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Author Topic: Amiga 1000 disk drive read/write errors when monitor is on top  (Read 4643 times)

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Offline danbeaver

Re: Amiga 1000 disk drive read/write errors when monitor is on top
« on: September 05, 2012, 01:35:42 AM »
Quote from: TjLaZer;706593
Some Commodore monitors (like the Amiga 1080) actually had a metal plate screwed in under the monitor to help with the interference when placed on top of the Amiga 1000.  Which 1084S monitor do you have?  Some of them look just like the 1080 and others do not (boxy) Take a look under the monitor to see if it has a metal plate.  If not you can use some Aluminum foil folded over a few times and place it under the monitor whilst it is on top of the A1000.  :P


This statement is absolutely correct up to the Aluminum foil part.  While aluminum is an electrical conductor, it is NOT a magnetic one.  A grounded, thin sheet of iron-based steel between the monitor and the A1000 will make the best shield; i know that metal plate on the monitors was not grounded, but a grounded shield is the best interceptor of electro-magnetic radiation.  You can run the ground wire to most connector posts, the center screw of a wall plate, whatever.
 

Offline danbeaver

Re: Amiga 1000 disk drive read/write errors when monitor is on top
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2012, 10:40:30 PM »
May I help?

The floppy heads do use electricity to do their dirty deed, but this is "wired" into a closed loop; the magnetic read/write field is in an open loop doing their job a few microns above the magnetic media,  so free to other fields. RF frequency also causes "open loop" problems with things like antenna's and sensitive audio circuitry, but in this case the monitor is the main culprit: it uses magnetic fields to direct the location of the fired electrons onto the screen. Just for educational purposes grab a strongish magnet and put it next to or on a CRT's screen and watch the fun begin: without a degaussing function it can be hell trying to undo the effect (a good reason to use an LCD)
 

Offline danbeaver

Re: Amiga 1000 disk drive read/write errors when monitor is on top
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2012, 01:01:45 AM »
Quote from: paul1981;706749
A tape head demagnetiser will easily fix a CRT should it go all psychedelic. I had to do this on my old monitor years ago after the degausser circuit blew up and left me with a rather colourful screen.

It is not as easy as you make it sound, but this is why it is magnetic rather than electrical (RF) interference