I'm with you on this one. I didn't make or wish it so. AlI did was state
how things are. There ought to be a way to fix these things, but since
their cheaper bretheren are available for the PC (throw-away) market, it's
hard to get someone to fix them for less than a new one costs. Keep in mind
that a guy who fixes them himself can do the job, but even an altruistic
fellow indeed would rather spend $25 to replace a drive than spend half a
day only to find he can't fix the $#_at_!! thing.
Many of the drives to which I refer have only a switch, a couple of optical
interrupters, and a single IC on board. . . . . . maybe a few resistors . .
. . . They're just not made to repair. Now, if you save a few, perhaps a
board swap can help, but be careful! Those high-density connectors
attaching the FLEX to the board aren't made to be cycled more than once.
They break!
Dick
-----Original Message-----
From: Sellam Ismail <dastar_at_ncal.verio.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Thursday, April 08, 1999 1:49 PM
Subject: Re: Fooling with floppy drives
>On Thu, 8 Apr 1999, Richard Erlacher wrote:
>
>> Since new floppy drives cost about $25 including shipment, it's difficult
to
>> justify repairing them. This is frustrating for people like you who have
>> drives for which replacements are not readily available for $20 or so.
>
>What? What if you don't have $25 laying around, or $25 * 12 = $300 as
>Mike says is his current number of broken drives. You don't just go and
>pull $25 out of your pocket everytime a drive breaks. The last I checked
>money still doesn't grow in the pasture (believe me, I check every
>morning).
>
>> Your experience with sloppy workmanship gives clear indication that $10
per
>> hour is not enough to pay a competent technician. The occasional look
>> inside should give you good indication of why one who can't spend more
than
>> 15 minutes' time fixing a $20 drive, can't get the job done. These
devices
>> must be considered "throw-away" items by now. You've got to learn to
>> fix-em-yourself.
>
>Well, exactly. That's why its called a hobby.
>
>Sellam Alternate e-mail:
dastar_at_siconic.com
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
>Don't rub the lamp if you don't want the genie to come out.
>
> Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0
> See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details!
> [Last web site update: 04/03/99]
>
Received on Thu Apr 08 1999 - 14:58:10 BST