[Info-vax] Suggestions for Toshiba CD-ROM drive problem

[Dave Froble]

On 4/30/2023 2:03 AM, Steven Schweda wrote:
>> [...] It slipped right on and seemed to work. [...]
>
>    Until it slips right off?  Or just slips?  In my (limited)
> experience, it's not unusual for an old/embrittled press-fit plastic
> gear to crack (radially) from its long, stressful life.  If it's not an
> idler, and it's loose on its shaft (because it's cracked), then you
> might try a micro-drop of super glue on the shaft (not on the gear
> teeth), to get it re-attached (for a few minutes, perhaps?).  if a gear
> has a (radial) crack which extends all the way from its shaft hole to
> its teeth, then the resulting increase in tooth spacing at that one
> point can cause it to jam when that spot tries to mesh with its mate.
> (Making a simple glue repair impossible.)

Probably not going to work well.  If one spot is weak, so might be the rest of 
the "spots".

>    I wouldn't bet much on success if I were attempting this kind of
> repair.  On the other hand, it's already defective, so there may not be
> much to lose by trying.
>
>> [...] copying some SPL disks to my MicroVAX 3100 [...]
>
>    Read the disks on a different system with a working drive, and move
> the contents to the old system?

Now here is the best advice.  It's what I've been doing for some while.  Make a 
file that can be used as an LD device, and you got what you need.  Oh, yeah, and 
while reviled by some, FTP still does what you need.

>> [...]  Literally less than a minute in between success and failure.
>> [...]
>
>    Many things which are not broken can become broken quickly.  (When
> they break.)
>
>> [...] possible replacements coming from Ebay [...]
>
>    My dim recollection is that almost anything works on an Alpha, but an
> old VAX might need a block-size jumper set to 512.
>
>> [...] I don't want to think it's toast.
>
>    In the words of the philosopher, Jagger (or was it the philosopher,
> Richards?), "You can't always get what you want."
>

And there is the sad reality.  Older devices ain't coming back.  Got to learn 
alternative methods.

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
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