Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!osu-cis!att!cbnews!wsd
From: wsd@cbnews.ATT.COM (wayne.s.dinsmore)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Hard Drives and RLL controllers.
Summary: Uncertified drives can cause preamp failures.
Keywords: RLL, preamps, etc.
Message-ID: <5559@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 11 Apr 89 13:40:13 GMT
References: <1495@fredonia.UUCP> <13557@steinmetz.ge.com>
Reply-To: wsd@cbnews.ATT.COM (wayne.s.dinsmore)
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 23

I have been warned about using certain hard drives with RLL controllers.
I am not sure if this applies to the ST251 but you might be able to
determine that from the next paragraph.

I use to believe that if a hard drive formatted successfully using an RLL
controller that everything was fine. NOT SO!! The RLL controllers store
more disk data per physical area. This means that more data must be read and
written per unit of time. This causes the read/write preamps to work
harder because of more data flow. Most hard drives that aren't designed
for this will blow the preamps, and indeed will. The company I purchased
my hard drive from (formerly Viking) has had this happen. In fact, the
gentleman I talked to said that the 10MEG drive I was wanting to hook up
to their RLL controller would blow the preamps in about 3 months or so,
experience being that teacher. So unless your drive is a CERTIFIED RLL
hard drive you could be playing with fire. I have been warned and take this
info to heart, I hope others will also. I hate to see good equipment
ruined for a few extra megabytes.

-- 
                              |    Wayne S. Dinsmore
Make  it in Massachusetts,    |    AT&T Bell Labs att!mvuxi!wsd 
Spend it in New Hampshire.    |    20 Shattuck Road  Room 4A-118
                              |    Andover,Mass  01810