Thanks, good to know.
Ikon Ultra Drive
Re: Ikon Ultra Drive
I've just completed a repair on one of these... the usual problem with the interface cartridge's direct connection to a ribbon cable (at non-standard pitch and without strain relief) causing failure over time with flexing.
For anyone who might need to repair one that's completely disconnected, here are the details:
Interestingly, I seem to have a later ROM version, 2.3!
Dump incoming...
For anyone who might need to repair one that's completely disconnected, here are the details:
- Dragon Hobbit _ ikon connections.png (32.37 KiB) Viewed 36415 times
Dump incoming...
Re: Ikon Ultra Drive
Write protect - I couldn't get writing to work at all, with the drive just reporting ?WP Error.
It seems most analogue mini cassette recorders using the Philips mini cassette - dictaphones etc - don't use the write protect feature. Whereas the digital drive does, and requires the little round holes at the top of the tape to be covered in order to permit writing. It seems Philips supplied little plastic plugs to push into these, but covering with a bit of sticky label or tape will do fine.
Writing is now occurring, though it is not at all reliable. I've cleaned the heads thoroughly and that hasn't made a difference.
This might be a calibration issue. There are electronic tape read signal "level" and tape speed calibrations, and a physical jitter calibration screw. Apart from the tape speed though, dedicated test media is needed to perform the calibration procedures. I suspect jitter, as old recordings seem reliable but new ones not - neither read level nor tape speed should have this effect. It might also be damage to the internal drive gears from attempted jitter adjustment in the past :-/
I don't think it's a media thing either - in theory these should be used with dedicated LDB4401 digital mini-cassette media, but writing to either an old digital tape or a new dictaphone one seems equally unreliable.
It seems most analogue mini cassette recorders using the Philips mini cassette - dictaphones etc - don't use the write protect feature. Whereas the digital drive does, and requires the little round holes at the top of the tape to be covered in order to permit writing. It seems Philips supplied little plastic plugs to push into these, but covering with a bit of sticky label or tape will do fine.
- Write Protect plugs.png (24.67 KiB) Viewed 36313 times
This might be a calibration issue. There are electronic tape read signal "level" and tape speed calibrations, and a physical jitter calibration screw. Apart from the tape speed though, dedicated test media is needed to perform the calibration procedures. I suspect jitter, as old recordings seem reliable but new ones not - neither read level nor tape speed should have this effect. It might also be damage to the internal drive gears from attempted jitter adjustment in the past :-/
I don't think it's a media thing either - in theory these should be used with dedicated LDB4401 digital mini-cassette media, but writing to either an old digital tape or a new dictaphone one seems equally unreliable.