Problem with floppy drives

[Tesla]

Hi all.
I have a problem with my floppies drives.
They are connected by a twistled cable (thank Derek) to a Tetroid SGC. Time ago the flp2_ began to work badly and finally, inserting the disk it makes immediately a rustling noise. So I replaced the drive with an other.
Now the new drive works perfectly but the old drive makes a rustling noise soon as I insert a floppy, and obviously doesn't work.
Can someone help me?
Thank you all.
Greetings, Marco

[Cristian]

Still unsolved?

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

Maybe try cleaning the insides of the floppy drives, maybe there is dust on the mechanism.

Either take the top cover from the drive and use a Cotton Bub with Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) on read/write heads and gearing that moves the drive head.

[Tesla]

Hi Cristian and Derek.
Thank for your interest.
In the end I discovered that the problem was the SGC to which the floppies were connected .

Best regards.
Marco

[Dave]

If it's just the floppy section that is problematic, the first place to check is the cable. The SGC may use a different cable to a normal Shugart interface on other QL floppy drives.

If you suspect it's the IC, replacement DP8473V are available.

[Tesla]

Hi Dave,
I use a cable modified by Derek for working with the SGC, I can try to test it, but I think the guilty is the SGC; in fact it give me a lot of problems beyond the floppy bad working.
Can the IC cause other problems beyond the floppies malfunction?
Thank for your answer.

Ciao
Marco

[Dave]

If it's an original SGC, it's time to reseat the IC's, and hit them with some contact cleaner while they're out. Time to check all the solder joints. If Derek made the floppy cable it's not likely to be that.

Did you try the floppy on both connectors? Or try flp1_ and flp2_?

[Tesla]

Hi Dave,

no it is a Tetroid SGC. Initially only a floppy drive was not working, later both.
To tell the truth also with the original GC that now I am using a floppy drive does not work.
Apart from this, with the GC everything else works well.
I observed, on the SGC a welding point that seems poor of tin.
Tomorrow I will send you a couple of pictures.
Thank you very much
Marco

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

The floppy disk cable has Pins 10,11,12 twisted, so to allow a PC Disk drive with Drive ID: DS1 as FLP1_

The cable should not be used on a floppy drive where the Drive IDs are selectable, as per normal, not the abortive PC situation.

[Tesla]

Hi Derek,

your cable is used with two floppy drives whose drive ids are not selectable.

Marco