Advice from those with experience

General hardware issues and troubleshooting etc

Moderators: terriblefire, Terriblefire Moderator

russellnash
Posts: 104
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2021 2:46 pm

Re: Advice from those with experience

Post by russellnash »

Thanks to everyone for all the advice. I bought a new adapter and a Scart cable. Tried the adapter first, the display worked perfectly. Workbench loads from disk. It gives me messages sometimes that it can't read the disk, but I will assume that it is something to do with the 35 year old floppy drive. When it asks me to swap disks the drive is normally still running, but I assume that is normal and that disks won't generally be damaged from a spinning drive. I guess that two drive systems were probably quite popular back in the day. Thanks again.
User avatar
stephen_usher
Posts: 5578
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
Contact:

Re: Advice from those with experience

Post by stephen_usher »

Well, drives could damage the disks if they're not properly cleaned with a cleaning disk.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 10465
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Advice from those with experience

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Also bad disks can dirty up the heads, so worthwhile checking their overall condition before use. Giving the drive a service is also recommended, as many are dust filled.

Removing when spinning is not generally ideal. The mechanics of the drive will give some protection my moving the heads away, but I try not to do it unless really necessary.

This is why Gotek/Goex drives et al have come to the fore, 30 odd year old disks can fail, as can the drives.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Higgy
Posts: 400
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:05 pm
Location: Somerset

Re: Advice from those with experience

Post by Higgy »

I can also confirm that disks have knackered my drives.

Gotek for the win :lol: Ditch (old) magnetic media.
Simulant Systems had them in stock the other week.
russellnash
Posts: 104
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2021 2:46 pm

Re: Advice from those with experience

Post by russellnash »

Good advice. I took a Goex and put in the Amiga. It is not an Amiga version, the facade doesn't fit, I had to take it off, then it fits well inside the drive bay with a few millimetres packing under the screw. I have been playing Dune, great game, great music just to listen to, along with many others. Why did I wait so long to buy an Amiga? :D
Post Reply

Return to “AMIGA HARDWARE HELP”