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Strange problem with +2A tape drive

SdwSdw
edited March 2012 in Hardware
I recently bought a +2A. I load software using an cassette adapter connected to a laptop. The first week or so it worked beautifully, load menu, press play on built in tape drive, then play in K7ZX on the laptop and off we go.

However, since yesterday the built in tape drive has gone bananas. It keeps stopping by itself!
That is, I press play, loading starts, then after a few seconds I hear a "CLICK" and the play button pops back up and the loading stops.

I managed get a load to finish successfully by forcibly holding the play button down the entire time, but I could hear the clicking sound of it TRYING to stop the entire time so I felt as I was abusing my poor Spectrum, and I'm a bit scared that I'll hurt some hardware.

However, I need to finish my demo in time for Forever party later this week, so I need to load stuff, and soon!

Any ideas what's going on and how I could solve it?
Post edited by Sdw on

Comments

  • Alessandro GrussuAlessandro Grussu
    edited March 2012
    For a start you can try loading software into your +2A without pressing Play on the tape drive. I have done that for a year by now on two +2As and results have been consistently positive. See this thread:

    http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/showthread.php?t=34633

    Please note that although the thread was last updated in June 2011, I kept loading software via the cassette adapter the way described there in the following months and so far it has proven to be a reliable and safe method. Traditional cassette loading has not been affected in any way.

    That said, the cassette mechanism is probably filled with dust and needs a thorough cleaning and a (very small) bit of machine grease to be restored in its functionality. However this means you must open the +2A case and be sure to know where to put your hands on :) Some useful advice can be found here:

    http://www.dataserve-retro.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d54.html
    Spectrumpedia, the most comprehensive book ever written about the Spectrum - Zankle Soft - Corrections for games incompatible with the +2A/+3 - TAP files for DivIDE/DivMMC - SetoLOAD fast tape loading scheme
  • SdwSdw
    edited March 2012
    Thanks for the tips!

    I did try that, but either my output or the cassette adapter is crap, because without pressing play, I didn't get any signal at all.

    However, I came up with the following solution:

    1) Insert tape out of the slot
    2) Make sure the "play" button is pressed enough to make contact, but not enough to start spinning the motor
    3) Since step 2 is kind of exhausting for the finger after a while, I found out that three layers of cardboard placed strategically held the play button pressed juuuuust enough!

    plus2a.jpg

    Gotta love old computers!

    I do wonder though, if having the tape head in constant contact with the tape adapter (even when turned off) could have any ill effects? Magnetic or otherwise?
  • Alessandro GrussuAlessandro Grussu
    edited March 2012
    Sdw wrote: »
    Thanks for the tips!

    I did try that, but either my output or the cassette adapter is crap, because without pressing play, I didn't get any signal at all.
    You're welcome :) Did you try, as I suggested you, to amplify the output signal by using a device like a PC desktop amplified loudspeaker? The PC output is not strong enough in my experience, you have to raise it (just about 55% of volume on the loudspeaker will do) in order to let the Spectrum "catch" the data stream.
    Sdw wrote: »
    I do wonder though, if having the tape head in constant contact with the tape adapter (even when turned off) could have any ill effects? Magnetic or otherwise?
    Judging by the results of my tests to this day, I can say that the answer is absolutely not. There is no contact between the adapter head and the drive head, just a magnetic flux which ends once the computer has been turned off and the adapter has been put out of the drive. As a matter of fact, pressing Play on the tape drive is somewhat more dangerous since it puts its head in physical contact with the adapter head. If the tape head stays firmly in place (i.e. it does not "wobble") and the adapter is not accidentally moved, such risk is kept to a minimum. Needless to say the magnetic flux is as present in this case as it is when the Play key is not presssed.
    Spectrumpedia, the most comprehensive book ever written about the Spectrum - Zankle Soft - Corrections for games incompatible with the +2A/+3 - TAP files for DivIDE/DivMMC - SetoLOAD fast tape loading scheme
  • kofolkofol
    edited March 2012
    I also use a cassette adapter. Inside it has gears to keep both the spools turning, but for some reason it doesn't work well, as many car tape players start pretty much doing the same thing as your spectrum. What I did was I opened mine up and gave the gears on the inside a drop of multi-purpose oil.

    The main problem I found was that if you keep the play button pressed, the capstan and pinch roller are in constant contact, and later it makes a permanent indentation on the pinch roller. The result is a wobbly sound, and pretty much screws up loading from real tape.
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