Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!cbosgd!mandrill!neoucom!wtm
From: wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att
Subject: Re: Query about the quality of UNIX/PCs and 3b1's (really 3b1 unix)
Message-ID: <916@neoucom.UUCP>
Date: 7 Jan 88 22:13:17 GMT
References: <9691@shemp.UCLA.EDU> <18017@clyde.ATT.COM> <997@bakerst.UUCP> <131@axcess.UUCP>
Organization: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Lines: 16
Summary: noisy anti-static tab


getting at the anti-static tab is a pain in the ... um, neck-- but
it it is the source of drive squeal. The anti-static tab is a piece
of copper with a carbon button that rubs on the bottom spindle of
a hard drive.  The idea is that the spinning platters can act like
Vandergraf generators and discharge to ground through the head
carriage.  Not exactly a nice situation.  The anti-static tab is
supposed to prevent a charge build-up.  The tab is usually soldered
to the drive electronics PC board.

As mentioned previously it can be removed.  I've never heard of
anything nasty happening, but you never know.  The option I've used
has been to stick a pice of electrical tape on the copper.  It
usually is enough to keep the tab from resonating.

--Bill