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Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:DYPSS1::SCHAFER
Created:Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2852
Total number of notes:33157

2582.0. "Quieting a noisy hard disk ?" by SALSA::MOELLER (Karl has... left the building.) Mon Feb 25 1991 12:28

    This question should go in the Macintosh conference, but I figure you
    folks'd be more sympathetic to my plight ... a whining, noisy SCSI
    external hard disk.  When I first viewed the system I didn't notice it.
    
    Now that it's in my studio it's clearly a headache.  I put it inside
    a cardboard shoebox with some plastic bubble pack and a thermometer, and 
    within one hour it became quite hot, though quiet.  Removing the bubble
    pack apparently allows some air flow around the unit, but it still gets
    up to nearly 80 deg.F.  -It gets hotter than than in the house in
    summer here.. I called a local company that deals in these and came away 
    with the info that the drive uses bottom-to-top convection, and that even 
    though it was whining loudly, the unit was probably not defective.  I 
    wondered if any of you are dealing with loud hard drives in the studio, 
    and if so how you're quieting them down.
    
    One thought was to get a long SCSI cable.. except this guy has a second
    cable, to the external floppy port, where it gets its power.. straining
    the power supply in the MAC.  And that cable is short.  So I can't
    stuff the little bugger in the closet. 
    
    thanks. karl
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
2582.1Sounds like a VS2000 that I got fixedRANGER::EIRIKURMon Feb 25 1991 15:236
    Karl, how old is this drive?  Could you have the "noisy static brush
    bushing" problem?  DEC FS reps would REMOVE this carbon spring-loaded
    cap that rubbed against the spindle of certain HD's.
    
    	Eirikur
2582.2a LOUD dwarfSALSA::MOELLERKarl has... left the building.Mon Feb 25 1991 15:383
    eirikur, it ain't a DEC drive attached to my MAC.  it's a Dwarf 45.
    
    karl
2582.3I should have mentioned that this was relevantRANGER::EIRIKURMon Feb 25 1991 17:288
    Call the vendor.  Ask them if your particular drive mechanism has the
    noisy brush.  For the truely aggressive, this could be a kitchen-table
    modification, but don't try it unless you are comfortable fooling
    around with drive assemblies.   I only mentioned this because it was a
    problem common to Macs, VAXen, and probably anything using a hard disk.
    
    	Eirikur
2582.4I hate the fan noise, myself.RANGER::EIRIKURMon Feb 25 1991 17:308
    And then again, if it is a noisy fan, you can reduce the fan speed,
    and/or shock-mount it and do other noise reduction things inside the
    drive.  A DC fan will slow down with a series resistor, and an AC one
    will slow down with a series capacitor (a low RPM Mac fan that I have
    uses this trick).
    
    	Eirikur
2582.5SALSA::MOELLERKarl has... left the building.Mon Feb 25 1991 18:241
    great suggestions, Eirikur.  thx.
2582.6Noisy Brush FCO InstructionsDCSVAX::COTEThere wasn't even any Hollywood!Mon Feb 25 1991 19:4413
    The noisy brush problem is indeed easily fixed.
    
    1. Remove drive from housing. Intuitive.
    
    2. Turn upside down.
    
    3. Locate flexible copper-colored brush at center of disk.
    
    4. Grab brush firmly.
    
    5. RRRR-I-I-I--PPP!! (Bend back and forth it necessary.)
    
    Edd