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From: root@radar.UUCP (Donn S. Fishbein)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Mac II internal HD's: 2 possible?
Keywords: mac ii hard disks
Message-ID: <169@radar.UUCP>
Date: 18 Feb 89 12:57:43 GMT
References: <10011@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: donn@radar.UUCP (Donn S. Fishbein)
Organization: CDS Consulting/Macinterested, Nashville, TN
Lines: 28

In article <10011@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> glen@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Glen Rosendale) writes:
>
>I have a general question that I'm sure *somebody* can answer.  Is it possible
>to install 2 internal hard disks in a Mac II? Easily? I can't think of a reason
>why not, except that I've never heard anybody advertise the process or product.
>Specifically, how about a 1/2 height 5-1/4" drive in the "normal" spot (where my
>CMS 60 MB drive sits) and a 1/2 height 3-1/2" drive (possibly the Quantum 80 MB;
>any comments about it?) in the spot *not* occupied by a second floppy drive.
>There's only one SCSI connector on the motherboard, and my CMS has no piggyback
>connector, but maybe somebody's drive does?

  This is possible and has been done. There's plenty of room and power inside a
Mac II. Basically, there's at least room for 3 3.5" hard drives, or a HH 5.25"
and a 3.5" hard drive. With the addition of a special bracket, available from
UniMac and probably others, you can substitute a full-height 5.25" hard drive
or two HH 5.25" hard drives into the previous sentence. Note that the use of this
bracket may impede airflow, and might not work if you've used high profile SIMMs for
memory expansion. You're responsible for any combination to add up the power
requirements and compare it to the Mac II specs.
  As for cabling, you need to consider power and SCSI. 4 conductor Y-cables for
power and commonly available for a couple of dollars (they're the same ones used
in IBM PCs). For SCSI, you're correct that few if any drives have two 50-pin
connectors. What you need is simply a SCSI daisy chain cable, a 50-pin ribbon cable
with 50-pin connectors spaced along it at appropriate distances. You may be able
to buy these prefab from mail-order dealers like Digi-Key, or you can easily
fabricate them yourself using bulk 50-conductor ribbon cable and ribbon-cable
connectors, which require no soldering.
  If this isn't enough detail, e-mail and I'll answer any specific question.