Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!cernvax!chx400!ethz!visinfo
From: visinfo@ethz.UUCP (VISINFO Moderators)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: A2000, HardFrame, SyQuest
Keywords: HardFrame SyQuest SQ555
Message-ID: <2916@ethz.UUCP>
Date: 21 Dec 89 11:03:46 GMT
References: <5450@nigel.udel.EDU>
Reply-To: visinfo@bernina.ethz.ch.UUCP (VISINFO Moderators)
Organization: ETH Zuerich, Switzerland
Lines: 62

In article <5450@nigel.udel.EDU> rlcarr%athena.mit.edu@cunyvm.cuny.edu writes:
>
>As it stands now, I will be buying a HardFrame/2000 and a 40 meg SyQuest
>drive as soon as I have the cash.  Some questions:
>
>1) It would seem that it is easy enough to install the HardFrame itself.
>Just gotta plug it into the bus.  Is this so?

The HardFrame is really easy to install. You have to plug in the card in
a slot, connect the SCSI cable to your drive and plug in the power connecter.
Then you have to install the software. The HF software is really user friendly.

>2) I want to mount the SyQuest in the 5.25" drive bay in my A2000.  Will
>it fit?  Do I have to buy a cable to connect the HardFrame to the SyQuest,
>or does such a cable some with the SyQuest and/or HardFrame?

The SyQuest will fit into the 5.25" drive bay in your 2000. The cable comes
with the HardFrame.

>3) How hard is it to mount the SyQuest in the A2000 (assuming it fits)?
>Assuming it is a 5.25" half-height drive, is the mounting standard, or
>is there the chance that drilling and other evil things will have to be
>done?  How do I power it from my A2000?  Does the A2000 power supply
>have a plug for a hard drive, or does it have to be hacked around with.

Probably the SCSI cable is a bit short, so you have to install the HF into
the first slot. The plug for the power is ready to connect.

>4) Should I give up and just have my dealer install the thing (assuming he
>would - which he might not because I am buying neither the SyQuest nor the
>HardFrame from him - dealer is the Memory Location.  I bought my A2000,
>SupraRAM, and 2nd floppy from them though - how is TML on cases like this
>anyway?).

I think nearly anyone can install this combination.

>5) If I later (hopefully) get a second SyQuest, it will be put in an external
>chassis.  How do I get connect the HardFrame to the external SyQuest
>(HardFrame ad says it can drive 7 SCSI devices, so there must be a way to
>do this)?

I have a SyQuest externally installed with a 2090 controller. You should buy
a external box with intergrated power supply, so you have only one cable from
the HardFrame to the SyQuest.
You also have to buy an external connection adapter for the HardFrame because
it doesn't support it as standard. Then you have to make or buy a cable with
a 25 PIN Mac compatible connecter on one side and a 50 PIN SCSI connector on 
the other side.

Currently the HardFrame doesn't support automatic diskchange with the SyQuest,
but they told me at the AmiEXPO Cologne, that they want to add this feature as
soon as possible.
I Think the HardFrame/SyQuest combination is a very good hard drive system.
You will get a transfer rate of about 450Kbyte/sec. An the access time of about
25 ms is not bad either.


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