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From: kpk@gitpyr.UUCP (Kevin P. Kleinfelter)
Newsgroups: net.periphs,net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: adjusting PClone drives
Message-ID: <1860@gitpyr.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 9-Jun-86 11:33:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: gitpyr.1860
Posted: Mon Jun  9 11:33:38 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Jun-86 00:49:44 EDT
References: <336@vu-vlsi.UUCP>
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 24
Xref: linus net.periphs:938 net.micro.pc:8200

In article <336@vu-vlsi.UUCP>, colin@vu-vlsi.UUCP (Colin Kelley) writes:
> We've got several PClones around here, all about 3 years old.  The floppy
> drives are rapidly degrading in performance.  That is, lots of MS-DOS
> complaints about "Bad disk" and "Can't find sector" and all that...I adjusted
> the data separator pots to specs from the clone manufacturer (Corona), but
> this hasn't help.  So now I'm suspecting some adjustment on the drive itself.
> I assume the drives have alignment and speed adjustments, right?  Does someone
> know how to do this, or know where I can get order a reasonably inexpensive

Speed adjustment is easy.  Remove the drive, reconnect the cables (or leave them
connected).  On the bottom of the drive (or the top, depending on your point of
view) you will see a large pulley with black marks on it.  Shine a
fluorescent light on this pulley, and make the drive motor run (perhaps by
booting or DIR on the removed drive).  You should notice the lines
seem to stand still under the fluorescent light (like the strobe adjustment
on expensive record players).  If the lines seem to move, find a multi-turn
trimmer pot on the controller card, and adjust it a little, and check again.

Adjusting head alignment is a royal pain.  Pay someone to do it.

Finally, try cleaning the heads.  A little alchohol on a Q-tip is nice,
but if you prefer to spend $$, you could buy a head cleaning diskette (i
prefer the wet cleaning disks instead of the dry cleaning disks, but this
is just personal preference).