I just acquired, for a price that was not cheap, a 9114A drive with refurbished SLA battery pack, and a custom alternative power input 6VDC positive tip connector installed by the previous owner. The disk mechanism has been dismantled cleaned and lubricated by someone who knows what he is doing. When I got the drive yesterday it worked beautifully and I was having a great time for several hours.
I woke up this AM and the drive wouldn't power up. I had left it plugged in on trickle charge overnight and I figured I had left the drive on inadvertantly--I have read somewhere these SLA cells do actually discharge faster than they charge so I figured the battery was dead and would come alive soon charged for a bit outside of the drive.
About four hours later this is not the case. Still dead. I went to The Source (which took over Radio Shack in Canada) and bought a universal DC adapter that has the polarity switching tips like one the seller suggested. The only tip that fits is not the snuggest, but it does convey power. However, the behaviour has been strange. At first, the 6 volt setting left the fault light on and set the power light to flashing, but the self test did not proceed. But now, the power light comes on and nothing happens. No fault light, no whirring of a motor, nuthin'
In my quest to find an alternate adapter around here I could use with the custom connector I found that my Targus universal laptop AC adapter has a tip that fit well. The drive has, at least till this AM, powered up well on this and the self test would conclude, but I cannot access the disk--get TRANSMIT ERR. This makes sense--the Targus adapter has a higher voltage and probably has the wrong current and polarity. But this morning, even the trusty Targus only makes the power light go on--nothing else happens.
Does anyone have any insight? It was working beautifully last night, and I know it provided the previous owner with trouble free operation. I am wondering it my quest for an alternate power source has confused the unit? Even still, this doesn't explain why I can't power up from the SLA pack, even with the 82059 adapter plugged in. There is absolutely no response at all--not even a flicker.
My new universal adapter is rated up to 300 mA and 12 volts. I have tried all of the voltages between 6 and 12 and this seems to not help. Targus adapter does not give a current rating, but its voltages are somewhat higher--15-24, I think.
Maybe I need to let the drive sit and make sure the battery pack has an overnight charge. But this is weird. Right now, there aren't even any whirring motor sounds coming from the drive, neither with the new universal DC adapter or the Targus adapter. And the battery source + 82059B adapter still seems dead.
hope someone can help! Someone here must know this drive, and electronics, intimately, so maybe can tell me where I have gone astray. Thjs is an absolutely amazing machine to have and I want to get it to work again!
Many thanks in advance,
Les
p.s. I have peaked inside and the drive heads seem unbroken. I have not had any disk stick. I have given the unit the gentlest shake and nothing seems rattling inside. There have been no thunder storms or power surges here that I know of. I am, frankly, utterly perplexed.