Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!caesar.cs.montana.edu!ogicse!blake!djo7613
From: djo7613@blake.acs.washington.edu (Dick O'Connor)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.zenith
Subject: Re: hard drive controller
Keywords: st-251 z-158
Message-ID: <5355@blake.acs.washington.edu>
Date: 17 Jan 90 17:22:57 GMT
References: <488@opus.NMSU.EDU>
Reply-To: djo7613@blake.acs.washington.edu (Dick O'Connor)
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Lines: 32

In article <488@opus.NMSU.EDU> wprice@nmsu.edu (William Price) writes:
>
>  I am posting this for a friend.  Any responses would be appreciated.  
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>   I have a Zenith Z-158 running dos 3.1.  As soon as I get a hard drive controller I will install a Seagate ST-251 40 M hard drive.  I have a few questions though:
(stuff omitted)

>-  I really don't want to lose my second floppy drive to the ST-251.  I was told by a Zenith tech. there was room underneath the floppies for a half height device (like a ST-251).  Anybody try it ? Any advice ?
>
I added a half-height Seagate ST238R to my Z159, along with the ST11R RLL 
controller that I bought as a package from First Capitol Computer in Missouri.
The Seagate fits right underneath my two 360K floppies, and I haven't had
any heat-related or other troubles in 2.5 years.  As I recall (my notes are
at home), there was a metal bracket that needed to be snapped off so that
the drive could fit underneath.  It was all detailed in the docs sent by
First Capitol.

>-  Finally, I would like to upgrade the floppy drives to 1.44 M microfloppies in the near future.  Zenith has given me three different opinions about the upgrade  a)  "If the monitor ROM is right (ie the right version?) no problem"

(omissions again)
As I understand it, you *may* need a ROM upgrade as well.  If your current
ROM supports the 101-key keyboard, then I believe it can speak to 1.44 M
floppies.  Then you need a controller that can handle them; it's very
unlikely that the stock Z158 controller could do it, since the Z158
predates 3.5 inch floppies by a year or two.  I pondered this upgrade as
well, but then just bought a Z248/12 from the HUG Bargain Center, and got
*everything* upgraded at once!

"Moby" Dick O'Connor                            ** DISCLAIMER: It would
Washington Department of Fisheries              ** surprise me if the
Olympia, Washington  98504                      ** rest of the Department
Internet Mail: djo7613@blake.u.washington.edu   ** agreed with any of this!