DEC RL01/02, RK05/06/07 Cartridge Inspector/Cleaner

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Wed May 5 18:54:39 2004

> Does anyone here have experience maintaining / aligning RK05 drives and
> keeping them running?

I have a couple of RK05s on my 11/45 system.

I've done an alignemt after a head replacement on a friend's machine.
It's not hard. You load the alignment pack (after ensuring the heads fly
correctly on a scratch (but not scratched :-)) disk), connect a 'scope to
the testpoints on the read ampifier and trigger the 'scope from the index
signal. You then step the head to the right track (just dump the right
values in the RK11's registers) -- the track contains a special offset
alignment pattern. You then look at the display on the 'scope. When the
heads are on-track, the 2 halves of the pattern are read with equal
amplitude. So you tweak the head adjusting screws until that's the case.

I acutally found doing the RK05 alignment to be easier than aligning a
3.5" floppy drive.

I once had an RK05 drive catch fire (!). The insulation on the blower
motor widings broke down, and smoke, and even small flames, came out of
the motor. I manages to hit the load switch (retracting the heads) and
shut the machine down before any real damage was done. A friend gave me a
similar blower with bad bearings, and using the stator from that and the
bearings/rootor from my original one, I got it going again.

-tony
Received on Wed May 05 2004 - 18:54:39 BST