═OST OF US HAVE HEARD ALL SORTS OF STORIES ABOUT HEAT PROBLEMS AND THE NEED FOR A FAN TO COOL THE 1541 DISK DRIVE. ┴ND, SOME OF US HAVE SEEN A DEMONSTRATION OF HOW TO CLEAN THE HEAD AND THE PROCEDURE NEEDED FOR ALIGNMENT (THE DRIVE TAKEN OUT OF THE CASE). ╔ HAVE USED SEVERAL DIFFERENT SMALL FANS TO KEEP MY DRIVE COOL, AND ╔ HAVE NEVER HAD ANY HEAT PROBLEMS. ╔N SPITE OF KEEPING THE DARN THING COOL, IT DID GO OUT OF ALIGNMENT. ╔F YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN THE 1541 TAKEN OUT OF THE CASE, ╔ STRONGLY URGE THAT YOU FIND SOMEONE TO DEMONSTRATE FOR YOU. ┬E AWARE THAT YOU WILL VOID THE GUARANTEE WHEN YOU REMOVE THE CASE. ┴LSO, STATIC ELECTRICTY CAN DAMAGE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, SO AVOID TOUCHING THOSE PARTS.
╞ANS
┴ SMALL MUFFIN OR SPRITE FAN PLACED ON THE DISK DRIVE IS THE SIMPLEST SOLUTION TO KEEPING THE DRIVE COOL. ╘HE FAN SHOULD HAVE AN AIR FLOW RATE OF AT LEAST 20 CUBIC FEET PER MINUTE (├╞═). ═UFFIN FANS ARE GENERALLY ABOUT 4 INCHES SQUARE AND ABOUT 1 AND 1/2 INCHES THICK, WHILE SPRITE FANS ARE SMALLER AND MORE NOISY. ╘HE COST OF FANS BY MAIL RUNS FROM A HIGH PRICE OF $15 TO A SUPER BARGAIN OF $5. ╠OCAL PRICES ARE CLOSER TO $15. ╒NFORTUNATELY, MOST MAIL ORDERS REQUIRE A MINIMUM ORDER OF ABOUT TWICE THE COST OF THE FAN SO PLAN TO BUY TWO OR BUY WITH A FRIEND. ┴N ALTERNATIVE IS TO BUY ONE OF THE SMALL DEODORIZING OR AIR CLEANING UNITS WHICH ARE ABOUT $10 ON SALE.
├UT OUT A PIECE OF FOAM PADDING (AT LEAST 1/2 INCH THICK) SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS OF THE FAN AND THEN CUT A CENTRAL HOLE THE SAME SIZE AS THE FAN BLADE DIAMETER. ╨LACE THE FOAM CUTOUT OVER THE AIR HOLES AT THE REAR OF THE DISK DRIVE AND PLACE THE FAN ON TOP OF THE FOAM CUTOUT. ╘HE FAN CAN BE PLACED TO BLOW AIR INTO THE DRIVE (THE METHOD ╔ PREFER) OR FLIPPED OVER TO PULL AIR OUT OF THE DRIVE. ╞ANS MAY NOT COME WITH A CORD, SO YOU MAY NEED TO BUY AN EXTENSION CORD; CUT OFF THE FEMALE END, AND SOLDER THE WIRES TO THE FAN TERMINALS. ┘OU SHOULD ALSO HAVE SOME TYPE OF FINGER PROTECTION AND, IF THE FAN BLOWS IN, FILTRATION. ┘OU COULD BUILD A SMALL BOX (CARDBOARD AND GLUE OR TAPE IS OK) FOR THE FAN AND COVER THE INTAKE END WITH AN OPEN MESH CLOTH OR BUILD A WIRE FRAME ABOVE THE FAN TO HOLD THE CLOTH. ╔F YOU PUT A FAN ON YOUR DRIVE DO NOT OPERATE THE DRIVE WITHOUT THE FAN RUNNING AS THE NORMAL AIRFLOW IS BLOCKED.
┴LIGNMENT
╚OW DID ╔ KNOW MY DRIVE NEEDED ALIGNMENT? ╔ DIDN'T, ╔ JUST KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. ┴LL OF MY OWN PROGRAMS WOULD LOAD CORRECTLY, BUT COMMERCIAL PROGRAMS WOULD SOMETIMES LOAD AND SOMETIMES NOT, AND NEW PROGRAMS (THE MOST HEAVILY PROTECTED) WOULD NOT LOAD AT ALL. ╘HOSE SYMPTOMS ARE CLASSIC FOR A POORLY ALIGNED DRIVE. ╔ WAS FORTUNATE IN FINDING A TECHNICIAN WHO WAS CONSCIENTIOUS AND HAD SEVERAL ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES, INCLUDING THE EXPENSIVE ├OMMODORE APPROVED PROGRAM AND TOOLS FOR ALIGNING DRIVES. ╚E ALSO CHARGE A REASONABLE PRICE FOR ALIGNMENT. ┴FTER ALIGNMENT MY DRIVE WOULD STILL NOT LOAD SOME PROGRAMS, SO ╔ SENT IT BACK FOR ALIGNMENT AGAIN. ╘HIS TIME THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT HE HAD USED SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROGRAMS FOR ALIGNMENT BUT COULD NOT GET ALL TRACKS INTO PERFECT ALIGNMENT; HE COULD GET THE LOW NUMBERED OR THE HIGH NUMBER TRACKS BUT NOT ALL TRACKS CORRECT AT THE SAME TIME. ╙OME PROGRAMS WOULD STILL NOT LOAD. ╙INCE ALIGNMENT IS PRIMARILY A MECHANICAL FUNCTION, ╔ DECIDED TO SEE IF ╔ COULD FIND ANY PROBLEMS IN THE MECHANICS OF THE DRIVE. ╔ FOUND THE PROBLEM, CORRECTED IT, AND RETURNED THE DRIVE FOR ALIGNMENT (IT ALIGNED PERFECTLY AND ╔ HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM SINCE. ╔F YOU HAVE HAD PROBLEMS, PERHAPS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION MAY BE OF HELP. ╘HE HEAD THAT WRITES AND READS TO THE DISK IS SUPPORTED ON TWO RAILS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE HEAD CAN MOVE BACK AND FORTH IN A STRAIGHT LINE FROM THE CENTER TO THE EDGE OF THE DISK. ┴ METAL CLIP AT EACH END OF THE PAIR OF RAILS HOLDS THE RAILS TO THE SUPPORT STRUCTURE. ╔N MY DRIVE, THE END OF ONE CLIP WAS LOOSE ALLOWING ONE OF THE RAILS TO MOVE SLIGHTLY. ╘HIS CAUSED THE HEAD TO MOVE IN AN ARC AND THE TRACKS TO BE SLIGHLTY CLOSER TOGETHER AS IT NEARED THE LOOSE END. ╘HE FIX WAS SIMPLE: REMOVE THE CLIP, BEND IT SLIGHTLY TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON THE RAIL, AND REPLACE IT.
╧NE OF THE REASONS THAT ╔ HAVE NOT HAD FURTHER ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS MAY BE THE INSTALLATION OF A SOFT STOP. ╫HEN YOUR DRIVE MAKES A RATTLE SOUND IN NORMAL OPERATION IT IS THE HEAD MECHANISM HITTING AGAINST A SOLID METAL STOP AS THE HEAD MOVES TO LOCATE TRACK 0. ╒NFORTUNATELY, THE STOP MECHANISM IS PRESSED ON A SHAFT AND CAN EVENTUALLY BE MOVED SLIGHTY, CHANGING THE ZERO POINT AND CAUSING MISALIGNMENT. ╘HE TECHNICIAN THAT ALIGNED MY DRIVE REPLACED THE CONTACT PART OF THE STOP MECHANISM WITH A SPRING. ╘HE SPRING ABSORBS SHOCK AND REDUCES THE POTENTIAL FOR ALIGNMENT TO CHANGE. ╬OT ALL TECHNICIANS AGREE ON THE VALUE OF THE SPRING STOP, BUT MINE GREATLY REDUCES THE NOISE CAUSED BY PROTECTION SCHEMES THAT BANG THE HEAD.
╠UBRICATION
╧NE POINT THAT IS SELDOM DISCUSSED IS LUBRICATION OF THE HEAD MECHANISM.
╘HE RAILS ARE STEEL AND THE HEAD UNIT IS PLASTIC (PROBABLY NYLON). ╘HIS ARRANGEMENT REDUCES, BUT MAY NOT TOTALLY ELIMINATE, THE NEED FOR LUBRICATION. ╔ NOTICED THAT THE RAILS IN MY DRIVE, APPEARED TO BE DIRTY AND THE HEAD DID NOT MOVE AS SMOOTHLY AND AS EASILY AS POSSIBLE. ╙MOOTH OPERATION REQUIRES THAT THE RAILS BE CLEAN AND LIGHTLY LUBRICATED. ╠UBRICATION REQUIRES REMOVING THE DRIVE FROM THE CASE WHICH WILL VOID YOUR GUARANTEE. ╔F YOU DO REMOVE THE DRIVE FROM THE CASE, DO SO ONLY WHEN STATIC ELECTRICITY POTENTIAL IS LOW.
╘O CLEAN THE RAILS GENTLY MOVE THE HEAD TO ONE END AND CLEAN EACH RAIL WITH A SWAB MOISTENED (NOT DRIPPING) WITH RUBBING ALCOHOL. ╘HEN MOVE THE HEAD TO THE OTHER END AND CLEAN THE REMAINDER. ╙WABBING SEVERAL TIMES MAY BE NECESSARY. ─RY THE RAILS WITH CLEAN SWABS AND THEN APPLY A LUBRICANT. ═Y FIRST CHOICE IS A DRY LUBRICANT, AND ╔ USED POWDERED MOLYBDENUM DISULFIDE. ╘HIS IS A SUPERIOR DRY LUBRICANT FOR ALMOST ANYTHING; A SMALL QUANTITY WILL SUPPLY A LIFETIME OF PROBLEM LUBRICATION NEEDS. ╙ECOND CHOICE WOULD BE VERY FINE POWDERED GRAPHITE OR PERHAPS COLLOIDIAL GRAPHITE SUCH AS ╠OCK-EASE. ┴ THIRD CHOICE, POSSIBLY AS GOOD AS GRAPHITE, IS ┴RMOR-ALL WHICH PROVIDES A DRY SILICONE LUBRICANT. ┴ HIGH QUALITY NON-GUMMING OIL IS PROBABLY BETTER THAN NOTHING, BUT ╔ WOULD PREFER NOT TO USE OIL. ╧NLY THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE SHOULD BE APPLIED TO THE RAILS. ─ON'T GET LUBE ON ANY OTHER PARTS.
╔F YOUR DRIVE MAKES A DRY RATTLE OR SCREECHY SOUND (NOT THE STOP BANGING DISCUSSED BEFORE) IT MAY BE THE PART THAT CLAMPS DOWN ON THE DISK. ╘HE MOTOR AND THE SPINDLE THAT TURN THE DISK ARE LOCATED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVE. ╫HEN YOU CLOSE THE DRIVE DOOR YOU CLAMP AN IDLER PIECE AGAINST THE DISK AND THE DRIVE SPINDLE. ╘HE IDLER PIECE IS A NYLON CASTING ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE HOLE IN A DISK AND IS SUPPORTED BY A METAL SPINDLE AND WASHERS IN THE CENTER. ╔F YOU OPEN THE DRIVE DOOR AND SHINE A LIGHT IN, YOU CAN SEE THIS MECHANISM. ╠ACK OF LUBRICATION CAUSES THE NYLON PIECE AND ESPECIALLY THE ASSOCIATED METAL WASHERS TO VIBRATE AND MAKE A RACKET. ╘HIS ASSEMBLY IS CLEARLY VISBLE WITH THE CASE TOP OFF. ╘HE SOLUTION TO THE NOISE PROBLEM IS LUBRICATION. ╔ USED MOLYBDENUM DISULFIDE POWDER AND ╠OCK-EASE TO CARRY THE POWDER TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE NYLON ASSEMBLY, HOWEVER, A LIGHT OIL MIGHT WORK ALMOST AS WELL FOR THIS PIECE. ┴GAIN, BE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT GET LUBE ON OTHER PARTS AND TO WIPE OFF ANY EXCESS LUBE.
╚EAD CLEANING
─O YOU NEED TO CLEAN THE HEAD AND IF SO, HOW OFTEN? ╘HE ANSWER IS NOT CLEAR. ╙OME SUGGEST CLEANING THE HEAD AS OFTEN AS ONCE A MONTH WHILE OTHERS SUGGEST CLEANING THE HEAD ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE PROBLEMS. ╔F YOU HAVE NO PROBLEMS, WHY CLEAN THE HEAD? ╠ET'S SAY YOU NOTICE THAT YOUR DRIVE WILL NOT WRITE OR READ OR HAS REPEATED READ OR WRITE ERRORS. ╘HE PROBLEM COULD BE ALIGNMENT, A DIRTY HEAD, LOOSE CONNECTIONS, OR REAL SERIOUS. ╞IRST, CHECK THAT ALL CONNECTING CABLES ARE TIGHT. ╔F THAT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THEN CLEAN THE HEAD. ╔F THE PROBLEM PERSISTS HAVE THE DRIVE ALIGNED.
╘HERE ARE TWO METHODS FOR CLEANING THE HEAD--BUY AND USE A CLEANING KIT OR TAKE THE CASE OFF AND SWAB THE HEAD WITH ALCOHOL. ╔F YOU DECIDE ON A CLEANING KIT MAKE SURE THAT IT IS A NONABRASIVE CLEANER (IT WILL SAY SO ON THE PACKAGE). ╔F YOU DECIDE ON THE CHEAP METHOD, REMOVE THE TOP OF THE CASE. ╘HE HEAD IS THE MECHANISM THAT RIDES ON RAILS AND IS CLEARLY VISIBLE AND CAN BE EASILY REACHED. ═OVE THE HEAD MECHANISM TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE DRIVE. ╙WAB THE HEAD WITH A ╤-TIP MOISTENED (NOT DRIPPING WET) WITH RUBBING ALCOHOL, DRY WITH A FRESH ╤-TIP, AND YOU ARE THROUGH. ╫HILE YOU ARE AT IT, CHECK THE FELT PAD OPPOSITE THE HEAD (IN OPERATION, THE DISK IS SQUEEZED BETWEEN THE HEAD AND THIS PAD). ─IRT CAN ACCUMULATE ON THIS PAD AND SHOULD BE GENTLY BRUSHED OFF (USE AN OLD TOOTHBRUSH). ┬E GENTLE, AS THE PAD MUST BE IN PLACE OR DISKS WILL BE SCRATCHED.
