Date   : Mon, 29 Feb 1988 18:03:22 GMT
From   : ihnp4!alberta!auvax!tech@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Richard Loken)
Subject: 8" floppy disc repairs

I have a Z80 system with two ss-dd 8" floppies: one is a Shugart 800 and one
is a CDC Magnetic Peripherals.  The CDC drive has graduated from marginal to
bad - it refuses to read or format the last 20% of a disc (is the outside
of a disc the beginning?).  This is using 600K discs, I have not tried a
single density disc.

I thought of getting the disc aligned and phoned Xerox who said they charged
$80.00 per hour and threw away floppies in lieu of aligning them (I should
start prowling around their garbage can).

My next thought is to phone CDC and see if grovelling and money will get me
an alignment disc and a manual.  The third thought is to score one or more
Shugart 800's and use the CDC to hold the door open.

1. Any guesses on what gives in my drive?  (yes I cleaned it.)
2. What should it cost to align a drive and who does such work?
3. Where can I get a manual and an alignment disc?  (I own an oscilliscope).
4. What are 8" drives worth new/used/surplus today?
5. How much is disc performance affected by the power supply?

I anxiously await your enlightenment.


     *********     73
    **********     Richard Loken VE6BSV
   .      ****     
  ..      ****     Athabasca University
 ....     ****     Athabasca, Alberta Canada
..........****     ihnp4!alberta!auvax