External Disk Drive

[Retro1234]

Hi - Ive found an external drive but it wont read any disks -
I can format an ADOS disk with the drive but then only this drive can read it.

Im thinking
Heads Are dirty -But I dont have a drive cleaner - Can I make a make shift one
Or
The drives out of alignment -Is there anything I can do.
Or
Its total Fucked -Can I replace the drive inside?

[Yoto]

If heads are dirty you can use a poorly moisted Cottonete to clean them, be careful not to use anything else but water, distilled water would be better.Try to find the mechanism that opens the heads appart to allow you a better access, never under any circumstance try to force them open by hand, or you may force them and disalign them for good.
If the drives are out of alignment there´s a screw on top of the heads that will allow to adjust the heads, but the tools to do this will involve a non shareware program, (which i dont believe was ever released to amiga)...and a "micronic" precision, almost impossible to adjust by hand without an alignment software to help you. ( i would not use this option)
Replacing the drive may well be the most viable solution, try to mod an old one, in this site you can find a lot of Floppy drives that can be easily made compatible with Amiga.
(JUST remember to set D0 to D1)
http://www.freewebs.com/computolio/a...atibility.html

[Retro1234]

Originally Posted by Yotoxionomai

If heads are dirty you can use a poorly moisted Cottonete to clean them, be careful not to use anything else but water, distilled water would be better.Try to find the mechanism that opens the heads appart to allow you a better access, never under any circumstance try to force them open by hand, or you may force them and disalign them for good.
If the drives are out of alignment there´s a screw on top of the heads that will allow to adjust the heads, but the tools to do this will involve a non shareware program, (which i dont believe was ever released to amiga)...and a "micronic" precision, almost impossible to adjust by hand without an alignment software to help you. ( i would not use this option)
Replacing the drive may well be the most viable solution, try to mod an old one, in this site you can find a lot of Floppy drives that can be easily made compatible with Amiga.
(JUST remember to set D0 to D1)
http://www.freewebs.com/computolio/amiga_floppy_compatibility.html

Thankyou for you advice -Ive seen Maplin do a disk cleaner for a couple of quid so ill pop down and see if they have them in stock -Try this first.
Ive also got some of those long Q-tips.
But Ive got a feeling it is the alignment -A friend once told me the internal drive alignment could be changed easily.
Once/If I take the drive apart ill check if another drive can be fitted.

[Yoto]

But Ive got a feeling it is the alignment -A friend once told me the internal drive alignment could be changed easily.

No, its not the alignment that can be changed easily! Its in fact the pressure both heads exerce against each other, there´s a small wire spring on the top head that can be shifted left or right in a step like socket.This is probably to compensate for the heads worn off.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by Boo Boo

Once/If I take the drive apart ill check if another drive can be fitted.

Hi Boo Boo,

This could be tricky if you don't have a model you can easily open up - some Cumana drives, for example, have no screws and must be cracked open with a knife or screwdriver.

I have such an external drive for use with my Amiga which I bought secondhand. I've never taken it apart, but noticed that it might be difficult to do so and searched the internet for some instructions on how to do it.

I found some in an archive of forum messages. I'll dig them out and post them here as they might be useful.

prowler

[twizzle]

i have had an internal drive with no screws, there was a metal tag on the back ,you then press down on the top so that you have to lift the tag out and off its fixing, you bend it back straight when replacing it,
then you slide the top backwards 1/8" to get it out from the internal locating slots to lift it off,
if yours is the same as this 1 i had,

[prowler]

Originally Posted by twizzle

i have had an internal drive with no screws,

Hi twizzle,
Did you mean an external drive, mate?

Originally Posted by twizzle

there was a metal tag on the back ,you then press down on the top so that you have to lift the tag out and off its fixing, you bend it back straight when replacing it,
then you slide the top backwards 1/8" to get it out from the internal locating slots to lift it off,
if yours is the same as this 1 i had,

There's no metal tag on the back of mine (it's a Cumana), so it must be different from yours.

Thanks for posting your instructions here anyway. The more information we have, the better. (Unfortunately, it'll be tomorrow (later on today already!) before I get a chance to look for mine.)

prowler

[Retro1234]

Originally Posted by prowler

Hi Boo Boo,

This could be tricky if you don't have a model you can easily open up - some Cumana drives, for example, have no screws and must be cracked open with a knife or screwdriver.

I have such an external drive for use with my Amiga which I bought secondhand. I've never taken it apart, but noticed that it might be difficult to do so and searched the internet for some instructions on how to do it.

I found some in an archive of forum messages. I'll dig them out and post them here as they might be useful.

prowler

Hiya Prowler

The drive looks like it will open easily I can see all the screws and after some testing theres no checksums Reads and writes fine but the drive is realy out of alignment - So i have to decide -Do I take it apart give it a good clean - or just pass it on.

Im starting to remember why I stopped using Floppy Disks

[prowler]

Hi Boo Boo,

I'm sorry to hear about the problems you're having with your floppy drive. The external drive I have is actually very reliable - more so than either of my two internal drives!

As promised, here are the "instructions" I remember finding for disassembly of an external Cumana 3½-inch Amiga floppy disk drive case:

To open your drive, just take a screwdriver (flat one) to the back of the case, put it in the crack and twist until the case snaps open.
Do this both sides, then force it open. It should snap open before it breaks, but don't blame me if it actually does break.

The external disk drive I own appears to be the type with which this procedure is necessary to get the case apart.

Although your drive is not of this type, I can't think of a better place to post these. I hope they might one day be useful to someone.

prowler

[twizzle]

prowler

an external drive, is only a internal drive mounted inside an outer case,
which is connected to a pcb board with the cable & connector on it ,
plus a face plate, there might be a differance with the eject button

[prowler]

Originally Posted by twizzle

prowler

an external drive, is only a internal drive mounted inside an outer case,
which is connected to a pcb board with the cable & connector on it ,
plus a face plate, there might be a differance with the eject button

Hi twizzle,

You're quite right, of course. I was only talking about getting the external drives' outer casing apart. Some of them are almost impossible!

prowler

[twizzle]

Originally Posted by prowler

Hi twizzle,

You're quite right, of course. I was only talking about getting the external drives' outer casing apart. Some of them are almost impossible!

prowler

all the external drives that i have taken apart are held together with 4 screws underneath, they can be rather tight to slide them out though

[Retro1234]

Originally Posted by twizzle

prowler

an external drive, is only a internal drive mounted inside an outer case,
which is connected to a pcb board with the cable & connector on it ,
plus a face plate, there might be a differance with the eject button

Ive taken the case apart and looks like it uses starndard conectores - So should be able to replace the drive -Conectors are tightly lodged or stuck -

[Jope]

Hahah now that is cheap. The ground for the power supply comes through the data connector.. Not very nice design wise. :-)

[prowler]

Originally Posted by twizzle

all the external drives that i have taken apart are held together with 4 screws underneath, they can be rather tight to slide them out though

Hi Twizzle,

My Cumana external drive definitely 'snaps' together - there are no screws in sight anywhere - more's the pity!

I started flexing the case around near the back panel just now to see how far it would go and I think I can see exactly how it fits together and how it might be possible to get it apart without any risk of damage. After all, the Cumana service department must have been able to do it at one time.

When I get this apart, which I'd like to, I'll post some piccies here for all you non-believers.

prowler

In the meantime, here's a picture of a drive like mine presently available on ebay:

[prowler]

Hi All,

I've got the drive case apart without breaking it by using a procedure quite similar to the one I quoted above with a screwdriver inserted in the slots either side.

It's quite similar to your one, Boo Boo, with a circuit board at the back with sockets which insert into the plugs at the back of the drive.

One difference is that the sockets are actually 90º headers soldered directly to the board so that the board plugs into the drive as a complete module and the power socket is complete, so that the power supply ground gets its own connection.

So my disk drive, like yours, Boo Boo, should be easy to replace if the need arises.

It's too late now, so piccies as promised tomorrow (Oops, today already again!)...

prowler

[twizzle]

thanks for that prowler, another drive a differant problem and how to take it apart

[prowler]

Hi All,

I'm having trouble photographing the beige plastic case assembly with enough contrast to reveal the details of the way it fits together, so I've decided to try and show it in a drawing instead.

I hope to have a drawing and scans of the internals ready to upload tomorrow...

prowler

[prowler]

Hi All,

It's been a long time since I did anything like this, so it's taking longer than I thought.

But, the case assembly sketch is shaping up nicely... about 70% complete, and it shows the detail much better than any photograph from my digital compact camera could.

I really should get a digital back for my SLR.

prowler

[twizzle]

@prowler
that floppy drive without any screws is a chinon FZ-354