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General Category => Amstrad CPC hardware => Topic started by: Neil79 on 00:07, 03 August 15

Title: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Neil79 on 00:07, 03 August 15
After finally getting the motor to work, it now sounds like a dying animal, "weeeooooooaaaaweeeoaaaa" and will not load disks at all anymore. So my questions are.


1) Can I take the power cable out the back of the floppy drive and leave it out so it has no power, while still using the external HxC?


2) If I can take the power cable out the back of the floppy drive, can I completely remove the floppy drive, or does it still need to be attached?


3) Is there a way of replacing the drive with the HxC as an internal, I have the HxC SD S Floppy Emulator SLIM


Thanks
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: CraigsBar on 00:51, 03 August 15
Quote from: Neil79 on 00:07, 03 August 15
After finally getting the motor to work, it now sounds like a dying animal, "weeeooooooaaaaweeeoaaaa" and will not load disks at all anymore. So my questions are.


1) Can I take the power cable out the back of the floppy drive and leave it out so it has no power, while still using the external HxC?


2) If I can take the power cable out the back of the floppy drive, can I completely remove the floppy drive, or does it still need to be attached?


3) Is there a way of replacing the drive with the HxC as an internal, I have the HxC SD S Floppy Emulator SLIM


Thanks


1. Yes, or you can simply not connect the 12v to your monitor
2. Yes, It'll work fine with it removed, just remember with an ABBA switch your HxC will still be Drive |b
3. Yes, although I think this will require some minor case cutting.
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Neil79 on 00:58, 03 August 15
Quote from: CraigsBar on 00:51, 03 August 15

1. Yes, or you can simply not connect the 12v to your monitor
2. Yes, It'll work fine with it removed, just remember with an ABBA switch your HxC will still be Drive |b
3. Yes, although I think this will require some minor case cutting.


Fantastic!


Some more questions


4) Is there a step by step guide of fitting the slim inside the case, dos and don'ts?
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: CraigsBar on 10:15, 03 August 15
Quote from: Neil79 on 00:58, 03 August 15

Fantastic!


Some more questions


4) Is there a step by step guide of fitting the slim inside the case, dos and don'ts?
Hi Neil, I cannot help with fitting instructions sorry. But I have just noticed my answer 2 is missing a word, obviously it should read "without an ABBA switch"
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Neil79 on 17:54, 03 August 15
Quote from: CraigsBar on 10:15, 03 August 15
Hi Neil, I cannot help with fitting instructions sorry. But I have just noticed my answer 2 is missing a word, obviously it should read "without an ABBA switch"


No problem :)


Here's some more lovely pics
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Bryce on 20:12, 03 August 15
Looks all to be still in good condition, you just need to get it back together.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Neil79 on 21:21, 03 August 15
Quote from: Bryce on 20:12, 03 August 15
Looks all to be still in good condition, you just need to get it back together.

Bryce.


Na motor is shot, sounds like an animal just about to die, woaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaehhhh  :laugh:
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Bryce on 21:22, 03 August 15
Send all the bits over, that's easily saveable.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Munchausen on 21:23, 03 August 15
Quote from: CraigsBar on 00:51, 03 August 15

1. Yes, or you can simply not connect the 12v to your monitor

Unless you have a drive that works from 5v only. One of my 6128s does this
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Bryce on 21:26, 03 August 15
Quote from: Munchausen on 21:23, 03 August 15
Unless you have a drive that works from 5v only. One of my 6128s does this

Yes, but that's a mod. There were none delivered like that.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: CraigsBar on 21:27, 03 August 15
Quote from: Munchausen on 21:23, 03 August 15
Unless you have a drive that works from 5v only. One of my 6128s does this
As do both of mine, But only because I have swapped the drives with ones from dead 6128plus machines. I was unaware that any CPC 6128's were fitted as stock with 5v drives. in which case what was the purpose of the 12v line at all on those machines, surely it would have been cheaper to assemble the computers without the cord, and fittings. A simple blank could have been placed over the hole in the case??


Craig
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Munchausen on 21:41, 03 August 15
Quote from: CraigsBar on 21:27, 03 August 15
As do both of mine, But only because I have swapped the drives with ones from dead 6128plus machines. I was unaware that any CPC 6128's were fitted as stock with 5v drives. in which case what was the purpose of the 12v line at all on those machines, surely it would have been cheaper to assemble the computers without the cord, and fittings. A simple blank could have been placed over the hole in the case??


Craig

I couldn't say, I only know that I have such a machine (I don't have an plus machines except a GX4000), and I bought it from someone who said it had been in a loft for 20 years, so I can only assume the drive hadn't been swapped. It does have the 12V line, and it does feed in to the floppy drive, but the drive doesn't use it! I only discovered this because my usual setup for using a 3.5" external drive is to disconnect the 12V line as you suggested - and it didn't work on this machine!
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Munchausen on 21:42, 03 August 15
Quote from: Bryce on 21:26, 03 August 15
Yes, but that's a mod. There were none delivered like that.

Bryce.

There were! See my previous post.
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: gerald on 21:50, 03 August 15
Quote from: Munchausen on 21:41, 03 August 15
I couldn't say, I only know that I have such a machine (I don't have an plus machines except a GX4000), and I bought it from someone who said it had been in a loft for 20 years, so I can only assume the drive hadn't been swapped. It does have the 12V line, and it does feed in to the floppy drive, but the drive doesn't use it! I only discovered this because my usual setup for using a 3.5" external drive is to disconnect the 12V line as you suggested - and it didn't work on this machine!
Any chance you get the reference of the drive and your mother board ?
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Munchausen on 21:59, 03 August 15
Quote from: gerald on 21:50, 03 August 15
Any chance you get the reference of the drive and your mother board ?

Sure. I'll have to dig it out from the back of the cupboard as it's the one I keep as my second spare because it is in insanely mint condition and still in the original box, so I basically don't even like to breathe on it! I'll try to post back here tomorrow.
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Bryce on 22:14, 03 August 15
That would be a seriously good find if that's the case. The drive must have an unknown EME number :)

Bryce.
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: TFM on 22:17, 03 August 15
I would sell my soul for a 3" drive with 5 Volt only.  8)  PM me if you want to do business!  ;D


EDIT: Sell, not see
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: CraigsBar on 23:38, 03 August 15
Quote from: TFM on 22:17, 03 August 15
I would see my soul for a 3" drive with 5 Volt only.  8)  PM me if you want to do business!  ;D
buy dead 6128 plus ;) I did, and all my 6128's are now 5v only.


OK it seems one of them was not as dead as I was lead to believe, in that it exists in @Bryce (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=225) 's laptop ;) but basically that is the only way I know of getting a 5v 3 inch drive.


Craig
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: TFM on 01:28, 04 August 15
Well, glad to say that our beloved Amstrad 8 bit computers are built pretty stable, and last longer that any other computer stuff.  ;) ;D
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Bryce on 08:30, 04 August 15
Quote from: CraigsBar on 23:38, 03 August 15
buy dead 6128 plus ;) I did, and all my 6128's are now 5v only.

OK it seems one of them was not as dead as I was lead to believe, in that it exists in @Bryce (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=225) 's laptop ;) but basically that is the only way I know of getting a 5v 3 inch drive.

Craig

Did you manage to get the black faceplate onto the plus drives somehow, or are the still beige in a dark CPC case?

Yes, one of your Plus PCBs is in the Laptop (waiting for months to be finished)

Bryce.
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Munchausen on 08:40, 04 August 15
Quote from: Bryce on 22:14, 03 August 15
That would be a seriously good find if that's the case. The drive must have an unknown EME number :)

Bryce.

Ok I've just opened it. The drive part number is EME-157, which is the same part number as the 6128+ drive. The motherboard is PT NO Z70290, MC0020C, Copyright 1985, so nothing new here, but I'm pretty sure that I swapped the motherboard with one of my other machines, so I don't think that helps.

The label on the motor of the drive says "27Mar90N1", which is interesting. The 6128+ was released in August 1990. Maybe this was a late produced 6128 that picked up an EME-157 because they ran out of parts? Or maybe the drive was replaced and they had run out of the older drives at that time? I guess I should go and check the motherboard version in my other machine next...

Before I put this away again, is there anything anyone else wants me to check?
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Munchausen on 08:42, 04 August 15
Quote from: Bryce on 08:30, 04 August 15
Did you manage to get the black faceplate onto the plus drives somehow, or are the still beige in a dark CPC case?

Yes, one of your Plus PCBs is in the Laptop (waiting for months to be finished)

Bryce.

Hmm, this comment made me realise - this EME-157 has a black face plate and it doesn't look as though it has been modded in any way to make that happen. So it must have been like that from the factory!

EDIT:
Some pictures:
View image: P8040094 (http://postimg.org/image/tr6jom3rj/)
View image: P8040092 (http://postimg.org/image/e72f72esh/)
View image: P8040091 (http://postimg.org/image/t0j8og9vf/)
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: CraigsBar on 10:20, 04 August 15
If you get a CPC drive with a thin mouth instead of the wide ones the faceplate is identical so a quick swap and the look perfect.
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Munchausen on 11:10, 04 August 15
Quote from: CraigsBar on 10:20, 04 August 15
If you get a CPC drive with a thin mouth instead of the wide ones the faceplate is identical so a quick swap and the look perfect.

Meh, dunno then.
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Bryce on 14:00, 04 August 15
Quote from: Munchausen on 08:40, 04 August 15
Ok I've just opened it. The drive part number is EME-157, which is the same part number as the 6128+ drive. The motherboard is PT NO Z70290, MC0020C, Copyright 1985, so nothing new here, but I'm pretty sure that I swapped the motherboard with one of my other machines, so I don't think that helps.

The label on the motor of the drive says "27Mar90N1", which is interesting. The 6128+ was released in August 1990. Maybe this was a late produced 6128 that picked up an EME-157 because they ran out of parts? Or maybe the drive was replaced and they had run out of the older drives at that time? I guess I should go and check the motherboard version in my other machine next...

Before I put this away again, is there anything anyone else wants me to check?

Interesting. I don't think we have this info on the Wiki, it needs to be added somewhere appropriate.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: gerald on 15:17, 04 August 15
Quote from: Munchausen on 08:40, 04 August 15
Ok I've just opened it. The drive part number is EME-157, which is the same part number as the 6128+ drive. The motherboard is PT NO Z70290, MC0020C, Copyright 1985, so nothing new here, but I'm pretty sure that I swapped the motherboard with one of my other machines, so I don't think that helps.

The label on the motor of the drive says "27Mar90N1", which is interesting. The 6128+ was released in August 1990. Maybe this was a late produced 6128 that picked up an EME-157 because they ran out of parts? Or maybe the drive was replaced and they had run out of the older drives at that time? I guess I should go and check the motherboard version in my other machine next...

Before I put this away again, is there anything anyone else wants me to check?
If you can figure the serial number of the CPC the drive comes from it would help getting a more precise date.
However you have to be sure all your part (drive/MB/case) are from the same CPC  ;)
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Munchausen on 15:58, 04 August 15
Gah, I just put it away again! I will get the serial number tonight.

The disk and case were together originally, the motherboard I think I swapped with my main 6128, which is also in storage, somewhere else. I only have 3 6128 machines in total, and one of them is my original which is easily identified as it has a 40007 instead of a 40010, so I know it isn't that one!
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: CPC_Fan on 18:43, 04 August 15
Quote from: Neil79 on 00:07, 03 August 15
After finally getting the motor to work, it now sounds like a dying animal, "weeeooooooaaaaweeeoaaaa" and will not load disks at all anymore. So my questions are.


1) Can I take the power cable out the back of the floppy drive and leave it out so it has no power, while still using the external HxC?


2) If I can take the power cable out the back of the floppy drive, can I completely remove the floppy drive, or does it still need to be attached?


3) Is there a way of replacing the drive with the HxC as an internal, I have the HxC SD S Floppy Emulator SLIM


Thanks

I know that Craig has already answered your question Neil, but I thought that I would add that there is a guide/tutorial at the top of this section of the forum, on how to fit a HxC internally. I am not sure what model it refers to though?
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Munchausen on 19:53, 04 August 15
 Ok, the serial number is:

544-8Z20656

This doesn't seem to match up with the serial number decoding scheme I've seen, so I don't know how useful it is!
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: gerald on 20:19, 04 August 15
Quote from: Munchausen on 19:53, 04 August 15
Ok, the serial number is:

544-8Z20656

This doesn't seem to match up with the serial number decoding scheme I've seen, so I don't know how useful it is!
According to cpc serial numbers,¿How interprete the cpc fabrication?(I need french member). (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/cpc-serial-numbers-how-interprete-the-cpc-fabrication%28i-need-french-member%29/)
544-8Z20656 : Korean fab 44, December 88, 20656th

Drive seems to young for this CPC !
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: CraigsBar on 22:32, 04 August 15
Sounds like an after market swap like mine then. A great mod this is too. Just remove the 12v lead as it is no longer needed.
Title: Re: Amstrad CPC 6128 - Floppy Drive Advice
Post by: Munchausen on 01:34, 05 August 15
Quote from: gerald on 20:19, 04 August 15
According to cpc serial numbers,¿How interprete the cpc fabrication?(I need french member). (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/cpc-serial-numbers-how-interprete-the-cpc-fabrication%28i-need-french-member%29/)
544-8Z20656 : Korean fab 44, December 88, 20656th

Drive seems to young for this CPC !

Ah, I missed the Z = December part.

So we still don't know how this drive got here. Looks like probably it was added later, but I'm surprised as the machine looks unused. If I get time I'll check my other CPCs tomorrow in case some case parts got swapped around, I did have the all apart together a couple of years ago, but I don't remember doing that. Kicking myself now for switching things about on this machine, but I never realised it was unheard of to have a 6128 that doesn't need 12V.
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