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From: boyd@nu.cs.fsu.edu (Mickey Boyd)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Disk Questions
Message-ID: <1991Apr25.004316.13020@mailer.cc.fsu.edu>
Date: 25 Apr 91 05:08:35 GMT
References: <1991Apr25.021557.28026@nmt.edu>
Reply-To: boyd@nu.cs.fsu.edu
Organization: Florida State Universiy Computer Science Department
Lines: 55

In article <1991Apr25.021557.28026@nmt.edu>, eahsnsr@nmt.edu (Eric A. Hobbs) writes:
>
>Is it advisable to use Twister format with a 10 sec/track disk?
>Has anyone had any problems?
>

I use 82 track, 10 sec/track, twisted (as offered by Universal Item Selector
and Neodesk 3.0) for all floppies.  Never had a problem.  I have a 
DC utility (MAXTRAK I think), which tests your particular drive to see 
what the maximum format you can use is.  I will put it on atari.archive if
it is not there already.  Remember, different drives can do different things,
and Atari only guarentees 80/9 formatting.  Just because I have no problems 
does not mean you will not.

>Also, what is the correct RPM for a SS/DD disk drive? Can you adjust it
>easily?

300rpm, + or - 5.

>
>I have been having bad sector problems with my disks (And I use good
>quality disks, too.).
>

There are two common causes that I am familiar with.

  1.  You are using too "large" a format, as described above.  This DC 
      utility should tell you if that is it.

  2.  Do you clean your drive heads?  Suprisingly, if the answer is yes 
      that may be the problem.  3.5" drives are fairly enclosed, as are 
      the disks, and therefore require cleaning much less regularly that 
      the old 5.25" drives (I have never cleaned mine, in 2 years).  Also,
      the drive head is more sensitive (due to it's increased precision).
      What happens is that folks that used to clean their 5.25" devices 
      all the time purchase a "cleaning diskette" for their 3.5" drives
      because they feel it necessary.  If this cleaning disk is of the 
      fibrus type, it can slowly abrade and score the drive head cover 
      (made of clear plastic) until errors start to occur.  I was told to 
      never use such a cleaning device in a modern 3.5" drive.  A q-tip 
      and some alcohol every few thousand hours is all that is needed
      (and I don't even do that :-).

>-------------
>Eric A. HOBBS!
>eahsnsr@jupiter.nmt.edu


--
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             Mickey R. Boyd          |  "Kirk to Enterprise.  All clear 
          FSU Computer Science       |      down here.  Beam down    
        Technical Support Group      |      yeoman Rand and a six-pack . ."
      email:  boyd@fsucs.cs.fsu.edu  |               
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