Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!bionet!agate!ucbvax!FSU.BITNET!PETCHER
From: PETCHER@FSU.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Hard drives
Message-ID: <[gw.scri.fsu.edu].5DEAC620.00923F95.PETCHER>
Date: 29 Apr 89 06:22:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 31


I have seen quite a bit on hard drive cnfigurations for large hard drives for
the ST (Seagate 277N - 65Mb or 296N - 80Mb , or Quantum 80 Mb), but haven't
seen anyone reporting my eventual solution.  I started out by ordering one of
the new Berkeley Microsystem BMS200 boards, along with a case, power supply and
fan.  I had planned to get a Miniscribe 6128 drive (RLL controlled, 110 Mb),
then selling at about $650, so I also ordered an Adaptec 4070 controller.  The
whole package from BMS (board, controller, box, fan, cables) came to some
$300+.  As my order was one of the first individual orders to be processed for
the BMS200, and the boards were just being developed, there was a couple month
delay.  In the mean time the Miniscribe drives went down in price and then (to
my horror) went out of production (something better is coming along?).  So when
I finally received my BMS box, there was no 6128 to be had! About the same
time, Lyco Computer Co. began to advertise an RLL controlled Seagate drive (the
4144R) rated at 120 Mb for about $680.  I promptly ordered one. Because of
delays in shipping at the factory, there was another month delay before I could
get the drive, but finally when it arrived, I spent a short time figuring out
cables and hookups and got everything hooked up. Using Supra formatting
software (no one else goes beyond four 16K partitions that I know of) I
formatted the thing, and have had it running now for a couple weeks without
problems.  So the result, despite all the delay is a drive of some 115Mb
formatted space for somewhere in the neighbourhood of $1000, which seems to be
a rather good value compared to other configurations announced so far.  In
short, I recommend it (though I am still holding my breath).

Just thought I'd report a success story.

                                          Don Petcher
                            Supercomputer Computations Research Institute
                                  The Florida State University
                                   Tallahassee, Florida 32306