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From: ef1c+@andrew.cmu.edu (Esther Filderman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: Re: Noisy RZxx drives and how DEC is treating it the issue
Message-ID: <0bz9wK600WCGQBTIcS@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: 5 Apr 91 16:00:22 GMT
References: <1991Apr3.040610.28745@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu>,
	<169@ahmcs.uucp>
Distribution: comp.sys.dec
Organization: Computing Systems, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Lines: 28
In-Reply-To: <169@ahmcs.uucp>

We have rz23, rz24 and rz57 drives.  The rz23s are the pits.  After a
few months they start to buzz and it grows louder as time goes by.  DEC
acknowledges that this is from a bearing that starts to become loose. 
The funny (?) thing is that 9 times out of 10  the loudness of the
buzzing will force you to replace the drive before it physically fails. 
 Since our machines that have rz23 have two, things can be pretty
horrid.   I'd say the average lifespan of one of our rz23s is about
eight to ten months.  This is fairly bearable (no pun intended), except
when a bunch all go at once.

The rz57s (two to a box!) sound a lot like rd53s (or is it rd55?), you
know, that distinctive frying bacon sound I've always thought of when I
think "microvax".    They are, so far, very reliable.

The rz24s are delightful, very quiet and reliable.

At one point, my office had two Vax3100s (two rz23s each) a Dec3100 (one
rz24) and a Dec5200 with 6 rz57s (in heavy use) hanging off.  The noise
almost drove us to drink.

----------------------

Esther C. Filderman     ef1c+@andrew.cmu.edu
System Manager          Library Automation
Mercury Project         Carnegie Mellon University

        They are gardeners and carpenters.
        They are not tomato men.