RK05 stuff (was RE: cctalk Digest, Vol 10, Issue 74)

From: Don Maslin <donm_at_cts.com>
Date: Mon Jun 28 23:45:01 2004

On Mon, 28 Jun 2004, Ashley Carder wrote:

> I, too, am getting geared up to do some testing of a couple
> RK05J drives that I recently acquired. I am working on getting
> an RK11-D controller so I can hook the drives up to an 11/40 or
> an 11/34.
>
> When I received the drives, I took the cover off and looked
> inside. They appear to be very clean. There are tags on both
> drives that indicate that they passed a maintenance check in
> 1997. I have applied power to both drives. The toggle switches
> all seem to work and the appropriate lights come on.
>
> I have the various RK05 technical manuals and an RK05 maintenance
> course for field engineers. I have started looking at these
> documents.
>
> Once I hook up the drives to the RK11 controller on the 11/40
> or 11/34, what would be the steps involved in testing these drives
> and getting them up and running if they're mechanically sound?
> They were shipped from Ohio to South Carolina. I do not want to
> destroy the heads the first time I put a pack in the drives.
>
> Ashley
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk-bounces_at_classiccmp.org
> [mailto:cctalk-bounces_at_classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Tony Duell
> Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 10:54 PM
> To: cctalk_at_classiccmp.org
> Subject: Re: cctalk Digest, Vol 10, Issue 74
>
>
> > I believe I have to consider this. I have no packs with any data on
> > them that I need. They were all just data packs with automotive
> > parts in inventory and such. I cleaned a pack and loaded it into
> > my RK05 drive zero and it would not pass the read/write test. I don't
> > remember what happened when I tried to use drive 1. I believe it failed
> but in a different manner. I thought if at least one drive
> > was working I'd be Ok for awhile. I am not sure if I want to spend
> > $300-$500 on trying to get a CE pack that may not help me if my drive
> > is failing for some other reason than alignment.
>
> As the data on your packs is worthless, try reformatting one. A format on
> an RK05 is like a format on a floppy disk, it will re-write all the
> sector headers, and does not depend on correct head alignment.
>
> If the drive will reformat a pack and will then pass the read/write
> diagnostic using it, then the only problem with the drive is alignment.

Of course, it is possible that the pack could have been written to
by an out of alignment drive and his drive is OK.

                                                - don

> If it won't then you have more (electronic) troubleshooting to do.
>
> -tony
>
>
>
Received on Mon Jun 28 2004 - 23:45:01 BST