What Classic Computer are All About - A Lovers - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

15 Jul 1997

IMHO the ST-4096 FH 80 MG was the most reliable of this era. I spent over
600.00 for this drive new and used it for more than 20 years, and ended up
selling it to a business for 50.00 to replace their dead st-251.

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...
  From: jpero(a)mail.cgo.wave.ca
 To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
&lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;
...
  Subject: Re: What Classic Computer are All About - A
Lovers
 Date: Tuesday, July 15, 1997 7:59 AM

 Allison,

 I gently disagree with this assertion that ST251 series is good than 
 ST225 series.  I got too many dead ST251 series compared to ST225's 
 due to weaker structral design, pushed design by driving steppers too 
 hard byond 40ms average and not as rugged as ST225's.
 I noticed the relationship between higher stepping rate and 
 terrible high failure rate on many hard drives such as ST251's, 
 Miniscribes and early 40meg western digital drives compared to 
 very slow stepping rate on most drives did last long time byond its 
 goal set by designers.  If one wants faster seeking time, go voice 
 coil!  I am dreaming wishing that ST251 drive was fitted with voice 
 coil instead of stepper and better motor design...sigh.

 Those ST225, ST250 are really best consumer's drives and ST251 series 
 might be a mistake at cutting corners well as ST277, ST296 are same 
 design.

 I wished that segate designed ST251 case 
 more rugged and used internal spindle motor with bearings on outside 
 and one screw on top of cover to stablize the motor from top.  Then 
 this ST251's would be possible to be expanded to 100 or 120 size 
 reliably. Whole problem was that design of this ST251 spindle motor 
 is ill-designed to begin with in my opinion:  Trying to fit all the 
 coils and one bearing INSIDE that spindle results in weak axle that 
 gets bent easily due to this design and the bearings failure rate on 
 this one is high too.

 Recently I pulled this ST225 out of dumpter and fixed 
 up the XT with this hd and LLF'ed it.  Gave whole thing to poor guy 
 to use vax at college.  Still works.

 I tore down all kinds of drives from old and 3 years old types for 
 post-failure analysis which gave pretty good info for me.

  ->X-Sender: cerebral(a)michianatoday.com 
Snip!

  First off why bother withg the st225s?  They are
slow (st251s are   Snip!  Tales of positive things about cooling...
  If the fan isn't  noisy it isn't moving
enough 
 air past them, seriously!    Actually, all drives old and new benefits from cooling
and boards 
 likes the flowing cooling air.

 > Also if they are in the smae box as all the 
 > other hardware they raise the other components temperature lowering their 
...
   life.  Heat is
not your friend, this is why computer rooms are air 
 conditioned an usuialy under 70 degrees F.  We have no choice as many does not have
AC so they ran in warm air 
 but if you are careful, enough fans to make hurriance out of it and 
 put a fan or two on monitor as well.  My 17" needs two otherwise the 
 HOT transistor will pop again.  ARRGgghhh.

  Allison 