Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!clyde!cbatt!cwruecmp!neoucom!wtm From: wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm Subject: Re: CBM 1541 alignment info requested Message-ID: <341@neoucom.UUCP> Date: Wed, 24-Dec-86 11:00:12 EST Article-I.D.: neoucom.341 Posted: Wed Dec 24 11:00:12 1986 Date-Received: Sat, 27-Dec-86 00:38:41 EST References: <1750@homxc.UUCP> <60006@ui3.UUCP> <229@uwslh.UUCP> Organization: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine Lines: 48 Summary: The pulley on the stepper motor is the culprit Hi, There is a steel band that moves the head carriage back and forth in a 1541 disk drive. The band is attached to a small pulley on the shaft of a stepper motor located near the rear of the drive. On the older dirves (I don't know about the newer ones), the pulley was pressed on the shaft and NOT secured by set screws or the like. One or more commonly available books contian descriptions on how to drill a hole through the pulley and shaft, then insert a pin to prevent the pulley from slipping on the shaft. The usual problem that causes misalignment is stupid software (usually copy-proofed) that forgets how many tracks it has moved the head and keeps trying to turn the stepper motor, eventhough the head is upagainst the stop after track 35. In one case the pirating (er... backing up) program, Disector, tried to step to track 36 on my Parent's machine, thus causing a minor alignment gaffe. I think that the book, _Inside the 1541 DOS_, is one that contains the information on how to realign your drive. It has a short basic program for the purpose. It is possible to do so without special tools, as the c64 itself can tell you if it is reading the diskette correctly. It will take patience though, as it is an iterative process to get the alignment correct. You'll also need to have a diskette that was formatted on a machine whose alignment you trust (or at least you want to be compatible with). If you don't feel pretty self-confident and know at least a little about how a drive works, it is probably best to let a shop do the job for you, as $39-49 is a lot less than ~$200 if you screw up your drive. If anybody is worried about the exact title of the book, send me an email, and I'll get it for you. It's readily available since I got a copy at Walden Books. --Bill Bill Mayhew Division of Basic Medical Sciences Northeastern Ohio Universities' College of Medicine Rootstown (really!), OH 44272 USA phone: 216-325-2511 (wtm@neoucom.UUCP ...!cbatt!neoucom!wtm) By the way, Happy Holidays (nondenominational message).