2 Nov
2012
2 Nov
'12
3:17 p.m.
On Friday (11/02/2012 at 10:58AM -0700), Earl Evans wrote:
I have two RL02 drives and a single RL01, and am
interested in buying at
least a couple of these filters. However, I've never changed the absolute
filters in the drives. Is this something that needs to be done in a very
low particulate environment? Also, unlike the foam prefilters which
deteriorate over time, I'm assuming that the absolute filters (being more
like an A/C filter?) would stay pretty much intact, even though they are
likely quite old NOS?
In my experience, the pre-filter, which was usually some kind of black
foam... disintegrated into a fine dust and deposited itself all over the
absolute filter-- turning it pitch black like carbon. Of course there
was other dust and junk on the absolute HEPA filter too, but I believe,
in my situation, with two drives, the demise of the pre-filter was the
significant contributor to the demise of the absolute filter.
You don't have to change the absolute filter in a dust free environment
but I wouldn't do it out in the garage or a dusty workshop or during a
sand storm :-)
You need to remove the front panel of the drive and then you will see a
clear plastic "view port" and a lever mechanism that holds that clear
cover over the air channel. You release the lever, remove the cover
(which can be pretty well stuck due to the rubber gasketing) and then
you can gain access to the filter which pulls straight out. It's a
snug fit in the opening and will bind if you don't pull it straight out.
Thanks for helping a relative newbie :-)
Good luck. Section 2.1, starting on page 22 of the PDF here,
http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/dec/disc/rl01_rl02/EK-RL12…
discusses the whole procedure.
Chris
--
Chris Elmquist