Thanks for EUG #18. I see my subscription has elapsed so I'm sending a cheque for £5.20 which should help keep things ticking over for a bit.
To assist you in your survey, my own Elk has a standard, single-sided Acorn Plus 3 drive. I also own a new double-sided Cumana drive, which I originally intended to hook up as a second drive. Unfortunately, it seems this must also be configured as "Drive 0" and I was unable to make it work. Maybe someone knows of a way it can be done? I would consider using the Cumana drive in place of the Plus 3 but I would need a suitable interface and ADFS. I believe Pres used to supply something along those lines, but where are they now? However, I'm not grumbling because the Plus 3 still works ok.
On printers. I have two, an Olivetti JP101 inkjet and a Panasonic KX-P1125. I still have some cartridges for the older machine and I continue to use it for printing ouy EUG (and most personal stuff) because it is quiet enough not to disturb anyone in the household. My folks are getting on a bit, and my Dad, in particular, is a bit sensitive to odd noises coming from my bedroom! The Panasonic printer makes good letter-quality output, but is a bit on the noisy side.
Well, there it is. I don't think there is anything else to say just now. Oh yes, I keep my PSU way down on the bottom shelf of my computer desk!
John Woodhams
Now I may be corrected on this one but most drives I have encountered need to have a link changed inside them to make them work as Drive 1. To do this, remove the case and on top of the circuit board (usually near to the data lead connector) will be a row of pins. These are usually marked on the board itself as 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4. The link will be on the first pair, 0. Lift this link out and put it into the pair marked 1.
There may also be other pins there with links and other markings. Leave these. I have never been able to understand quite what they do but they must do something.
You can also change the link on your Plus 3 drive in the same way. Remove the Plus 3 case, remove the drive, remove the metal cover on the drive and then move the link. In fact this is a bit harder than it sounds mainly because of the number of screws holding the Plus 3 together. But don't be frightened. Provided you are careful there is not really much you can do wrong. As with all these things, follow the procedure I was taught when I was doing Nurse Training:
Prepare Yourself, Prepare Your Equipment, Prepare Your Environment, Carry Out The Procedure, Record Everything.
1st April 1995