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From: SYSMGR%UK.AC.KCL.PH.IPG@AC.UK.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.computers.vax
Subject: Super-Eagles
Message-ID: <8701261635.AA25165@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Tue, 27-Jan-87 01:05:39 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8701261635.AA25165
Posted: Tue Jan 27 01:05:39 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 28-Jan-87 05:37:38 EST
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> ... "These drives are trash ..."

I had a long chat to our Systems Industries salesman about the reported
reliability problems. The story he came up with was as follows:

Early production of these drives had a design fault which allowed contaminants
to build up on the heads. This does not crash the HDA but does reach a point
where data can no longer be read or written with any reliability. Apparently
spinning the drive down temporarily cures the problem by scraping the crud
off the heads onto the landing zones!

Apparently production shipped after mid August 86 does not have this problem,
and SI UK are arranging to swap all earlier HDAs with customers regardless of
whether there are problems.

Now for the $65000 question: is any of this true? Are any of you unhappy people
having hassle with newer super-Eagles? If so, we are rather lucky and I have
all fingers crossed and am touching wood as I type...

Nigel Arnot (Dept. Physics, Kings college, Univ. of London;  U.K)

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