Michael KNov 21, 2022
M. The Crystalline Entity

So, after the birdsite migration there are a lot more vintage tech enthusiasts around...

Does anybody have the right 5.25" diskette images for doing an azimuth calibration on an Apple Disk II diskette drive?

I have the "Alignment Aid" diskette, but I need an "Alignment Diskette". Alternative methods to fully re-align and maintain a Disk II drive would also be very helpful. I'm getting I/O errors. I've fully recalibrated one of my drives, verified my diskettes are good, but the other drive was more heavily used and is in worse shape.

Boosts greatly appreciated. I've been looking for awhile.

#AppleII #VintageHardware #RetroHardware #VintageComputing

Nov 21, 2022 at 6:23pmWeb
Show threadCyber YukiNov 21, 2022
@maddiefuzz add #VintageComputing to that.
Show threadbhtooefrNov 21, 2022
@maddiefuzz I believe the disk you're looking for needs to be a physical disk - or at very least, written on a known-good drive - not just an image?
Show threadbhtooefrNov 21, 2022
@maddiefuzz I believe there's a way to do it with known good commercial Apple II media (which *should* have been mastered correctly, but isn't always!) though - I think Tony Diaz did a talk at KansasFest about it one year
Show threadbhtooefrNov 21, 2022
@maddiefuzz https://www.kansasfest.org/2012/08/2010-diaz-maintenance/ check this talk
Disk Drive Maintenance | KansasFest

The Echoes of KFest video podcast presents Tony Diaz discussing disk drive maintenance at KansasFest 2010.

KansasFest
Show threadAlexander BochmannNov 21, 2022
@maddiefuzz Maybe @a2_4am has an idea about Apple II alignment disks?
Show threadSir GarbagetruckNov 21, 2022

@maddiefuzz

@48kRAM this is the thing I was pointing you to on stream.

Show thread48kRAMNov 21, 2022
@Truck @maddiefuzz Cheers
Show thread48kRAMNov 21, 2022
@maddiefuzz Unless I'm mistaken, "alignment disks" have a very specially-written magnetic pattern that's not circular and can't be written with a disk ][. I think normally you just find a "known-good" disk and then adjust head alignment for maximum / clean signal using a scope. At least, that's how I've heard it described.
Show threadfenarinarsa Nov 21, 2022
@48kRAM @maddiefuzz That would fit what I saw last week at an Apple II meeting. There's a tool that writes a specific frequency on disk and then you need to plug a scope somewhere to check if the signal is read correctly.
Show threadA.M. RowsellNov 21, 2022
@maddiefuzz oh man, I feel you. I need to get a 3.5" alignment disk and then somehow align this internal floppy drive on an NEC laptop that's inaccessible when it's connected. I'm going to have to run the diagnostic, disassemble, make a tiny changez reassemble, etc. It currently reads 720k disks but both the original drive and the replacement I bought just refuse to read 1.44mb disks despite definitely being 1.44mb drives.
Show threadPunnO)))Nov 22, 2022
@amrowsell @maddiefuzz Oh, interesting problem! Maybe you can build an extension cable to keep the drive outside the machine while tweaking it?
Show threadRobert Anderberg 🕹ī¸Nov 22, 2022
@maddiefuzz @Foone
Show threadZitruskeksNov 22, 2022

@maddiefuzz

Put a scope on the output of one of the opamps amplifying the head signal and try to read the directory of a known good disk. Align the drive for maximum amplitude.

It's fiddely but it works. I realigned a few CBM drives that way. Including a 3040 that has the same physical drives then an apple ii.

Show threadMarshaNov 22, 2022
@maddiefuzz No but I have a 3 foot diameter hard disc from an IBM360 I believe.
Show threadChaoddityNov 22, 2022
@maddiefuzz @RetroZo do you know? I duno lol
Show threadZoe đŸŗī¸â€âš§ī¸Nov 22, 2022
@chaoddity @maddiefuzz I'm not at all versesy in Apple computers unfortunately
Show threadShoku the MN Wolf đŸŗī¸â€đŸŒˆNov 22, 2022
@maddiefuzz I have to say the mere mention of that disc drive brought the sound rushing back into my thoughts from decades ago. It may very well haunt my dreams tonight.
Show thread Mandy Roy Nov 22, 2022
@maddiefuzz Hmm. I dunno if the 8 Bit Guy has made it here yet, but he might be able to point you in the right direction. He's on YouTube and Facebook. You prob already know about him though...
Show threadAbbyNov 22, 2022
@maddiefuzz Are you aware that you can pin hashtags in the desktop app?
I did that with #cats (naturally)
Show threadJoseph KatzNov 22, 2022
@commandelicious @maddiefuzz boosted on AWS instance.
Show threadeuroplus Nov 22, 2022
@maddiefuzz @diskblitz - any info to assist?