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How to re-align head in the 3" drive?

Started by ArtemKuchin, 14:08, 29 December 12

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ArtemKuchin

Hello!

Don't hate me, because my question is about spectrum +3. First of all i am a proud owner of cpc464 and secondly, strickly speaking, +3 is AMSTRAD Spectrum :)

As i understand amstad plus and +3 share the same drive. And i have strange problem here. I have 15 3" disks which came from different sources at different times. All of them are formatted on amstrad machines. I also have two +3. I changed the belts and drives came to live.
Now, the problem is very very strange (the below applies to both +3s):
1) If disk is formatted and working the +3 can read and write it
2) If disk is unformatted and run format command on +3 and after that i cannot read or write the disk. I cannot even reformat it.
3) If disk is fine and can be read/written and i format it then it  becomes 100% unsuable and cannot even reformat it.

I have discussed the problem with Steve from DataServe Retro and he said that probably heads in  both +3 are a little bit misalligned.

I have good equipment here (multimeters, digital scopes, logic analyzer, soldering stations, etc) and i am sure it is enough to execute re-alignment.

But i don't know  where to start and how to do it.

Can anyone point me in the direction with the procedure description or describe it here. I could not find anything on google or here on forum on in the cpc-wiki.

Regards,
Artem

Gryzor

Just came onto this post; can't find much either, but why do I recall a discussion on this very issue?

Bryce

Usually you need a head alignment disk to do this, with special software. I have one for 3.5in drives, but I've never seen one for 3in drives. The software does multiple reads of a known track and you adjust it according to the values the software shows you. That might also be possible with an oscilloscope, but without a disk with a known track in a known position it would be a real hit and miss affair.

Bryce.

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