{"id":156,"date":"2022-08-13T23:08:55","date_gmt":"2022-08-13T21:08:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bananahdd.nl\/?p=156"},"modified":"2023-03-31T21:02:01","modified_gmt":"2023-03-31T19:02:01","slug":"excelstor-ganymede-j680-80gb-2004","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bananahdd.nl\/index.php\/2022\/08\/13\/excelstor-ganymede-j680-80gb-2004\/","title":{"rendered":"ExcelStor Ganymede J680 80GB (2004)"},"content":{"rendered":"

ExcelStor have always been quite an interesting brand for me personally. I’ve had quite a few of their drives at this point and whilst my experiences with them have usually been quite positive, there’s always been a looming sense of doom whenever they’ve been in operation.<\/p>\n

This one is no exception, as it’s failing rather dramatically.<\/p>\n

\"excelstor-01-top\"
A familiar looking top-plate.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
  Drive Attributes<\/strong><\/em>\r\n  -------------------------------------\r\n  ExcelStor Ganymede J680<\/em>\r\n  -------------------------------------\r\n  Capacity      80GB\r\n  Mfc Date      2004-03-31\r\n  Interface     PATA\r\n  Platters      1\r\n  Heads         2\r\n  RPM           7200\r\n  Protocol      Ultra-ATA\/100\r\n  -------------------------------------<\/pre>\n
This is clearly a rebrand of one of the earlier Deskstar models, when under ownership by Hitachi. ExcelStor were limited to 40GB and 80GB models for a long time while under license, but this changed in their later years. They went out of business shortly after that, however. This one bears some late-stage IBM design similarities, particularly when looking at the PCB. The classic domed top over the spindle motor was something I saw a lot of when dealing with several 120GXP models (particularly, AVVN suffix models).<\/p>\n
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Planetary positioning.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The labelling on ExcelStor drives is quite a bit different to that of Hitachi\/IBM designs, but in a rather suitable way. I’ve always liked the Jupiter logo they added on these, designating the series.<\/p>\n
\"excelstor-01-bottom\"
Again, a familiar sight.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
We’re dealing with a fairly bog-standard IBM\/Hitachi bottom design. Nothing particularly special. I was hoping this one would work well, as “higher” capacity IDE drives seem to be somewhat inconsistent in terms of reliability, sadly.<\/p>\n
\"excelstor-01-pcb\"
An IBM-esque PCB.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
There’s a clear call back to the IBM era here, with a very prominent IBM labelled IC. This is much the same layout as most 120GXP’s I’ve personally dealt with.<\/p>\n
\"excelstor-smart\"
Sadly, this drive has seen better days.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The monstrous “BZZZ” sound you can hear when this drive spins up is obviously not normal behaviour. Unfortunately, this drive has some issues with unlocking the actuator arm from the parking ramp, the culprit being a degrading rubber bumper. The SMART parameters just keep getting worse and worse, so it’s safe to say this drive is practically useless.<\/p>\n
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Inside.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
As this drive keeps getting worse and worse, it’s worth checking how it looks inside to see what’s going on. As usual, a ramp-loading mechanism is present, like in all Hitachi\/IBM designs at this point in time.<\/p>\n
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The heads.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The platter.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The actuator arm.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The actuator assembly.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The filter.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
It’s a shame this one has pretty much kicked the bucket. As is the luck which hides behind ExcelStor-made drives.<\/p>\n
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A temporary fix, but one that has to be done.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
For now, a small strip of electrical tape will do (this has to be done while the drive is running, else the actuator is firmly seated against it), but suffice to say, this isn’t a phenomenal long-term solution.<\/p>\n
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It lived, for a short time.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
This drive hasn’t reacted well to being opened either, its health dropping rapidly. Ah, well.<\/p>\n
If you missed the videos I made on this drive, you can find them here:<\/p>\n