Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!WPI.WPI.EDU!greyelf
From: greyelf@WPI.WPI.EDU (Michael J Pender)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re:  Central Point 3.5 inch disk drives
Message-ID: <8904260159.AA17647@wpi>
Date: 26 Apr 89 01:59:48 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 35

>   A few years back ('86?) I bought the Central Point 3.5 drive along with the
>Disk Controller Card...
>...After approximately a year, the drive started acting up.  When the computer
>was turned on, the drive head would move vigorously back
>and forth as the stepper motor went beserk.  The vibrating could be both felt
>and heard.  And (as you would expect) the drive wouldn't boot, read, or write.
>This would occur sporatically now and then.  Sometimes it would work and
>sometimes it  wouldn't...

>   -Can anyone out there share their experiences with Central Point 3.5
drives?

>   -Has anyone else had the same problems?

>   -Has anyone else *NOT* had the same problems? :)

>   -Does anyone know how to fix the problem?

>          Thanks for the help in advance - Nathan L. Lim

I had the same problems on my Laser 128 (old version of rom required a 
UDC card).  I too thought it was the drive, and had it replaced.  Problems
developed first with formatting/writing to disks, huh?  At least
mine did.  The drive swap did me no good, so I sent the UDC card back.

No problems since.  My card was out of warranty, but I sent along a 
copy of the receipt for the new drive and they just sent me a new card
for free, since  it was clear I'd been having problems for some time.

Try having the UDC replaced.

--
Michael J Pender Jr  Box 1942 c/o W.P.I.	I wrote SHELL and Daemon,
greyelf@wpi.bitnet   100 Institute Rd.		send bug reports, suggestions,
greyelf@wpi.wpi.edu  Worcester, Ma 01609	checks to me.