case_dude writes:

Just get one of the name brand pc's from a yard sale,
or thrift shop. These cases have paint inside that
helps stop the emi from getting out.

I would have no problem spending money on a commercially made case, if I
could find one I liked. IMHO, they all suck. Flashy plastic and poor
access even with all the covers off (I didn't consider rackmount cases
because I'd like it to be semi-portable).

I do have one "beige box" here, but I seldom open that one, so I don't
care how awkward it is to mount stuff in it. The other one I frequently
swap out components and I want one that gives me better access with the
covers off. I'm considering a "semi-monocoque" design with no frame.

www.devilfinder.com Big steel computer cases.
cuhulin

Ron Bean wrote:

I'm not worried about anything specific, but I know the manufacturers go
to great lengths to pass an rfi test, and yet it seems they are solving
a non-problem.

I do occasionally run PCs with the covers off, but I seldom have a radio
or TV on, so if I were causing any interference anywhere (eg in the
apartment nextdoor) I wouldn't notice it. I've heard urban legends about
early microcomputers causing interference, were they noisier or were old
TVs more sensitive to it?


Early PCs had a lower frequency system clock so there were more
harmonics to beat against other signals to cause interference. The
original IBM PC had a 4.77 MHz system clock that caused all kinds of
problems. There wasn't' a TV channel that didn't have at least one
harmonic, and some had two. The interference dropped off as the
frequency went up, but some early computers could wipe out the upper UHF
TV channels.

--
Link to my "Computers for disabled Veterans" project website deleted
after threats were telephoned to my church.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida