lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips) (09/23/90)
In <1990Sep23.163359.12669@servalan.uucp>, ben@servalan.uucp (Ben Mesander) writes: >In article <42680@sequent.UUCP> cseaman@sequent.UUCP (Chris "The Bartman" Seaman) writes: > >[stuff about hard drive grounding strap squeal deleted] > >>When I worked as a technician for AT&T, we had a (semi-)permanent fix >>for this problem. We used a syringe to place a small amount of >>graphite (which I believe was suspended in a viscous material) onto >>the strap. I used a drive which had this problem, and after the >>graphite application it ran for over two years without so much as a >>squeal. > >When I worked for Imprimis, we used to pull the strap off the drive. I've >never had any problem with this approach. I find the squeal that the strap >makes intolerable. What about corrosion due to the graphite lubricant? The >reason you don't see graphite used so much as a lubricant anymore, is that >it was found to be a major source of corrosion. Whether or not you can get away with pulling the strap altogether is purely a function of the drive itself. The strap becomes unnecessary provided the bearings for the spindle allow for sufficient discharge of static build-up on the platters. Some bearings do, some don't. Unless you know, or are willing to use your data as experimental cannon fodder, you should leave the strap in place and take other steps. I have never used the graphite lubricant, so I can't vouch for the method. It's really a mechanical problem, and with enough fidddling, you can almost always quiet the drive by changing the dynamics of the strap. >I obviously cannot take responisibility for anyone pulling the ground strap >off thier drive, but I've never had any ill effects. Followups to some >hardware group, or by mail. This is _way_ off-topic for c.s.a Comes from working on the 'right' drives. -larry -- It is not possible to both understand and appreciate Intel CPUs. -D.Wolfskill +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | // Larry Phillips | | \X/ lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca -or- uunet!van-bc!lpami!lphillips | | COMPUSERVE: 76703,4322 -or- 76703.4322@compuserve.com | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+