jpero_at_cgo.wave.ca wrote:
>
> > On Fri, 30 Jan 1998 19:59:47 +0300, you said:
> >
> > >>(Does anyone else think that the sounds made by old MFM drives is really
> > >>cool??)
> > >Yep. I think that some sound like "lasers" or optical devices of some sort.
> > >Still make me feel like I'm living in the future.
> >
> > I sold a drive (IIRC, a micropolis 85MB) that would spool up and then
> > do a couple of "ching-chings" and worked fine. I tested the livin'
> > daylights out of it; no problems, but many folks told me and the
> > fellow I sold it to that it would die immediately.
>
> What about couple of hdd's that I have that made 'strange' noises?
> Priam 65mb makes pinging noise of a ping-pong dropping right after
> main motor finishes winding up to rpm. And onther one, miniscribe
> 3180E that screams that terrible loud whine if heads commanded to
> move from track to track rapidly. There another not so good
> noises of some hard drives that did warbled series of bird-like
> squeals then fades out as platters is spun up or down have too shiney
> platter landing/take off area. That is real killer sign of a
> failing hd.
>
> Oh, I had one die literally SCREAMING LOUD that could be
> heard next room over which I happen to be in while talking to boss!
> Hard to believe how much noise possible from little ST3144A hd.
The old Radio Shack 8.4 MB drives had a nice friendly chirpy sound
during accesses. I rather miss it.
Of course, that same model drive also made the worst sound I ever
heard. Due to the bad parts contract that Tandy made with Shugart,
policy was for the Radio Shack techs to literally replace every
other possible component twice before getting permission to get a
replacement bubble (the drive assy itself). A repair center
manager whom I will not name got so frustrated one time when he
_knew_ the drive was bad that he took a video tape eraser (the
heavy duty model that you don't allow in the same room as any
software packages) and applied that sucker to the drive assy when
it was at full speed. You have never heard such a squeal of agony
from helpless hardware. (This was an 8" drive unit, BTW).
--
Ward Griffiths
Dylan: How many years must some people exist,
before they're allowed to be free?
WDG3rd: If they "must" exist until they're "allowed",
they'll never be free.
Received on Fri Jan 30 1998 - 15:48:02 GMT