Alex Toft wrote:
> hi folks,
>
> can anyone recommend someone who does +3 repairs? mine no longer reads
> disks.
>
> thanks in advance
>
> alex

http://www.pcwking1.netfirms.com/address.html

JP

Thanks for that. I'll drop him an email.

Alex

On 2007-01-22, Alex Toft wrote:

> can anyone recommend someone who does +3 repairs? mine no longer
> reads disks.

Check the disc spindle is spinning the disc, it's driven from the
motor by a rubber belt like in an old tape deck, and this expires with
age. It's simple to replace, Maplin sell tape-deck belt repair kits,
I can't remember which one fitted mine but once sorted it ran fine.

If you've already checked and it's spinning the disc then it's
obviously more complicated ;-)

--
Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire!

Ian Rawlings wrote:
> On 2007-01-22, Alex Toft wrote:
>
>
>>can anyone recommend someone who does +3 repairs? mine no longer
>>reads disks.
>
>
> Check the disc spindle is spinning the disc, it's driven from the
> motor by a rubber belt like in an old tape deck, and this expires with
> age. It's simple to replace, Maplin sell tape-deck belt repair kits,
> I can't remember which one fitted mine but once sorted it ran fine.
>
> If you've already checked and it's spinning the disc then it's
> obviously more complicated ;-)
>
There is a little metal pin in a hole in the base plate of an Amstrad 3"
drive that operates the switch that checks the write protect hole in the
disk. When you unscrew the circuit board to change the belt, there is
limited access as the wires on one side are soldered to the board and
while turning it every which way to get the belt in the right place, its
very easy to let the pin fall out and loose it without noticing. Dont
ask how I know this . . .

You only find out the first time you try to save, everything else works
fine without the pin :-(

If you spot it falling out, its just a matter of dropping it back into
place . . . Otherwise you'll be doing a CSI on the hoover bag.

--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk [at]=@, [dash]=- &
[dot]=.
*Warning* SPAM TRAP set in header, Use email address in sig. if you must.

On 2007-01-22, Ian Malcolm wrote:

> When you unscrew the circuit board to change the belt, there is
> limited access as the wires on one side are soldered to the board
> and while turning it every which way to get the belt in the right
> place, its very easy to let the pin fall out and loose it without
> noticing. Dont ask how I know this . . .

I too am aware of this ;-)

I can't remember how I fixed it now, I think some kind chap in this
group might have mailed me a replacement, at any rate the drive worked
fine once the belt and new pin were in.

--
Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire!

Ian Rawlings wrote:
> On 2007-01-22, Alex Toft wrote:
>
>> can anyone recommend someone who does +3 repairs? mine no longer
>> reads disks.
>
> Check the disc spindle is spinning the disc, it's driven from the
> motor by a rubber belt like in an old tape deck, and this expires with
> age. It's simple to replace, Maplin sell tape-deck belt repair kits,
> I can't remember which one fitted mine but once sorted it ran fine.

CPC sell the part as AVBELT6. I recently ordered 20, because I have that
many PCWs lying around, and probably three +3s that need them.

--
Alex Taylor.

Needs a belt then.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email: briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"Alex Toft" wrote in message
news:bg3th.90281$493.43741@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
> hi folks,
>
> can anyone recommend someone who does +3 repairs? mine no longer reads
> disks.
>
> thanks in advance
>
> alex
>

Ian Rawlings wrote:
> On 2007-01-22, Ian Malcolm wrote:
>
>
>>When you unscrew the circuit board to change the belt, there is
>>limited access as the wires on one side are soldered to the board
>>and while turning it every which way to get the belt in the right
>>place, its very easy to let the pin fall out and loose it without
>>noticing. Dont ask how I know this . . .
>
>
> I too am aware of this ;-)
>
> I can't remember how I fixed it now, I think some kind chap in this
> group might have mailed me a replacement, at any rate the drive worked
> fine once the belt and new pin were in.
>
Just thought that it was a trap that a newbie to drive maintenance like
Alex should be aware of . . .

I remember on a later occasion reparing Amstrad PCWs for various
customers, cutting down brass gimp pins to fit. IIRC belt change was
£35, fitted & tested. I'd do a bare drive for £15 on the same basis. 2
drive machines were £45. Nice while it lasted, grateful punters that
appreciated a quick turnaround. Heck we even had a loan PCW8512 for a
while. The commonest fault after drive trouble on the 8256es was a
cracked hammer on the daisywheel printer. Probably still got one of
those hammer kits packed away somewhere left over from when we closed
the repair shop.

--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk [at]=@, [dash]=- &
[dot]=.
*Warning* SPAM TRAP set in header, Use email address in sig. if you must.

In article , zeem or@REMOVETHISntlworld.com> writes
>Ian Rawlings wrote:
>> On 2007-01-22, Alex Toft wrote:
>>
>>> can anyone recommend someone who does +3 repairs? mine no longer
>>> reads disks.
>>
>> Check the disc spindle is spinning the disc, it's driven from the
>> motor by a rubber belt like in an old tape deck, and this expires with
>> age. It's simple to replace, Maplin sell tape-deck belt repair kits,
>> I can't remember which one fitted mine but once sorted it ran fine.
>
>CPC sell the part as AVBELT6.

At around a quarter the price it looks like.

I'm looking for a belt for the CD tray on an old Yamaha CD player
circa 1987. How much should these little square belts be stretched to
fit? They sell them in 0.5 mm increments in some size ranges.. erk.

I used to buy stuff from ARD and I'm sure the prices have gone up
since Farnell bought them and merged them into CPC - just buying up
the competition.

--
Jamie

Thanks for all the advice folks.

As a electronics mong I daren't do anything, although I'm now sure its only
the belt. Ao I'm sending to Mr. King to sort it for me! Very decent chap he
is too!

Cheers,

Alex

On 2007-01-23, Alex Toft wrote:

> As a electronics mong I daren't do anything, although I'm now sure its only
> the belt. Ao I'm sending to Mr. King to sort it for me! Very decent chap he
> is too!

The belt's rubber, not electric, unless you're a rubber mong too you
should be able to handle it ;-)

--
Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire!

Yeah, just a complete mong I reckon. I just play them and arse around with
BASIC.

Daren't touch it. It could do with a bit of a service anyway I think!

Ian Rawlings wrote:

> ... unless you're a rubber mong too ...

Oo-er!

--
Duncan Snowden.

You might want to try replacing the rubber drivebelt, if you google
around you should find someone selling these, and this is usually the
cause of disks not being read correctly or at all....

Frans


Alex Toft:
> hi folks,
>
> can anyone recommend someone who does +3 repairs? mine no longer reads

> disks.
>
> thanks in advance
>
> alex

On Jan 24, 6:20 pm, Duncan Snowden wrote:
> Ian Rawlings wrote:
> > ... unless you're a rubber mong too ...
>
> Oo-er!
>
> --
> Duncan Snowden.

O.K., I'll bite- wtf is a 'mong' ??

--
Blagged? Do me a favor, Tony, speak English. I thought this country
spawned the f*ck*ng language, and so far nobody seems to speak it. -
Cousin Avi

On 2007-03-18, Tarkin wrote:

> On Jan 24, 6:20 pm, Duncan Snowden wrote:
>> Oo-er!
>
> O.K., I'll bite- wtf is a 'mong' ??

Someone who takes just under two months to realise they're confused!

--
Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire!

On Mar 18, 2:24 pm, Ian Rawlings wrote:
> On 2007-03-18, Tarkin wrote:
>
> > On Jan 24, 6:20 pm, Duncan Snowden wrote:
> >> Oo-er!
>
> > O.K., I'll bite- wtf is a 'mong' ??
>
> Someone who takes just under two months to realise they're confused!
>
> --
> Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire!

Thus, a 'rubber mong' takes two months to realise
they're made out of rubber?

--
Jellybaby?

On 2007-03-19, Tarkin wrote:

> Thus, a 'rubber mong' takes two months to realise
> they're made out of rubber?

Correct! Give that man a tube of rubber lubricant.

--
Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire!