up with a drive that only makes an abnormal buzzing, which is due to the motor spinning out of control. I already had four of these, out of which only two worked, so I decided to find out more. I took one drive apart and measured the old belt. I tried a couple of Finnish electronics stores, but they didn't have quite the right diameter belts in stock, so I decided to google with the drive's model - Citizen UODC-12A. It turns out, that the Sam Coupé used this family of drives, so I googled for Sam Coupé drive belts.. www.samcoupe.com came to the rescue and I bought three belts from him after having swapped a few confirmatory emails. Please note, he no longer has any to sell, don't email him. The belts came today and I replaced them, now the drives work again. So, if you have one of these drives with a stretched belt, there's your answer. :-) Last edited by Jope; 26 July 2019 at 08:36.

18 April 2010, 00:14	#10
caver99 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ellesmere Port / UK Posts: 146	If you are in the UK http://www.chsinteractive.co.uk/elec...al-purpose.htm is far cheaper and are the right belts. Last edited by caver99; 18 April 2010 at 00:24.

22 January 2012, 01:20	#15
HairyTroll Posts: n/a	From reading this thread, it seems that the Roctec I just bought off of Ebay needs a new drive belt. Apart from the failing belt, is this drive mechanism itself any good. In other words, is is worth buying 5 or 6 belts as spare? Or should I just throw the thing in the trash? .... And my 7yr old just bumped it off the table onto the floor. Last edited by HairyTroll; 22 January 2012 at 01:34.

09 September 2013, 09:46	#18
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,864	An update to the info here: samcoupe.com no longer stocks these, and the CHS link has changed: http://www.chsinteractive.co.uk/elec...al-purpose.htm In case it changes again, you want 71.0mm diameter and 2.8 x 0.6mm cross section Last edited by Jope; 28 March 2015 at 09:47. Reason: The link had changed again

09 October 2014, 08:23	#20
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,864	Ah, they've moved the link again. I just tried the search function on the site and yes, 71.0mm 2.8x0.6 is still in stock, was very easy to find by typing in belt 71 28 into the search box. I'll add another bit of information for the time when the link changes again, currently it is CHS Part No.: VID7092 .. perhaps that could also work as a search keyword, unless they have a tendency to shuffle their SKUs as well as the web store links. Last edited by Jope; 28 March 2015 at 09:46.

09 January 2010, 04:56	#2
Matt020 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: West Australia Age: 47 Posts: 210	Brilliant work!! Is is only these type of external floppy drives that use a belt?

09 January 2010, 08:37	#3
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,864	Yes. Relatively rare. The mechanism is a "laptop height" mechanism, slimmer than your average 3rd party external drive.

14 April 2010, 18:02	#5
cpiac64 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Italy Posts: 1,136	i need a belt for my rocteck rf 332, please help me

14 April 2010, 18:46	#7
cpiac64 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Italy Posts: 1,136	sorry, i have read, but chs don't delivery to Italy (no option) and the cost to delivery to Italy is missed. sorry for my bad english

15 April 2010, 07:45	#8
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,864	Who is CHS? Did you ask the guy from samcoupe.com?

15 April 2010, 10:04	#9
cpiac64 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Italy Posts: 1,136	chs is http://www.chsinteractive.co.uk/elec...al-purpose.htm next time i concact samcoupe

18 April 2010, 05:00	#11
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	Some more help here: these belts are aso good for Panasonic MSX disk drives (like teh drive inside the Panasonic FS-A1FM), and interchangeably, you can use Panasonic MSX disk drive belts in Roctec or Sam Coupé drives. Alas, you usually find those in Japan. I had one spare and I used it in the Rocslim and it's working great now! Also if my Panasonic belt ever breaks again, I now know I can use a Sam Coupé one

29 April 2010, 23:30	#12
cpiac64 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Italy Posts: 1,136	i have change the belt but not working

02 May 2010, 21:46	#13
cpiac64 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Italy Posts: 1,136	any idea?

06 May 2010, 17:36	#14
cpiac64 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Italy Posts: 1,136	news, i test whit 1200 and floppy have read error, i clean and test p.s. in my cdtv don't work

22 January 2012, 10:23	#16
cpiac64 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Italy Posts: 1,136	i have one belt, i send you if you want?

09 October 2014, 01:57	#19
ElectroBlaster Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Exeter, Devon, UK Age: 49 Posts: 1,706	Is it still possible to obtain drive belts? I have just took in a pair of clone Roctec's. I think they are clones? They appear slim in width and also have the same front bezel style. They were stated as faulty, have not tried them but 100% assume drive belt failure.

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