Amiga.org

Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: blanning on June 07, 2008, 06:47:16 AM

Title: roctec floppy drive surgery
Post by: blanning on June 07, 2008, 06:47:16 AM
I disassembled that broken roctec external floppy drive to see if I could fix it.  It turns out that it's not a direct drive motor.  The hub is driven by a belt.  The belt had stretched way out so that the motor was just spinning.  That's where the buzz was coming from.

So I managed to make a new belt from a rubber band.  I had to cut it length-wise so that it was 1/8" wide instead of 1/4" wide.  It just happened to be exactly the right length.  That worked like a charm.  So if you have a roctec drive with a stretched out belt, this is a good fix.

Now the bad news, it still doesn't work.  The OS detects the drive and detects a disk insertion, but doesn't recognize it as a valid format.  I tried to format a disk, but it failed on the first cylinder.  It wouldn't read disks that would read in another drive.  I even tried the other 2000, so it's definitely the drive.  Luckily, the lady i bought it from is sending me another one for just the cost of shipping.

Oh, and the switch on the back, 0, I, II, it's not a drive select.  That seems to happen automatically.  The switch performs other functions.  II seems to write-protect the drive.  I lets it write.  I can't figure out what 0 does.

brian
Title: Re: roctec floppy drive surgery
Post by: wolfchild on June 07, 2008, 10:38:28 AM
Quote
I can't figure out what 0 does.


Most likely it disables the drive.