[net.micro.cbm] Info needed: Skyles 1541 Flash!

gail@cavell.UUCP (10/26/86)

Once again I turn to the net for help:
I own a Commodore 64, 1541, and 1541 Flash! (product of Skyles Electric Works).
I have been using this product for about two years, and the reliability is 
going down hill.  It seems the longer the system stays powered up, the worse
the performance.  Overheating?  No way!  I've got a blower fan on the disk
drive.  I have tried to modify Flash! so that the new cable could be 
disconnected from the disk drive by using a plug and socket.  This turned out
to give terrible performance with errors at least every 30 to 40 bytes
transferred.  So I removed the plug pair and reconnected the Flash! cable
directly to the drive. Performance has never been the same as when it was new.

I believe the length of cable that the Flash! product supplies is critical.
The length of cable must have been worked into an equation that times the
arrival of bits from the drive. I have lost the original cable due to cutting.

I need your help (please):  If you own the Flash! for one drive, could you
please carefully measure the length of the cable from the plug on the 64 side
right up to clips inside the drive?  I know this involves opening the cover
(again... groan), but I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL and I could stop holding my
breath every time the disk is accessed.

Thank you in advance,
Scott McPhee 
 

jamesv@hplsla.UUCP (10/28/86)

> I believe the length of cable that the Flash! product supplies is critical.
> The length of cable must have been worked into an equation that times the
> arrival of bits from the drive. I have lost the original cable due to cutting.
> 
> Scott McPhee 
 
Scott,
I don't own a Flash! but I'd be VERY surprised if the cable length affects
the timing in this circuit (but I've been surprised before).  Have you
carefully checked your new cable for intermittent short or open circuits?

Best of luck finding the solution.
James