1541 ÅXPERIENCES

BY ÇEORGE ÃAWTHON, ÔÖ/ÂÕÇ, ÂOISE, ÉÄ

     ÍOST OF US HAVE HEARD ALL SORTS OF STORIES ABOUT HEAT PROBLEMS AND THE NEED FOR A FAN TO COOL THE 1541 DISK DRIVE.  ÁND, 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).  É HAVE USED SEVERAL DIFFERENT SMALL FANS TO KEEP MY DRIVE COOL, AND É HAVE NEVER HAD ANY HEAT PROBLEMS.  ÉN SPITE OF KEEPING THE DARN THING COOL, IT DID GO OUT OF ALIGNMENT.  ÉF YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN THE 1541 TAKEN OUT OF THE CASE, É STRONGLY URGE THAT YOU FIND SOMEONE TO DEMONSTRATE FOR YOU.  ÂE AWARE THAT YOU WILL VOID THE GUARANTEE WHEN YOU REMOVE THE CASE.  ÁLSO, STATIC ELECTRICTY CAN DAMAGE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, SO AVOID TOUCHING THOSE PARTS.

ÆANS

     Á SMALL MUFFIN OR SPRITE FAN PLACED ON THE DISK DRIVE IS THE SIMPLEST SOLUTION TO KEEPING THE DRIVE COOL.  ÔHE FAN SHOULD HAVE AN AIR FLOW RATE OF AT LEAST 20 CUBIC FEET PER MINUTE (ÃÆÍ).  ÍUFFIN FANS ARE GENERALLY ABOUT 4 INCHES SQUARE AND ABOUT 1 AND 1/2 INCHES THICK, WHILE SPRITE FANS ARE SMALLER AND MORE NOISY.  ÔHE COST OF FANS BY MAIL RUNS FROM A HIGH PRICE OF $15 TO A SUPER BARGAIN OF $5.  ÌOCAL PRICES ARE CLOSER TO $15.  ÕNFORTUNATELY, 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.  ÁN ALTERNATIVE IS TO BUY ONE OF THE SMALL DEODORIZING OR AIR CLEANING UNITS WHICH ARE ABOUT $10 ON SALE.
     ÃUT 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.  ÐLACE THE FOAM CUTOUT OVER THE AIR HOLES AT THE REAR OF THE DISK DRIVE AND PLACE THE FAN ON TOP OF THE FOAM CUTOUT.  ÔHE FAN CAN BE PLACED TO BLOW AIR INTO THE DRIVE (THE METHOD É PREFER) OR FLIPPED OVER TO PULL AIR OUT OF THE DRIVE.  ÆANS 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.  ÙOU SHOULD ALSO HAVE SOME TYPE  OF FINGER PROTECTION AND, IF THE FAN BLOWS IN, FILTRATION.  ÙOU 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.  ÉF YOU PUT A FAN ON YOUR DRIVE DO NOT OPERATE THE DRIVE WITHOUT THE FAN RUNNING AS THE NORMAL AIRFLOW IS BLOCKED.

ÁLIGNMENT

     ÈOW DID É KNOW MY DRIVE NEEDED ALIGNMENT?  É DIDN'T, É JUST KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG.  ÁLL 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.  ÔHOSE SYMPTOMS ARE CLASSIC FOR A POORLY ALIGNED DRIVE.  É WAS FORTUNATE IN FINDING A TECHNICIAN WHO WAS CONSCIENTIOUS AND HAD SEVERAL ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES, INCLUDING THE EXPENSIVE ÃOMMODORE APPROVED PROGRAM AND TOOLS FOR ALIGNING DRIVES.  ÈE ALSO CHARGE A REASONABLE PRICE FOR ALIGNMENT.  ÁFTER ALIGNMENT MY DRIVE WOULD STILL NOT LOAD SOME PROGRAMS, SO É SENT IT BACK FOR ALIGNMENT AGAIN.  ÔHIS 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.  ÓOME PROGRAMS WOULD STILL NOT LOAD.  ÓINCE ALIGNMENT IS PRIMARILY A MECHANICAL FUNCTION, É DECIDED TO SEE IF É COULD FIND ANY PROBLEMS IN THE MECHANICS OF THE DRIVE.  É FOUND THE PROBLEM, CORRECTED IT, AND RETURNED THE DRIVE FOR ALIGNMENT (IT ALIGNED PERFECTLY AND É HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM SINCE.  ÉF YOU HAVE HAD PROBLEMS, PERHAPS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION MAY BE OF HELP.  ÔHE 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.  Á METAL CLIP AT EACH END OF THE PAIR OF RAILS HOLDS THE RAILS TO THE SUPPORT STRUCTURE.  ÉN MY DRIVE, THE END OF ONE CLIP WAS LOOSE ALLOWING ONE OF THE RAILS TO MOVE SLIGHTLY.  ÔHIS CAUSED THE HEAD TO MOVE IN AN ARC AND THE TRACKS TO BE SLIGHLTY CLOSER TOGETHER AS IT NEARED THE LOOSE END.  ÔHE FIX WAS SIMPLE: REMOVE THE CLIP, BEND IT SLIGHTLY TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON THE RAIL, AND REPLACE IT.
     ÏNE OF THE REASONS THAT É 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.   ÕNFORTUNATELY, THE STOP MECHANISM IS PRESSED ON A SHAFT AND CAN EVENTUALLY BE MOVED SLIGHTY, CHANGING THE ZERO POINT AND CAUSING MISALIGNMENT.  ÔHE TECHNICIAN THAT ALIGNED MY DRIVE REPLACED THE CONTACT PART OF THE STOP MECHANISM WITH A SPRING.  ÔHE SPRING ABSORBS SHOCK AND REDUCES THE POTENTIAL FOR ALIGNMENT TO CHANGE.  ÎOT ALL TECHNICIANS AGREE ON THE VALUE OF THE SPRING STOP, BUT MINE GREATLY REDUCES THE NOISE CAUSED BY PROTECTION SCHEMES THAT BANG THE HEAD. 

ÌUBRICATION

     ÏNE POINT THAT IS SELDOM DISCUSSED IS LUBRICATION OF THE HEAD MECHANISM.
     ÔHE RAILS ARE STEEL AND THE HEAD UNIT IS PLASTIC (PROBABLY NYLON).  ÔHIS ARRANGEMENT REDUCES, BUT MAY NOT TOTALLY ELIMINATE, THE NEED FOR LUBRICATION.  É NOTICED THAT THE RAILS IN MY DRIVE, APPEARED TO BE DIRTY AND THE HEAD DID NOT MOVE AS SMOOTHLY AND AS EASILY AS POSSIBLE.  ÓMOOTH OPERATION REQUIRES THAT THE RAILS BE CLEAN AND LIGHTLY LUBRICATED.  ÌUBRICATION REQUIRES REMOVING THE DRIVE FROM THE CASE WHICH WILL VOID YOUR GUARANTEE.  ÉF YOU DO REMOVE THE DRIVE FROM THE CASE, DO SO ONLY WHEN STATIC ELECTRICITY POTENTIAL IS LOW.
     ÔO CLEAN THE RAILS GENTLY MOVE THE HEAD TO ONE END AND CLEAN EACH RAIL WITH A SWAB MOISTENED (NOT DRIPPING) WITH RUBBING ALCOHOL.  ÔHEN MOVE THE HEAD TO THE OTHER END AND CLEAN THE REMAINDER.  ÓWABBING SEVERAL TIMES MAY BE NECESSARY.  ÄRY THE RAILS WITH CLEAN SWABS AND THEN APPLY A LUBRICANT.  ÍY FIRST CHOICE IS A DRY LUBRICANT, AND É USED POWDERED MOLYBDENUM DISULFIDE.  ÔHIS IS A SUPERIOR DRY LUBRICANT FOR ALMOST ANYTHING; A SMALL QUANTITY WILL SUPPLY A LIFETIME OF PROBLEM LUBRICATION NEEDS.  ÓECOND CHOICE WOULD BE VERY FINE POWDERED GRAPHITE OR PERHAPS COLLOIDIAL GRAPHITE SUCH AS ÌOCK-EASE.  Á THIRD CHOICE, POSSIBLY AS GOOD AS GRAPHITE, IS ÁRMOR-ALL WHICH PROVIDES A DRY SILICONE LUBRICANT.  Á  HIGH QUALITY NON-GUMMING OIL IS PROBABLY BETTER THAN NOTHING, BUT É WOULD PREFER NOT TO USE OIL.  ÏNLY THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE SHOULD BE APPLIED TO THE RAILS.  ÄON'T GET LUBE ON ANY OTHER PARTS.
     ÉF 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.  ÔHE 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.  ÔHE 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.  ÉF YOU OPEN THE DRIVE DOOR AND SHINE A LIGHT IN, YOU CAN SEE THIS MECHANISM.  ÌACK OF LUBRICATION CAUSES THE NYLON PIECE AND ESPECIALLY THE ASSOCIATED METAL WASHERS TO VIBRATE AND MAKE A RACKET.  ÔHIS ASSEMBLY IS CLEARLY VISBLE WITH THE CASE TOP OFF.  ÔHE SOLUTION TO THE NOISE PROBLEM IS LUBRICATION.  É USED MOLYBDENUM DISULFIDE POWDER AND ÌOCK-EASE TO CARRY THE POWDER TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE NYLON ASSEMBLY, HOWEVER, A LIGHT OIL MIGHT WORK ALMOST AS WELL FOR THIS PIECE.  ÁGAIN, BE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT GET LUBE ON OTHER PARTS AND TO WIPE OFF ANY EXCESS LUBE. 

ÈEAD CLEANING

     ÄO YOU NEED TO CLEAN THE HEAD AND IF SO, HOW OFTEN?  ÔHE ANSWER IS NOT CLEAR.  ÓOME SUGGEST CLEANING THE HEAD AS OFTEN AS ONCE A MONTH WHILE OTHERS SUGGEST CLEANING THE HEAD ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE PROBLEMS.  ÉF YOU HAVE NO PROBLEMS, WHY CLEAN THE HEAD?  ÌET'S SAY YOU NOTICE THAT YOUR DRIVE WILL NOT WRITE OR READ OR HAS REPEATED READ OR WRITE ERRORS.  ÔHE PROBLEM COULD BE ALIGNMENT, A DIRTY HEAD, LOOSE CONNECTIONS, OR REAL SERIOUS.  ÆIRST, CHECK THAT ALL CONNECTING CABLES ARE TIGHT.  ÉF THAT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THEN CLEAN THE HEAD.  ÉF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS HAVE THE DRIVE ALIGNED.  
     ÔHERE ARE TWO METHODS FOR CLEANING THE HEAD--BUY AND USE A CLEANING KIT OR TAKE THE CASE OFF AND SWAB THE HEAD WITH ALCOHOL.  ÉF YOU DECIDE ON A CLEANING KIT MAKE SURE THAT IT IS A NONABRASIVE CLEANER (IT WILL SAY SO ON THE PACKAGE).  ÉF YOU DECIDE ON THE CHEAP METHOD, REMOVE THE TOP OF THE CASE.  ÔHE HEAD IS THE MECHANISM THAT RIDES ON RAILS AND IS CLEARLY VISIBLE AND CAN BE EASILY REACHED.  ÍOVE THE HEAD MECHANISM TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE DRIVE.  ÓWAB THE HEAD WITH A Ñ-TIP MOISTENED (NOT DRIPPING WET) WITH RUBBING ALCOHOL, DRY WITH A FRESH Ñ-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).  ÄIRT CAN ACCUMULATE ON THIS PAD AND SHOULD BE GENTLY BRUSHED OFF (USE AN OLD TOOTHBRUSH).  ÂE GENTLE, AS THE PAD MUST BE IN PLACE OR DISKS WILL BE SCRATCHED.