30 Aug 2003, 12:06, Roy J. Tellason (1:270/615), wrote to JAY EMRIE:

Hi Roy.

 RJT>> What I should probably do is take some tie-wraps and bundle up 
 RJT>> the wiring a little bit so as to keep it out of the air flow.  
 RJT>> 
........................

 RJT> I think that rather than buy new cables I'll have a go at making 
 RJT> the ones I have less obstructive,  first.  I do have a *big* bag 
 RJT> of tie-wraps here... :-)

Avoid the tie wraps!  Way back on IBM AT's with 286's, IBM had that idea. 
Almost all data errors and corrupted files were fixed by removing the IBM
installed tie wraps!

All non-sheilded cables should be separated by at least a cable-thickness
of dead space.  Whenever there is excess ribbon cable, it should be folded
in such a way that the wires cross perpendicular to each other, not all
bundled parallel, such as folding the excess over itself.

What I do that is particularly easy with the cases we are presently using,
is fold each drive cable at a relatively sharp 90 degrees very close to the
drive plug, then press the flat of the cable against the motherboard
mounting plate.  This keeps the flat side of the cable from blocking
airflow as well as making viewing easy to see what's in there and what I
might have forgotten...   :-))

I also twist all the power cables with a cordless drill so I get about one
twist per inch.  Primary purpose is to keep all those scraggly wires
together and neat, but it will also help reduce RF that may feed back on
the power leads.  A side effect is simply testing the leads, as about two
per hundred times a wire lead has pulled out of a connector, and I found
that they had never been crimped!   


     Good luck...  M.

--- Msged/386 TE 06 (pre)