Shielding required?

[blanning]

Is there any reason not to totally remove the shielding from an A500?

 

[Boing-ball]

Is there any reason not to totally remove the shielding from an A500?

Not as far as I am aware. I know that the CD32 needs its shielding due to the CD Drive can get interference. I remove all the shielding (Apart from the bottom) on my A1200’s. That is usually due to add-on’s needing to piggy back off Chips etc..

 

[bozzerbigd]

Not as far as I am aware. I know that the CD32 needs its shielding due to the CD Drive can get interference. I remove all the shielding (Apart from the bottom) on my A1200’s. That is usually due to add-on’s needing to piggy back off Chips etc..

I just got some metal sheet cutters and modded mine to fit a IDE2CF card adapter. It must have it's uses or they wouldn't have put them in! Just make sure that they're not shorting anything!

 

[Boing-ball]

I just got some metal sheet cutters and modded mine to fit a IDE2CF card adapter. It must have it's uses or they wouldn't have put them in! Just make sure that they're not shorting anything!

My understanding is the RF (Radio Frequency) Shielding was added due to certain countries laws on electronics giving off stray Radio Frequencies, that could interrupt other electronics.
In this day and age, the shielding portion isn’t really needed. As for mentioned there must be some strange RF interference to the CD drive mechanisms on CD32 systems.
I know a few people who have made A500 towered systems, where the RF shielding has been completely removed. I’ve even built a couple of A1200’s Towered systems without any RF shielding.

As they say YMMV!

 

[Akiko80]

A silly question perhaps, but should by removing the RF Modulator on affected CD32 machines eliminate the RF interference?

 

[miggymad]

A silly question perhaps, but should by removing the RF Modulator on affected CD32 machines eliminate the RF interference?

No. RF interference is usually caused from another electrical or electronic device, particularly one that contains a motor. The best way to combat this is to use good quality shielded cables with ferrite beads (also known as a ferrite block, ferrite core, ferrite ring, EMI filter, or ferrite choke) fitted.

 

[Buzzfuzz]

I have removed the top ones on every machine, no problems here.
I keep the bottom ones pure for grounding, but for RF it's no longer needed. Motors were are source back in the days, but AM/FM frequencies were more likely because of the immens power output, like 2000 KW or more. Having gone digital and decreased power output because of electricity being like 80 cents per KwH sure helps these days