• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Tandy 3800 HD Repair/Restoration

As if IVE never done that! :rolleyes:

Well, I still have your original controller board... I will send it to you if you want. It MIGHT still be good!
I'll have to wait until after Thursday tho...
 
Yes, I was able to recover everything that was on it... pity I didn't think to try UNDELETE first... :rolleyes:

His drive had a broken lead to the 2nd-to-upper head... which is why it wouldn't do anything.
I ended up swapping head assemblies (a time-consuming and SCARY task) to get the data...
then ended up having to leave them there as they no longer wanted to talk on the original platters...
So, basically it was a drive rebuild with spare parts!

I had thought to attempt repair of the head assembly,

but

Id need a microscope to see what Im doing! :eek:
:D
 
Last edited:
thats all that was wrong with it? a broken lead? i should have realized that... *shakes head*
well i think i could fix it my eye site being good and all... but the old board may still be good i guess... if you think it might be... I dont know at this point might just be more worth everyones time to buy a new one..
 
Gonna leave all up to you! (cue Donny & Marie) :p

I will get some CDs and bun you a copy of the software that it has (had?) on it... plus some I know you will find 'useful'.
Only thing I have right now is rewriteables, and DVDs.
Will email once I send it.
:D
 
I am certain that would violate various attachment-size limitations... at least on MY end.

I will look for a well-used rewriteable and burn it for you... that way you don't have to plug anything in... :rolleyes:
:p
 
alright then... I guess you could send it with the other HD if you willing to ship that aswell... I will try to get the money to refund you for all this!
 
Conmega said:
alright then... I guess you could send it with the other HD if you willing to ship that aswell... I will try to get the money to refund you for all this!
Click to expand...

'Other HD'? Are you referring to the guts of my 2064 or a good 2024, or just your original controller? so :confused:

:p

If it was a 2024, yes... I will pack it up with a disc of files AND the old controller (for my friend Justin Case) and get it out to you once I have money again... likey Thursday AM...
I can have it ready to go and just drop it at the Post Office...
:D
 
Last edited:
oh uhm... I didn't mean the 2024 drive I don't expect you to part with yet another drive to try and help my efforts to save this thing... I just meant the guts of the other 2064 and the old controller board... I mean I'm sure you have a need for that 2024 and if you don't you will...
 
If I'd known you were such a master of HD resuscitation, leeb, I would have sent that 2064 that was having the problem. Sounds like you might have been able to get it up and running again, and of course you could keep it. I would have just been interested to find out what was on it. Oh well, it was consigned to the dustbin of history.

I'm surprised at how many entries are in the BIOS for the 3800 as far as HD's. Some sizable native entries are in the table. They must be Phoenix default entries that Tandy never bothered to remove since they never released a system with a drive anywhere near those sizes. I'll have to see if I can find any drives that match those larger entries and see if they work without DDO.

I'm honestly not even sure how it is working with my setting of table entry 24. According to the BIOS that is an invalid table entry, but it picks up and initializes the HD without any trouble. I'm 1/2 tempted to stick another HD in there without DDO and see if it might actually work using the same table entry. If it does, we may have found a way to get HD's to work without the need for a DDO.
 
Last edited:
Paralel said:
If I'd known you were such a master of HD resuscitation, leeb, I would have sent that 2064 that was having the problem. Sounds like you might have been able to get it up and running again, and of course you could keep it. I would have just been interested to find out what was on it. Oh well, it was consigned to the dustbin of history.

I'm surprised at how many entries are in the BIOS for the 3800 as far as HD's. Some sizable native entries are in the table. They must be Phoenix default entries that Tandy never bothered to remove since they never released a system with a drive anywhere near those sizes. I'll have to see if I can find any drives that match those larger entries and see if they work without DDO.

I'm honestly not even sure how it is working with my setting of table entry 24. According to the BIOS that is an invalid table entry, but it picks up and initializes the HD without any trouble. I'm 1/2 tempted to stick another HD in there without DDO and see if it might actually work using the same table entry. If it does, we may have found a way to get HD's to work without the need for a DDO.
Click to expand...

All it has to do is be able to read the boot area... then DDO takes over and sets it to be useable.
 
Well, my replacement power supply should be here tomorrow. I'll let you guys know if it works. If so, at least we have found a good source of 16V/1.25A brand new power supplies.
 
Conmega said:
I have opened the drive once to check the heads and they were in the center of the platers and when I went to check if they were stuck at all they weren't so i just closed it up and put it back in. When booting again I can hear it seeking during the mem check but then I never hear the heads move again... I never noticed ANY corrosion on the board but I just had a look and noticed two pins on the CHIPS F82c711 look a bit corroded so I'll try and clean them seeing if that was just shorting...

Also Paralel I'm not sure what your saying for parts of what you have left but I'd take anything you don't want!
Extra parts NEVER hurt! (Yea I'm sort of a hoarder but at least I'm hoarding something cool!)
Click to expand...

Conmega, looks like the entirety of the 1500HD+power supply is yours, minus the floppy drive (I'm going to keep that as a backup since it looks like its just the belt that is bad). It has developed more issues, it won't even POST any longer. It sounds as if a chip has come loose internally, something is rattling around inside now. However, if you still want it, for the cost of a USPS medium flat rate shipping box, it's all yours. It also came with 5 out of 6 Windows 3.1 floppy disks (Disk 5 is missing), you're welcome to those as well.
 
Last edited:
Hmm sounds like an interesting fix if possible at all... Well I'd have to say the floppy is one of the most difficult part to get in those things... But I'm sure I'll run into one some day and if anything I should be able to use the one I have for my 3800 HD if needed... But I'll take it for the shipping costs! Note me and we can discuss it!
 
Last edited:
Paralel said:
Well, my replacement power supply should be here tomorrow. I'll let you guys know if it works. If so, at least we have found a good source of 16V/1.25A brand new power supplies.
Click to expand...

Scratch that. The company that I ordered it from send a power supply that was completely different. Wrong voltage, wrong amperage, and a straight rather than a right angle power interface. They couldn't have gotten it more wrong if they tried. I highly suggest anyone who actually wants what they ordered avoid Impact Computers completely.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top