23 Sep
2022
23 Sep
'22
5:38 p.m.
On 9/23/22 09:09, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:
I have a wall plaque given to me when I left DOIM at USMA.
It is made out of a platter from a mainframe hard disk and
and the emblem from a Cadet "Tar Bucket" helmet. It still
hangs, proudly, on my wall.
bill
On Sep 22, 2022, at 10:44 PM, Tom Hunter via
cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
I cannot understand the mindset of people who buy up components desperately
sought by others who want to restore machines just to nail them to their
man cave or living room wall.
These same types of people vacuum up core memory boards, keyboards, disk
platters, 9-track tapes, etc just for bragging rights and as a result
depriving those who restore and preserve computer systems from doing so.
Agreed for the most part, with the exception of disk platters. While it might be
theoretically possible to repair a disk pack, or disk drive, given a loose platter in good
condition, I doubt this is practical. Partly because few if any of us have the precision
equipment needed to do this, and partly because loose platters are typically loose because
they were wrecked.
There might be some exceptions: a spare RF11 or RC11/RS64 platter merely needs to be
bolted to the spindle hub and formatted, that's a normal field repair procedure. But,
say, a platter out of an RP04 pack is unlikely ever to be able to serve as anything more
than a wall hanging or a prop.