Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!homxb!mtuxo!mtune!rutgers!sri-spam!ames!ptsfa!ski!dr From: dr@ski.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Re: INIT disk on apple ][+ Message-ID: <1688@ski.UUCP> Date: Thu, 29-Oct-87 15:21:46 EST Article-I.D.: ski.1688 Posted: Thu Oct 29 15:21:46 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 1-Nov-87 05:20:34 EST References: <18249@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA> <1130@puff.wisc.edu> Reply-To: dr@unix.UUCP (David Robins) Organization: Smith-Kettlewell Institute, S.F., CA. Lines: 48 In article <> kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath) writes: > >cable. They do go bad, especially when you put them in their little >harness deally to "protect" them from damage, but when you keep putting >them in and out, eventually -- snap goes the cable. Cables do become intermittent, especially at the connection pins. Same goes for the controller card - pulling it out and cleaning the gold contacts with something like alcohol is a good idea. Gentle pencil-eraser is also recommended, but some people say it rubs off the gold plating. >clkclkclkck I/O ERROR. It turns out there's a little stopper at the end >of the track the head moves along (not the disk track, the metal bar it >slides along) that was adjusted just a hair to short. I took a small >screwdriver and fixed it right up. Haven't had a problem with it since. I think this is the track-zero stop referred to. It would have to be pretty far off to influence formatting of the last track. In any case, to adjust things properly, you really need an alignment disk. The only one I know of that can be used without a hardware disk exerciser is D.A.D.S. Answer II, from ASKY, Inc. in San Jose. This is a disk custom written on a drive that allows off-center tracks, and off-azsmuth (sp?) tracks. It allows testing AND adjustment of many items, including track-0 and head alignment. It gives values in mils. It also tests hysteresis, head signal strength, noise. It costs about $150 !. It can be copied, but copies are worthless because the special tracking canot be duplicated. I dislike it because writing is tested by writing to the original disk, something that I frown on if the drive can ruin the disk. During a routine testing we disk overwrite a disk, but neither we nor the techs could figure out what caused it. A ruined disk is repalced once during the 1 year warrantee for $25 I believe. If you ruin it again, you pay FULL PRICE. -dave -- ==================================================================== David Robins, M.D. Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Foundation (previously known as: Smith-Kettlewell Institute of Visual Sciences) 2232 Webster St; San Francisco CA 94115 415/561-1705 (voice) {ihnp4,qantel,dual}!ptsfa!ski!dr The opinions expressed herein do not reflect the opinion of the Institute!