+-+-+-+›  Life Insurance For Your Disk Drives›       by Ron Fetzer, member of›      THE OL' HACKERS A.U.G., NY›› HAVING PROBLEMS?›      Are you worried that  your  disk› drives  will  not   last?   Are   you› considering  getting  some  back   up› drives? This article will help you in› extending   the  life  of  your  disk› drives. It will show you how to  make› the  most  important  improvement you› can make to your disk drives.›› HOT STUFF!›     The major  cause  of  disk  drive› failure is heat. Have you ever opened› a disk drive after it has  been  used› for  half an hour? The metal on which› the rectifiers are mounted is so  hot› you  can  barely  touch it. To extend› the life of your disk drive  and  its› components  you  must  get rid of the› heat.›› THREE HOT DRIVES!›      In the 8-Bit community there are› three  types of disk drives in common› use. The Atari 810,  the  Atari  1050› and  the Indus disk drives. The Atari› 810 and the Atari  1050  disk  drives› will  be  treated the same way as far› as heat reduction is  concerned.  The› Indus  disk  drive  will  require   a› different approach.›› AN EXHAUSTING FAN, PHEW!›      On  the  Atari 810 and the Atari› 1050 disk drives the  most  effective› way  to reduce the heat is to install› an exhaust fan.  The  fan  should  be› completely  independent  of  the disk› drive power supply  and  should  have› its  own  ON/OFF switch. The fan will› be mounted flat on top of the case of› the 810 and 1050 drives.›      For  the  fan  I use a 3 inch 12› Volt DC brushless  cooling  fan  from› Radio  Shack. I run the fan on 9 Volt› DC. At that voltage the fan  produces› the  right amount of exhaust. Because› it runs below its  rated  voltage  it› will  last  much  longer as well. The› only two items that I had to buy were› the  3  inch fan and the 9 volt power› supply from Radio Shack. The rest  of› the  parts  I  had  in my electronics› junk  box  such  as  a  ON/OFF  slide› switch and  a  male  and  female  RCA› phono plug. The female phono jack was› mounted  on  a  phenolic  board  with› mounting holes in it. I  also  needed› four  1/2  inch  6/32  machine screws› with nuts. If you  don't  have  these› parts  here  are  the   Radio   Shack› numbers for these items:››      3"  Brushless  12  Volt DC fan  › #273-243›      9 Volt  DC  Power  Supply  #273-› 1651›      1  pkg  of SPST Slide Switches #› 275-401›      1 pkg of Solderless Phono  Plugs› #274-384›      1  pkg  of Dual Solderless Phono› Jacks›        (chassis mount) #274-332›       Four   1/2  inch  6/32  machine› screws with nuts›        (Hardware store)›› HOW TO?›      Preparing  the  fan.  First  you› wire up the fan with the slide switch› and a removable  9  volt  power  plug› using  the  RCA  phono  jack. The fan› comes equipped with 4 mounting  holes› on  the  top  and 4 mounting holes on› the bottom of the fan housing  and  a› red  and  a  blue wire for the power.› Take the fan and lay it down flat the› writing  facing  you.  We  are   only› working  now  with  the  4  top   fan› mounting  holes.  On  the  left  side› front  mounting hole attach the slide› switch with a 1/2 inch screw and  nut› to  the  fans  mounting  hole. On the› left side rear mount the  phono  jack› with a 1/2 inch screw to the mounting› hole. This completes  the  mechanical› part of the fan work.›      Wiring  the  fan.  Take  the red› wire from the fan and cut it to reach› a little beyond the switch. Strip off› 1/4 inch insulation and solder it  to› one  terminal of the switch. From the› 2nd terminal of the switch  solder  a› wire  to  the middle of the RCA phono› jack. Cut the blue wire from the  fan› and solder it to the outside terminal› of the RCA phono jack. Now the fan is› wired with a switch and a jack.›› POWER SUPPLY!›      Preparing the power supply. Take› the 9 Volt power supply and  cut  off› the  jack.  You don't need it. Take a› male solderless phono plug  pull  off› the  plastic  sleeve and slip it over› the output cord of the 9 Volt  supply› with  the  large  end   facing   you.› Separate  the  2  wires  of the power› supply for about 3 inches  and  strip› off 1/8 inch insulation from one wire› and  1/4  inch  insulation  from  the› other wire. Attach the wire with  the› short insulation removed to the screw› in the  middle  of  the  phono  plug.› Attach  the  other  wire  to the long› terminal with the serrated clip. Plug› in  your RCA male plug into the jack.› Plug in the power supply and turn  on› the switch. If the fan is not blowing› out from the front or is not  working› reverse  the  two  wires  in the male› phono plug and try again.  Make  sure› that  the  middle wire with the screw› in the phono plug does NOT touch  any› other  metal  part or you will have a› short. If everything is OK crimp  the› long  lead of the Phono plug with the› serrated  edges  around  the  exposed› wire and slip the plastic sleeve over› the  plug. This completes the work on› the power supply.›› FAN GOES WHERE?›      Mounting the  fan  on  the  disk› drive  is  the same for the Atari 810› and the Atari 1050 drive. ›      Marking the fan location on  the› drive.  You have to cut a 3 inch hole› in the top of the case for  the  fan.› From  the back of the disk drive edge› measure 3 inches forward and  make  a› small mark with a pencil at that spot› in the middle of  the  case.  Take  a› compass  and  put  it  on a ruler and› open it to 1 1/2 inches wide. Draw  a› 3 inch circle where the dot is on the› case.   The   fan   will  be  located› approximately over the  power  supply› and  the  motor. These are the 2 heat› producing   sources   in   your  disk› drive.›› OFF WITH THE CASE!›      Removing the case.  On  the  810› drive  on top there are plastic round› disks in each corner.  With  a  sharp› knife  tip  remove  them  to expose 4› screw holes one in each corner.  Take› a  phillips  screw  driver and remove› the screws. The case  will  now  come› apart. ›      On  the  1050 drives there are 4› screws holes on  the  bottom  plus  2› screws  in  the  front  that hold the› black front cover. Remove them. Slide› the case forward. You can also remove› the black front cover from  the  case› by bending it outward.›› CAN YOU CUT IT?›      Cutting  the  case.  There are 2› ways of cutting the hole in the case.› You can use a round hole saw that you› clamp into  your  drill.  These  hole› saws  come  with various diameter saw› inserts. Select the largest one which› is  usually  2 1/2 inches in diameter› and   cut  the  hole.  This  hole  is› somewhat smaller than optimum but  it› will  do. This is the easier of the 2› ways. Or  you  can  use  an  electric› scrolling  saw.  Use a blade that has› many teeth per inch to  get  a  clean› cut.   Drill  a hole in the inside of› the circle  to insert the  saw  blade› and  then  start  cutting. Frequently› stop to let the blade  cool  down  or› your  plastic  will  reseal  the cut.› After the hole is cut clean  off  the› burrs  with  a  utility  knife  and 0› steel wool. Lay the fan on top of the› hole.  With  a  pencil  mark  2 holes› opposite each other to hold  the  fan› to  the  case.  Drill  the  holes and› mount the  fan  with  the  2  screws.› That's it. You are finished! It reads› like a lot of work but it can be  all› done in about one hour.›› COOL CUCUMBERS!›      Your  disk  drive will now be as› cool as a cucumber. You can run it as› long  as you want to without any heat› build up. Your  IC  chips  will  last› without  any thermal problems and the› motor will stay cool. You  have  made› the  most  important  improvement you› can do for your disk drive.›      Each muffin fan use 160  ma.  of› current  so  you  can  use  the power› supply for 2 drives. The power supply› produces  500  ma. of current. Attach› another set of wires to the output of› the power supply wires and repeat the› steps above for the 2nd drive.›› INDUS ANYONE?›      The Indus drive has no provision› for  air  cooling  so  a  fan  set up› cannot be used. Instead we  open  the› case  on  the  top  and  let the heat› escape by convection.›› HOW TO!›      Marking the case. With  a  piece› of  chalk  draw  a line on the top of› the metal case  1  inch  from  either› side of the drive. On the back and on› the front of the metal  case  draw  a› line  1  1/2  from the front and back› metal edges. You will now have  drawn› a  box  4 3/4 X 6 3/4. This area will› be cut out. The case is  aluminum  so› it  is easy to cut with a metal blade› in an electric scrolling saw.›      Case removal. To remove the case› take  out the 2 screws in the back of› the plastic end section. Remove the 4› screws  on  the bottom. Slide out the› case through the back.›      Cutting the hole. In each inside› corner of the box drill a 1/4 hole so› you   can  turn  your  scrolling  saw› blade. Use a metal cutting  blade  in› your  scrolling  saw  and cut out the› box.   With  a  file  clean  off  the› burrs.›      Covering  the  hole.  This  hole› gets  covered  with a 1/16 inch thick› clear plastic sheeting. You  can  buy› this  in  a  lumber  yard or hardware› store. Mark a  rectangle  of  6  X  9› inches  on  the  plastic  with a felt› pen. To cut the plastic sheeting  use› a  utility  knife  with  a  new razor› blade and  score  the  lines  deeply.› Then  move the plastic to the edge of› a table and snap it off. On your case› take  4  plastic push pins. Glue them› with Crazy Glue upside  down  to  the› case.  One in each corner of the case› near the cut out. The plastic  should› be  on the bottom the pin part should› be in the air. Lay your 6 X  9  sheet› of  plastic  on  top  of the pins and› mark the pin locations  with  a  felt› tipped  pen.  Drill  the holes to fit› the pins.›› LEFT OVER PARTS?›      Assembling. Reassemble your case› to  the drive. Put the plastic top on› the pins to  fit  the  holes.  Put  a› rubber  band around the case and over› the plastic  to  hold  the  cover  in› place.  You  now  have ventilated the› disk drive extensively with  1/2 inch› breathing area all the way around. In› addition you can  now  see  how  your› drive  works.  It  will stay cool and› you will  not  have  to  worry  about› thermal problems anymore.›› CHECK THIS OUT!›      While  you  have  your  Atari or› Indus drive open check to see if  the› pressure  pad  still has some felt on› it. The  pressure  pad  is  a  little› round holder over the read/write head› that holds  the  disk  to  the  head.› There  should be at least 1/32 inches› of felt showing.  Give  the  pressure› pad a 45 degree turn (slot on top) to› expose a new side of the felt. If  it› is worn out order a new one from Best› Electronics.›      Use a Q-Stick with  some  sewing› machine  oil  and put a light coating› of  oil  on  the  cromium  read/write› rails. Do not get any oil on the read› write head itself.›› BELT YOUR DRIVES!›      Your  disk  drive will now be in› tip top shape and should  hold  up  a› long  time.  The only other weak link› is the drive  belt.  While  the  1050› drive is open check to see if it is a› TANDOM or a WOLRD STORAGE  DRIVE  and› order  a  belt  for  it   from   Best› Electronics.›      If  you made the modification to› your drives  you  cannot  stack  them› anymore.  Stacking  drives  is  a bad› idea anyway  because  the  top  drive› absorbs  the  heat  from  the  bottom› drive  in  addition  to its own heat.› This may lead to  premature  failure.› If  you  can avoid stacking drives do› so. ›› FINI, AND A LONG LIFE!›      With a little work you now  have› improved  your  disk  drives  so that› they are better than new.   You  disk› drives will now enjoy a long life and› you will enjoy peace of mind.›                *=*=*››