Getting an ST-225 disk to work

Just for curiosity, do you believe that the new setting is DS3? I don't have an RD31, let alone a MicroVAX 2000. But if DS3 is required, that would confirm my assumption that all DEC systems use DS3 for the RD5n and RD3n drives. WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If two hard drives are being installed in a BA23 box using either a SIX button front panel or other means to enable the second drive to be recognized (I built one for myself out of diodes, resistors and switches), then ONLY the first drive is set for DS3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The SECOND hard drive MUST be set for DS4 in a BA23 box regardless of which DSn is used when it is formatted. If both drives are not WRITE PROTECTED when you attempt to use them, BOTH formats will be lost, probably along with any files that were present. (I still remember the moment when I lost both formats on a BA23 box over 25 years ago after I forgot to switch the second drive to DS4 after it had just been formatted by itself in the box using DS3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) With a BA123 box, the same DS3 setting is ALWAYS used since there is a separate dual distribution board in the 13th slot. That board can hold a total of four drives, including 2 hard drives and two floppy drives or 4 hard drives or maybe 4 floppy drives - although I can't remember how that would be done. Note that each hard drive also requires its own switch panel as well. Since there is room for 2 dual distribution boards, a total of 8 hard drives can be installed for two MSCP controllers, although the user would need to find a place for the additional four switch panels for the second MSCP controller on a BA123. Jerome Fine