8250 LP Double disk drive for the commodore 64

From: ghldbrd_at_ccp.com <(ghldbrd_at_ccp.com)>
Date: Thu Jul 3 20:07:01 2003

<snip>
>
> Err... This worries me. How can he not know if the head connections are
> open-circuit (they are not hard to test!). Why can't the cable be
> replaced (I've resoldered connections inside drive head assemblies many
> times). It's a lot easier to replace the cable (if that's the problem)
> than to replace the head, since if you do the latter you'll need the
> right alignment disk to set it up.
>
<snip>

I remember on my first 1541 that the drive head and cable were moulded
together (cheap b*st**ds) -- replacement was the only solution there.

I sent my drive to a factory authorized tech who wanted >$150 to repair
the drive, and new drives were about $200 and dropping. I took a wild
guess at the cable broken from the multiple head travels, and ordered one
($30~) from Grapevine in NY. I replaced the head, did a quick alignment
and it is still working to this day, 25 years later. I bought a second
drive and it now has the same problem, and I don't have another head to
replace that one, until I find a junk 1541 with a good head.

They should have been built with a film ribbon like the printers use on
print heads rather than small gauge stranded wire. Another blatant effort
by Commode-door to make things cheaper.

Gary Hildebrand
St. Joseph, MO
Received on Thu Jul 03 2003 - 20:07:01 BST