Drive II not reading?

[Newsdee]

I have a couple if DiskII drives that fail to read any disks.

They will power on and spin, but nothing happens and I can't hear the distinctive scratchy sound of a floppy being read.

 

Can anybody recommend any diagnostics I could make?

I've cleaned their drive heads with a bit of alcohol but they still won't work.

 

 

I have a CFFA 3000 so I can transfer any utilities to the computer;

only caveat is that e.g. Locksmith doesn't seem to allow me to switch slots to test drives (CFFA=Slot 7, floppy controller=Slot 6)

Edited May 21, 2016 by Newsdee

[Newsdee]

Tried CATALOG and INIT but both give an I/O Error.

Also tried placing the drive on Disk 2 (in case there's a problem with the board) but problem is same.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Newsdee

[whiteplanet]

Time for some maintenance.

 

Read and follow this.

 

http://www.appleii-box.de/H084_3_AppleIIDiskService3.htm

[Newsdee]

Thanks, that's quite an impressive bunch of information for it!

[MarkO]

If you have the Original Disk ][s, with the 20 pin Ribbon Cable, and your sure the Heads are Clean, I would put money on blown logic chip, like this 74125 that came in a drive I bought..

That happens when reconnecting the Disk ][ to the Controller Card, and Missing the Pins.. That happen to me Once, in about 1986, and now I always Remove the Disk ][ controller and Turn it upside down to make sure the Pins align up..

 

MarkO

[Newsdee]

I've got a new drive... and replaced all the chips in the Controller Card with another one (I/O card), and still no luck.

Could it be something on the motherboard?

[david__schmidt]

Sounds like it might be the head, head/pressure pad interaction, or stepper mechanism, or... something else mechanical. Keep swapping... it's definitely not the Apple II mobo.