User`s guide

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From: Rubywand
013- Last night a sound like a shotgun going off came
from my 5.25" Disk ][ drive. Now it doesn't work. How can
I fix it?
The noise was probably an electrolytic capacitor exploding. Sometimes,
these develop internal shorts, heat up, and blow (kind of like a sealed can of
beans on a campfire).
The fix is to remove the drive cover and replace the blown capacitor. (Look
for a small can-like component with goo and/or shredded foil coming from it.)
Circuit board markings should help identify the component. Here are some
suggested replacement values:
C2 (on +12V line): 220uF-500uF at 20V-50V
C4 (on +5V line): 470uF-500uF at 10V-25V
C5 (on -12V line): 10uF-50uF at 20V-50V
If there is some difficulty identifying the blown capacitor, replace it
with a 500uF unit rated at 20V-50V.
Before removing the bad capacitor, note which lead is connected to the
outside 'can' part and mark the circuit board where this lead is connected. This
is the Negative side of the capacitor. When installing the new capacitor make
sure its negative lead goes to the marked point on the circuit board.
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From: Wayne Stewart
014- Recently I picked up two 3.5" drives at a swap meet-
- a Uni-disk and a Laser 128 drive. I've tried cleaning
the heads; but, neither works with my IIc. What's the
problem?
The 3.5 UniDisk won't work on the earlier IIc unless the IIc has had a ROM
upgrade. The Laser 3.5 is actually a Macintosh drive with the addition of an
eject button. It isn't compatible with any Apple II unless it has a special
controller card, which of course a IIc doesn't.
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From: Stephen Buggie
015- Can I replace a bombed Apple II 3.5" drive mechanism
with one from a Mac?
Yes. 3.5" drive mechanisms are cheaply and abundantly available from the
Macintosh world. Although Apple II users have increased their interest in 3.5"
drives, these drives have declined in their utility for Mac users who have