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From: bgribble@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Bill Gribble)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: SupraDrive: the adventure
Keywords: Supra drive power supply
Message-ID: <4605@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>
Date: 23 Feb 90 22:58:01 GMT
Organization: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711
Lines: 46

ok, everybody out there, cross your fingers:

I'm about to attempt my first hardware hack.

I know that to the experienced warrantee-invalidators out there
  making a power supply for a Supra scsi interface sans drive
  is a trivial project, but I am a virgin when it comes to doing 
  something to which Supra tech support says "um, you'll have to
  BUY one of OUR drives if you want power for that 2 megs of ram 
  you just bought.  A hardware problem keeps it from working if you
  just put in a power supply."

Fortunately, a VERY helpful Light-Speed Distribution salesman told me
  point-blank that Supra lied to me.  He also told me how to do the 
  hack using the cable and hardware Supra supplied.  I have nothing to
  do with Light-Speed or any other company, but I have to compliment
  the folks there for saving me many bucks.  If I hadn't been assured that
  this would work,  I would have bought a hard drive today, hyperextending
  my credit card as well as making me eat government commodity cheese
  and bread for the next six months or so.  

I bought the interface because I wanted both a drive and the ram, but I only 
  had the cash for one at a time.  I was going to buy a Supra drive in a 
  few months, but now I think I'll buy a ~45 meg Conner and a cheap 
  chassis with power simply because the Supra people told me to either
  give them more money or send my investment back.  I bought Supra 
  because I've heard nothing but good about them on the Net, but I doubt 
  I'll buy anything from them in the future.

Anyway, wish me luck.  I'm going to Radio Shack (God help me) today.

By the way, no need to send advice on the basics.  I know my way around a 
  multimeter pretty well :-).  But if you've done this same project
  (as the guy at Light-Speed indicated a lot of people have) any 
  pointers would be helpful.  I'd rather NOT see smoke come from
  my Amiga, even if it is a 500 :-).

				bill gribble


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Bill Gribble             (714) 621-8000 ext 2045             
Platt Campus Ctr.        Internet: bgribble@jarthur.claremont.edu
Harvey Mudd College                wgribble@hmcvax.claremont.edu
Claremont, CA 91711      Bitnet: wgribble@hmcvax.bitnet
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