Full-hgt 5.25" drive: just spins; no read tracks. Help!

[sebugg@presby.edu (Stephen Buggie)]

sebugg@presby.edu                                      January 24, 1995

                       "RANA ELITE" FULL HEIGHT 5.25" DRIVE
                                   (Disk II clone)
                Just spins .......... any suggestions for repair?
                -------------------------------------------------

       I have a "Rana Elite" (Disk II clone) full height drive, in mint
like-new condition.  This was a deluxe competitor to the Apple Disk II drive,
vitage early 1980s.  It came with the original packing, flat ribbon IDE-20
cable, and even a 100 page Users' Manual.  It has unique and attractive
styling, and even a manual lighted write-protect switch on the front
panel (in addition to the side-notch write-protect switch.   It is so clean
and luxurious, its like finding a classic car that has been in a garage
since the day it left the showroom.  It has an advanced track-mover
mechanism that looks like the mechanism on the TEAC half-height drive
instead of the cog-wheel mechanism in the standard Shugart-Alps
classic full-height drives.   The manual states that it can read/write
40 tracks and format to 160K.

       Big problem: the drive just spins!  It does not read the disks; in
fact, it erases part of the disk (most likely the directory).  I tried it on
a Rom 0 IIc and also on an enhanced IIe, with Disk II interface card.  Does
not work with either computer.  From the sound of the mechanism, the
stepper-motor sound is absent, as if it does not survey the tracks.  Neither
the IIc nor the IIe have been damaged by connection of the faulty drive.
All power was off when connecting/disconnecting the cable.

       I opened the drive casing and replaced the following ICs on the
analog board:

       LS125
       MC3470
       ULN2003

       Exchanging these ICs with other known to be good did not eliminate
the problem.   I then substituted the IDE-20 flat ribbon cable with
another that is known to be good; again, no change.  None of the analog card
components appears burnt or otherwise damaged.

       These are the remaining ICs that have not been swapped or tested.

       74LS26    14 pin            74LS74   14 pin       252 TIP 110 3 pin
                                                           power transistor

       74LS05    14 pin            M302LM    8 pin       NE555N  8 pin


[Of the 4 ICs on the Disk II analog card, CA3146 was not found in the
Rana Elite I drive.  Presumably, the other ICs listed above take its place.]


WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?   Which of the untested ICs is most likely to be
the culprit?   Can any other parts be tested?   I really want to get this
drive working.  With its advanced track-mover mechanism, its sound will be
very different from the usual full-height Apple II drives.


sebugg@presby.edu                                      January 24, 1995

                       "RANA ELITE" FULL HEIGHT 5.25" DRIVE
                                   (Disk II clone)
                Just spins .......... any suggestions for repair?
                -------------------------------------------------

       I have a "Rana Elite" (Disk II clone) full height drive, in mint
like-new condition.  This was a deluxe competitor to the Apple Disk II drive,
vitage early 1980s.  It came with the original packing, flat ribbon IDE-20
cable, and even a 100 page Users' Manual.  It has unique and attractive
styling, and even a manual lighted write-protect switch on the front
panel (in addition to the side-notch write-protect switch.   It is so clean
and luxurious, its like finding a classic car that has been in a garage
since the day it left the showroom.  It has an advanced track-mover
mechanism that looks like the mechanism on the TEAC half-height drive
instead of the cog-wheel mechanism in the standard Shugart-Alps
classic full-height drives.   The manual states that it can read/write
40 tracks and format to 160K.

       Big problem: the drive just spins!  It does not read the disks; in
fact, it erases part of the disk (most likely the directory).  I tried it on
a Rom 0 IIc and also on an enhanced IIe, with Disk II interface card.  Does
not work with either computer.  From the sound of the mechanism, the
stepper-motor sound is absent, as if it does not survey the tracks.  Neither
the IIc nor the IIe have been damaged by connection of the faulty drive.
All power was off when connecting/disconnecting the cable.

       I opened the drive casing and replaced the following ICs on the
analog board:

       LS125
       MC3470
       ULN2003

       Exchanging these ICs with other known to be good did not eliminate
the problem.   I then substituted the IDE-20 flat ribbon cable with
another that is known to be good; again, no change.  None of the analog card
components appears burnt or otherwise damaged.

       These are the remaining ICs that have not been swapped or tested.

       74LS26    14 pin            74LS74   14 pin       252 TIP 110 3 pin
                                                           power transistor

       74LS05    14 pin            M302LM    8 pin       NE555N  8 pin


[Of the 4 ICs on the Disk II analog card, CA3146 was not found in the
Rana Elite I drive.  Presumably, the other ICs listed above take its place.]


WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?   Which of the untested ICs is most likely to be
the culprit?   Can any other parts be tested?   I really want to get this
drive working.  With its advanced track-mover mechanism, its sound will be
very different from the usual full-height Apple II drives.


 **=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=**
 ** Stephen Buggie, 410 Chestnut St., Clinton SC 29325    Apple IIe/IIc **
 ** sebugg@presby.edu                 voice: (803) 833-8337 or 833-1632 **
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