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Re: ? disk drive fault (BBC B)
Posted by Rich on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 19:32:59
Julie wrote:

Rich,
Thanks for your e-mail. The disc drive makes the same continuous whirring sound (? drive motor), but it is not making all the usual sounds (grinding noises) it used to make when it worked a year ago (using the same discs!) (Since then it has been kept in the playroom!) Also, the discs have not been placed near any magnetic field. Perhaps the drive head is not moving as it should? Does this mean the drive heads need realigning? I've not done this before! (Please can you help, if you think this is the case!)
Disc drive info: Watford Electronics DDFS 1.54T - single drive. All discs are 40 track formatted, and worked a year ago on this BBC. Our BBC is not P.C. compatible.

Hope this information will help.

Thanks

Julie

Hi,

I dont think the drive heads need re-aligning, Ive never encountered tis before.

What you could do if confident, open up the drive after fully disconnecting it first, then check for any visible damage inside.
I say this because I have a drive where a small aluminium shield that covered the top head fell off and blocked diskes being inserted. it was help on my glue and a bit of foam originally and this had disintergrated. next the drive head is moved by a ribbon type device attatched to a stepper motor, see if you can turn the barrel of the motor by hand to move the head a bit, it may be just a dirty contact in the motor due to the layup and this movement might dislodge it.

Another idea, check to see if the drivebelt hasnt perished and snapped, if the disk doesnt actually spin the head wont seek as it cant read the timing hole on the disk, you may be just hearing the motor operating.

Rich.
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