ATari 1050 Disk Drive not working (video on YouTube)

[rchennau]

Hi folks;

I have a newish looking Atari 1050 Disk Drive I purchased. The drive powers on and the head seeks up (towards the front of the drive) about a 1/4 inch and then back (towards the rear of the unit). It then makes a stuttering noise as if it were trying to move further back and the stop. The motor to spin the disk spins for 2 seconds (red light is on) and then stop for two seconds (red light off). It will then repeat the motor sequence to spin the floppy over and over but the head never moves again.

But why describe when I can show you! Here is the video:

 

Any help would be appreciated. I paid way to much for this (was complete in original box).

 

[Rybags]

Sounds like maybe the Track 0 sensor isn't working.

 

There's a 1050 Field Service Manual here ftp://ftp.pigwa.net/stuff/collections/nir_dary_cds/BOOKS/

 

In the Atari Tech References Manual thread in my tagline below... scroll down the page and there's Sam's Computer Facts for the 1050 disk drive.

[spookt]

Sounds like maybe the Track 0 sensor isn't working.

 

There's a 1050 Field Service Manual here ftp://ftp.pigwa.net/stuff/collections/nir_dary_cds/BOOKS/

 

In the Atari Tech References Manual thread in my tagline below... scroll down the page and there's Sam's Computer Facts for the 1050 disk drive.

 

In the top picture is it just me or does it looks like the track 0 sensor is detached from it's mounting? Guess that might be why it's not working.

[sup8pdct]

Your track zero sensor is broken. on the mech, the round object on the top right is the motor. the object directly below is the sensor.

It has 4 wires going to it, it is sitting loose off to the left of where it should be. Just maybe, you can glue it back to where it should go.

The small protrusion on the head slide should go in the gap of the broken part.

Yell out if you want pics of what one should like.

 

James

 

 

 

Hi folks;

I have a newish looking Atari 1050 Disk Drive I purchased. The drive powers on and the head seeks up (towards the front of the drive) about a 1/4 inch and then back (towards the rear of the unit). It then makes a stuttering noise as if it were trying to move further back and the stop. The motor to spin the disk spins for 2 seconds (red light is on) and then stop for two seconds (red light off). It will then repeat the motor sequence to spin the floppy over and over but the head never moves again.

But why describe when I can show you! Here is the video:

 

Any help would be appreciated. I paid way to much for this (was complete in original box).

 

[Bryan]

What's that goop on the bottom of the board?

 

Anyway, the part you need is listed at the bottom of this page:

 

http://www.myatari.com/atarixlh.txt

[rchennau]

Thanks everyone for the help. It turns out it indeed was the track zero sensor. For some reason whoever had it before me unscrewed the thing from its position. As I didn't know what it was until Rybags game me the link to the 1050 documentation I had no idea that what was screwed in their was not the track zero sensor.

 

I removed what was on there and put the sesnor back in place and it worked! I was able to format a disk and boot from it! Yeah!

 

Thanks for saving me the wrath of my wife!

[rchennau]

What's that goop on the bottom of the board?

 

Anyway, the part you need is listed at the bottom of this page:

 

http://www.myatari.com/atarixlh.txt

 

I have no idea about the goop. I think it is actaully a water stain; maybe condensation from years of storage in a moist area? Perhaps some isoprohpyl((sp)? would be good to clean it off?

[Bryan]

I have no idea about the goop. I think it is actaully a water stain; maybe condensation from years of storage in a moist area? Perhaps some isoprohpyl((sp)? would be good to clean it off?

 

I think that might be a good idea. Otherwise it will just attract more dirt and whatnot.

[+Larry]

Just a guess, (and hard to imagine) but looks like the ferric chloride residue from the pcb manufacturing process?

 

Also, from looking at the pic of your pcb, it appears that your SIO connectors are not reinforced with rivets or screws. These are the black I/O connectors at the back of the drive. Good idea to get some very small machine screws/nuts (preferably stainless steel) and lock down those SIO connectors. The holes look to be already drilled, and the pcb holes should line up with holes on the SIO connector "ears" (flanges). Just make sure you don't encroach on any pcb lines and/or short anything.

 

-Larry

 

I have no idea about the goop. I think it is actaully a water stain; maybe condensation from years of storage in a moist area? Perhaps some isoprohpyl((sp)? would be good to clean it off?

 

I think that might be a good idea. Otherwise it will just attract more dirt and whatnot.

[rchennau]

Thanks Larry for the SIO advice. The goop is actually just a tad bit sticky. Hard to know what it was because I think the drive had been in storage for at least two years before I obtained it recently.

 

Just a guess, (and hard to imagine) but looks like the ferric chloride residue from the pcb manufacturing process?

 

Also, from looking at the pic of your pcb, it appears that your SIO connectors are not reinforced with rivets or screws. These are the black I/O connectors at the back of the drive. Good idea to get some very small machine screws/nuts (preferably stainless steel) and lock down those SIO connectors. The holes look to be already drilled, and the pcb holes should line up with holes on the SIO connector "ears" (flanges). Just make sure you don't encroach on any pcb lines and/or short anything.

 

-Larry

 

I have no idea about the goop. I think it is actaully a water stain; maybe condensation from years of storage in a moist area? Perhaps some isoprohpyl((sp)? would be good to clean it off?

 

I think that might be a good idea. Otherwise it will just attract more dirt and whatnot.

[Bryan]

It can't be an etching chemical. These boards are coated with a green mask and were wave soldered, so they must have been perfectly clean at one point.

[+bob1200xl]

Not Ferric chloride, for sure... looks like flux. Try flux solvent.

 

Bob

 

 

 

It can't be an etching chemical. These boards are coated with a green mask and were wave soldered, so they must have been perfectly clean at one point.