Date   : Sat, 17 May 1997 21:06:21 +1200
From   : "Bill Keesing" <bill@...>
Subject: Re: The Beloved Beeb and Disc Drives (cont....)

>Thanks for all your comments / pointers earlier in the week.
>
>Quick reminder
>
>BBC ------- 31/2--------------51/4
>8271        PC 1.44             BBC Standard (320 ?)
>
>So after exhaustive testing, I've managed to work out that the 3 1/2
drive
>was causing the problem along with the format progam from the AcornUser
SWR
>utils.  Changed the Acorn 1.20 DFS to Watford 1.44 DFS and changed the
>drive to a SONY MPF520-1. *form80 1, and Bob's your uncle.
>Some other DFS kept bringing sector errors,  Watford 1.43 also somtimes
on
>4F/FF, ie when it tried to "close" the format.
>
>Now I can format a 3 1/2 DD disk quite happily.  But using it is a
>different story.
>It is the same if I take a 1.2MB 5 1/4 drive.  I am using DD disks,
>formatting them but getting Bad Sector errors when I try and copy to
them.
>I presume that I must try and switch them into a SD or at least a DD
mode.
>
>Am I right in this, or am I missing something more fundamental ?
>Advice on the best 8271 based DFS to use would also be appreciated.

Have you given the drive heads a clean? They can get covered in all sorts
of crap, mostly oxide from the floppies.

Get one of those cleaning kits fom a computer store and give the drive
several good cleans and that my sort it out.

Bill Keesing
Usual disclaimers blah personal opinions blah blah

http://www3.iconz.co.nz/bill

See Web Page for PGP public key.

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