alanf@bruce.OZ (Alan Grant Finlay) (10/25/89)
A recent posting mentioned a strange noise (which sounds like grunting to me) when starting up a Miniscribe model 3675. I also have this problem but with the similar model 3650. What is more alarming is that the drive performs a grunting excursion occasionally when performing normal file access functions. The controller I am using is a Data Technology 5150X. I have some documentation and have checked the installation and formating. The drive does have an autopark facility and I am fairly sure the grunting noise is a consequence of this. Note that the drive autoparks after a time delay of about 20 seconds of non use and indicates the parked condition by a red LED indicator. The grunting sound never seems to happen unless the disk is parked when an access occurs. The strange thing is that it doesn't always happen and does not seem to be related to how long the disk is parked. Indeed if it is time related it seems the longer parked the less likely the excursion is. There are no apparent data retention problems however I don't know if the controller is retrying something and not advising me. My first theory was that the drive has a lubricant which needs to be kept warm and hence the grunting occurs when the drive needs to warm up the lubricant. I have heard of some lubricant problems with Seagate drives which sparked the idea. This theory seems counted out however since even a very long time spent parked does not always imply an excursion on next access. It is annoying to have to wait five seconds or so before a file loads or stores when this is not expected. It happens too frequently to be ignored. This leads me to think I have a malfunction or the drive has a designed in flaw. Note that the grunting excursion doesn't only take place when a file is first accessed. I have a slow printer and if I print a long file the drive has time to park between buffer loads with the occasional subsequent grunt. It may be true that Miniscribe has a phone in advice facility but I am in Australia and would appreciate some advice by email or news. Sorry if this problem keeps poping up in this news group, I'm a newcomer. Alan Finlay.