Thread

Widget drive

· Hardware · 66 posts · Mar 7, 2015 — Mar 5, 2018 View original thread ↗

#31 Thu, 26 Mar 2015 - 17:50

If you get it going again, let it run for a while, especially in different orientations.

Apocryphal tales say that ProFile drives that screech like a banshee "get better" after running upside down for a while, since the lubricant works its way back into the bearings.

Don't know if that's true, but you don't have much to lose at this point.

#32 Thu, 26 Mar 2015 - 20:40

OK. Started for a second and third time. Now it is running for an hour. I will let it run until I go to sleep.

I should fix the power a bit. Use some ductape( yes techknight...good point... ) to isolate and fix properly. Then I can turn it around, etc.

#33 Thu, 26 Mar 2015 - 22:04

Awesome! Spin spin spin!

#34 Sat, 28 Mar 2015 - 00:48

Would like to see the "wind up" from a dead stop.

#35 Sat, 28 Mar 2015 - 19:02

@techknight

Do you mean a kind of roundup?

#36 Sat, 28 Mar 2015 - 22:45

No. the wind up of the drive. You did a video on the drive already running.

would like to see one from non-powered, to powered up and spinning.

#37 Sun, 29 Mar 2015 - 15:58

OK. Here is a movie from still to running.

#38 Sun, 29 Mar 2015 - 22:12

Got a link? Embedded videos aren't working, apparently.

c

#39 Sun, 29 Mar 2015 - 23:06

Is this better:

youtu.be/CTNr0uAiWwk

Or

#40 Tue, 31 Mar 2015 - 04:10

On your video, I never hear the brake release. After the drive comes to speed - about 5 seconds or so, you should hear a "clunk" as the brake releases and then the drive should start to seek. When it seeks, it will make very distinctive "squeak" noises.

I don't know if the lack of brake release is because you are only providing power to the drive, and not any data signaling from the Lisa.

I think this has been covered, but you can read about adjusting the brake in Pina's book.

#41 Wed, 1 Apr 2015 - 20:44

Yes. This is not going well. Sometimes the brake releases, but after that not much happens.

I'm not sure if this disk will work ever. But I will try it on a Lisa one day. That will not be easy.

#42 Thu, 2 Apr 2015 - 01:23

I think it might be because the disk isnt getting up to full RPM? I know the servo controllers of HDDs are smart enough if it senses a problem with spindle speed, the rest will hang until it comes up to full speed.

#43 Thu, 2 Apr 2015 - 16:23

Inside the Widget is a glass scale used for head position feedback. The scale is attached with glue and 30 years later on many Widgets the glue has failed. This commonly results the glass breaking causing all kinds of issues, the worst of is tiny fragments of glass loose inside the enclosure. I fear the screeching noise you hear is due the glass causing a head crash…

Rick

#44 Thu, 2 Apr 2015 - 16:56

No strange sounds! Hope the glass is still OK!

#45 Sun, 31 May 2015 - 16:38

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

With some spare parts I could test my Widget drive. And.... It is alive!!! The Lisa boots up nicely from it. So my efforts to revive it a succes!

See pictures:

I will report later about the "spare parts". I will also start a new subject about a new disk. That doesn't boot......

#46 Sun, 31 May 2015 - 20:19

I thought your Lisa had no logic/mother board?

Edit: I love Lisas, but I cannot justify spending US$1000 on a computer I can't upgrade/repair (10 000 volts on a CRT).

#47 Sun, 31 May 2015 - 21:06

@tanuki65

Repairing the Lisa is not in this post. I will report later about this.

Just like to inform all followers of this post that the Widget is working. Thats GREAT news if you realise that it was completly stuck and inclear if it would work ever.

#48 Mon, 1 Jun 2015 - 00:36

What the heck are you displaying that on? The picture is too dark to tell but it doesn't look like a Lisa, even with the front bezel missing.

#49 Mon, 1 Jun 2015 - 07:09

Here are some more pictures. Side panels are off. I'm cleaning the plastic.

My desk has not much space ....

View attachment 6614

#50 Mon, 1 Jun 2015 - 16:29

Ah okay. I didn't see the skeleton of the metal frame or the drive cage.

#51 Mon, 1 Jun 2015 - 22:39

I could never figure out how to remove the side panels. Is it easy?

#52 Mon, 1 Jun 2015 - 22:59

Yes. It is easy. Just 5 or 6 small screws reachable from inside. I washed them in a bath with washing powder and they look nice and clean now. I also removed the two bottom plates to clean them.

#53 Sat, 13 Jun 2015 - 16:21

Ok. A nice video to end this topic! I have build in the widget drive. It still gets its power form an external PSU. A plain normai cheap power unit from an old computer. I ripped of all the extra wires and made a custom plug. Just with some glue and ductape.

I first switch on the hard disk and then the Lisa. Works fine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZboBCbx62us

#54 Sat, 13 Jun 2015 - 16:52

Nice!

#55 Sat, 13 Jun 2015 - 17:17

Nice but noisy.

#56 Mon, 15 Jun 2015 - 00:54

Still nothing on how you got the drive running again???

#57 Tue, 16 Jun 2015 - 06:51

The disk was revived bij turning it manually for a long time so the grease around the bearings softened.

But to see if it really worked I needed a working Lisa. I acquired one with a defective disk, floppy drive and video board. I used the other parts, like CPU, IO and memory cards to revive my own.

#58 Tue, 16 Jun 2015 - 08:41

Congrats.

#59 Thu, 18 Jun 2015 - 13:19

hey at least you got it working.

The lisa is one of those machines that I don't have any attachment to, and its up in the air whether I would own one or not.

I think I will leave the Lisa collecting to the purists because if I had one I would hotrod the hell out of it.

#60 Thu, 18 Jun 2015 - 18:00

techknight said:
I think I will leave the Lisa collecting to the purists because if I had one I would hotrod the hell out of it.

There is nothing wrong with a "hotrod" Lisa. I have 3 "SuperLisa's" and there is continued new Lisa hardware development. The Lisa is an open-architecture system that was designed to be enhanced (like the Apple 2 line), adding to the system does not make it any less a Lisa.

Rick