Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!mailrus!iuvax!rutgers!psuvax1!vu-vlsi!cheung
From: cheung@vu-vlsi.Villanova.EDU (Wilson Cheung)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: ASDG Minirack C compatible HD controller?
Summary: Zorro I hard card
Keywords: ASDG hard drive Minirack Zorro
Message-ID: <2113@vu-vlsi.Villanova.EDU>
Date: 17 Jan 89 02:43:20 GMT
References: <1184@esunix.UUCP> <392@madnix.UUCP>
Organization: Villanova Univ. EE Dept.
Lines: 29

In article <392@madnix.UUCP>, aaron@madnix.UUCP (Aaron Avery) writes:
> In article <1184@esunix.UUCP> blgardne@esunix.UUCP (Blaine Gardner) writes:
> >Can anyone (Perry, Eric?) point me in the direction of a hard drive
> >controller card that will work in ASDG's Minirack C? I had hoped to
> 
> No hard drive controller card will work in a Minirack C. You're right that
> it's only for use with our memory boards, and was sold as such.
>  

Well actually there is still one hard card that will work in a Mini-Rack C.
Expansion Technologies in California makes a system called the Escort two
which is a two slot Zorro I box intended for a 2 Meg board and a ST-506 
controller.  I've had no problems getting the board to work in my mini-rack
C.  

The minus side of this card is that it is rather expensive; about $399 for
a 2 disk controller.  If you also get a hard disk from them they will charge
you a premium price.  If you shop around in Computer Shopper you should be
able to get an ST251, 28ms half height drive for around $400.  This will 
provide you with a 40 meg drive with controller for around $800 which is 
comparable to other hard drive systems on the market.  On the down side it
is may be the slowest hard drive systems for the Amiga.  You'll get dramatic
improvement over a floppy, but to most other SCSI systems it's a turtle.  
Also it doesn't seem to show speed improvement when operated under FFS.
However, if you want to avoid trying out some SOTS hard controller 
(I tried the C Ltd with the Mini Rack and was unsuccessful), you pretty
much have no choice but to get this controller, sigh.

				Wilson Cheung