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Floppy drive alignment disks

dmuntz

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Joined
May 20, 2022
Messages
38
Location
Cupertino
I was reading some other threads on here from a few years ago about producing alignment diskettes. I'm in need of alignment diskettes for 5 1/4" 360k and 1.2m drives, and would gladly pay for them. I have some 1.2m drives that seem pretty well aligned based on their ability to read disks from 40 years ago, but the 360k drives don't seem to have fared as well. At first I thought the media was bad, but the good 1.2m drives have had no problem reading all the disks I've tried so far (including 360k-formatted disks). I need to align some drives from TRS-80 Model I, III, and IV, as well as PC drives. I probably don't need to worry about FM format, so DS/DD and DS/HD should cover what I'm doing. I have the Tandy alignment software for the TRS-80s, and a good scope. Would also like to find the MS-DOS version of "Tandy Drive Controller" (as seen in this Tandy service video on drive alignment:
).

On the off-chance that anyone is interested in selling hardware that can produce alignment disks, I might be interested in buying it, and making alignment disks available at cost (or less...) for those in need.

Also, if anyone has a collection of information on test points for various drives, that would be great. Some appear in drive data sheets, but others I've had trouble finding. In particular, I didn't see test point info in the datasheet for at least one of the TEAC drives I have.
 
I don't think anyone but a couple of diskette (e.g. Dysan) vendors had any production machinery for those. I suspect long gone to the scrap dealers long ago. You might look around to see if you can find any old "AlignIt" kits from Landmark. Work very well on a PC; doesn't require a 'scope.
 
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There was some discussion of possibly recreating them, which I think was summarized here: https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?t...this-can-become-an-faq-on-this-subject.67228/

Failing finding actual alignment disks, maybe I could get someone who believes they have a decently aligned 360k drive to format me a few, and I can use imd to get a decent approximation. I'd try this with some of the disks I have, but I'm a bit leery about putting any disks I care about in some of these old drives. I have many pre-formatted 1.2m disks, but no 360k ones.
 
Failing finding actual alignment disks, maybe I could get someone who believes they have a decently aligned 360k drive to format me a few, ...
Consider populating the 'location' part of your profile (At top-right of screen, click on your name, then 'Account details', then 'Location').
 
On the other hand, I just unpacked some of my old gear. I have both 5" and 8" alignment disks, from the 1980s (I used to own a service center for Radio Shack computers). No idea if they are still good, but if you would like to borrow them, drop me a PM.
 
On the other hand, I just unpacked some of my old gear. I have both 5" and 8" alignment disks, from the 1980s (I used to own a service center for Radio Shack computers). No idea if they are still good, but if you would like to borrow them, drop me a PM.
I'd be interested in borrowing these if they are still available. I have a couple of Tandons that are so cantankerous that they won't load Model III ROM images.
 
Well, the alignment disk is on the way there. Most problems are fixable on those drives, so I'm certainly hoping for a good result.
 
I've found that many of the "alignment" issues on Tandon 100s to be not alignment per se, but a dirty track 0 sensor.
My particular drives are TM-50s, the half-height double density drives. I have the two single-sided that came in my Tandy M4P, both of which need new pressure pads, and a pair of double-sided drives I lucked into at the local electron hut.
 
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