>
> > 2) Is hard drive media/palm computer reliable under field
> > conditions?
>
> Unknown, but I'd be much more worried about dropping one than with
a
> walkman MD. I have dropped one of those while recording, onto hard
> pavement, and it did not even skip.
>
I took construction under consideration when I bought my MZ-R90 Sony
Minidisc. Magnesium top case, antiskip etc.
When I first dropped mine it fell out of my pocket while recording
and was wounded. It then, for revenge, killed two more discs when I
simply played them back and would record no more. It was a senseless
murder of the TOC's of inocent non-suspecting young discs.
It turns out that on this one model of Sony the record head has less
than 1 mm clearance between the record head and the case. There is
an aluminum band between the clam half shells that is at risk also.
The record head is opposite the mic jack so that if it falls when
recording you are garrenteed it will fall on the weak side.
Once I learned of this design flaw I was able to easily repair the
unit with a little more "impact engineering". It is once again
working fine.
Also on most Sony MD's it is good advise to scotch tape the door
closed that holds the internal battery. Breaking those off is the
most easy way to kill a Sony MD's in the field, imho.
Rich Peet
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