How to check platter damage in the middle of 2 platters

[TerraNova]

Hi Gurus

I am wondering how to check if the platter has scracthes in the middle ? Lets say 2 platters with heads H0 H1 H2 and H3 ( 2 pair of heads), obviously inpection on top and bottom platter looks fine, but what if the damage in the middle on H1 and H2?

I have tried using 150W Light source and I can only see edges not the middle or platter surface close to spindle motor. Endoscope or Boroscope is too big to fit in between the 2 platters.

I think it is very useful to know if the platter has damage to prevent wastefull head exchange.

Thank's for any feedback.

[pepe]

Hi,

there are flexible endoscopes with a diameter of 1.2mm which should be OK.
The main problem is the price...
I have good local contacts and maybe one day I will build myself one...
Another aspect is that anything we put between the platters must be of antimagnetic matterial.
As I compared the price of a borescope to the frequency I have to visualize such areas (many times it is obvious from the sound of the drive it is having platter damage), I came to the decision to postpone this investment a bit .
But I will look around wether I can get an image bundle with some optics and make some tests.

pepe

[TerraNova]

will otoscope works?

[Amarbir[CDR-Labs]]

hi ,
i just read the post by ojopipa .He say a little misalignment in a 2 platter Toshiba was forgiving .You can mark the top and bottom platter then might be take out the top platter and check the both .I have never tried this but its just a thought might be someone else have tried that .

[TerraNova]

Amarbir read the question, not talking about alignment

[dobrevjetser]

Terranova,

I think you misunderstand Amarbir.
He means that in the post is described that a toshiba is quite insensitive to misalignment, so you can take out the platters with low risk of making the drive unreadable, and inspect the underside of them.
Thats all.

Regards,

Dobre

[Amarbir[CDR-Labs]]

Hi Dobre,
Thanks for making my friend understand what i meant .Has someone really tried this .Pepe Sir Any Comments of This one .

[ojopipa]

Exactly, I retired some upper platters of working drives and placed again, some times with radial misaligns of more than 1 milimeter and without problems.... not only on Toshiba also with IBM/Hitachi Travelsatar of two platters, yet explain that ever with drives less of 40gb and 2,5".

Regards