What Classic Computer are All About - A Lovers

From: Bill Girnius <thedm_at_sunflower.com>
Date: Tue Jul 15 12:07:09 1997

IMHO the ST-4096 FH 80 MG was the most reliable of this era. I spent over
600.00 for this drive new and used it for more than 20 years, and ended up
selling it to a business for 50.00 to replace their dead st-251.

----------
> From: jpero_at_mail.cgo.wave.ca
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: What Classic Computer are All About - A Lovers
> Date: Tuesday, July 15, 1997 7:59 AM
>
> Allison,
>
> I gently disagree with this assertion that ST251 series is good than
> ST225 series. I got too many dead ST251 series compared to ST225's
> due to weaker structral design, pushed design by driving steppers too
> hard byond 40ms average and not as rugged as ST225's.
> I noticed the relationship between higher stepping rate and
> terrible high failure rate on many hard drives such as ST251's,
> Miniscribes and early 40meg western digital drives compared to
> very slow stepping rate on most drives did last long time byond its
> goal set by designers. If one wants faster seeking time, go voice
> coil! I am dreaming wishing that ST251 drive was fitted with voice
> coil instead of stepper and better motor design...sigh.
>
> Those ST225, ST250 are really best consumer's drives and ST251 series
> might be a mistake at cutting corners well as ST277, ST296 are same
> design.
>
> I wished that segate designed ST251 case
> more rugged and used internal spindle motor with bearings on outside
> and one screw on top of cover to stablize the motor from top. Then
> this ST251's would be possible to be expanded to 100 or 120 size
> reliably. Whole problem was that design of this ST251 spindle motor
> is ill-designed to begin with in my opinion: Trying to fit all the
> coils and one bearing INSIDE that spindle results in weak axle that
> gets bent easily due to this design and the bearings failure rate on
> this one is high too.
>
> Recently I pulled this ST225 out of dumpter and fixed
> up the XT with this hd and LLF'ed it. Gave whole thing to poor guy
> to use vax at college. Still works.
>
> I tore down all kinds of drives from old and 3 years old types for
> post-failure analysis which gave pretty good info for me.
>
> > ->X-Sender: cerebral_at_michianatoday.com
> Snip!
>
> > First off why bother withg the st225s? They are slow (st251s are
> Snip! Tales of positive things about cooling...
> > If the fan isn't noisy it isn't moving enough
> > air past them, seriously!
> Actually, all drives old and new benefits from cooling and boards
> likes the flowing cooling air.
>
> > Also if they are in the smae box as all the
> > other hardware they raise the other components temperature lowering
their
> > life. Heat is not your friend, this is why computer rooms are air
> > conditioned an usuialy under 70 degrees F.
> We have no choice as many does not have AC so they ran in warm air
> but if you are careful, enough fans to make hurriance out of it and
> put a fan or two on monitor as well. My 17" needs two otherwise the
> HOT transistor will pop again. ARRGgghhh.
>
> > Allison
>
Received on Tue Jul 15 1997 - 12:07:09 BST