29 Dec
2002
29 Dec
'02
9:33 p.m.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doc Shipley" <doc(a)mdrconsult.com>
To: <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2002 10:23 PM
Subject: Re: DIY Equipment Racks
On Sun, 29 Dec 2002, R. D. Davis wrote:
Well, it sounds workable, but it's honestly probably more expensive
than buying a used rack. My boss just bought one, a 72"x19" with 2 PDU
bars, front and rear doors, and 8 shelves, for $85.
One of the VERY nice features of a fully enclosed rack, wood or steel,
is the noise reduction. We had 4 PCs, a Cisco router, a 43P RS/6000,
and my Ultra1 going in there. Now everything but the Cisco is in the
rack, and the noise level has been cut by at least half. We
rubber-glued thin, dense foam inside the side panels and doors (being
careful not to restrict airflow).
You can find them cheaper than that even. I picked up an old statmux
locally for $20. Had to strip the guts out, but it had something like 25
6502s running it, along with some oddball EPROMs and other interesting
chips. I passed them along to someone who could put them to use, and now I
have a nice 72" inclosed rack with front & back doors, removable sides, and
two fans in the top, one of which doesn't spin up. A **LOT** cheaper than a
new rack!
Machine room/office is much neater, much cooler, since we stuck the
rack under the return-air duct, and *much* quieter.
Alas, the VAX 6320 and DEC 3000 800 won't fit in the rack, so the basement
is never going to be truely quiet without a power loss. ;)
Doc
Bob