4 Mar
2003
4 Mar
'03
10:21 a.m.
John Willis wrote:
Hi,
The RD54 (Maxtor XT-2190) hard drive is an old ST-506 relic, and is unreliable at best. I
have a VAXstation 2000 with an RD54, and
most of the time the drive won't even spin up. When it does, it makes sounds the same
as you are describing here. I went in search
for a replacement, but found most resellers are getting $300+ for the RD54, as it is rare.
I would reccommend looking for RD53s,
RD52s, etc., or better yet, find yourself a Q-bus SCSI controller. SCSI drives are cheap,
and quite more reliable than anything
you'll find in ST-506.
In my experience, anything but an RD54 is likely to be a problem.
The RD54 usually had a two or three times longer lifetime than
the other RD drives. That is probably why RD54's are in such
demand.
If you want something for long-term usage, I'd really recommend
getting a SCSI interface, then you have a much larger choice of
media.
You could also go the DSSI route, if you want nothing to do with *nix, or get a KDA50 and
go SDI, if you have the patience to deal
with its many quirks.
You may also be able to use non-DEC ST-506 drives, but be warned: AFAIK, the only VAX that
can perform a low-level format on its own
ST-506 drive is the VAXstation/uVAX 2000. It allows you to choose one of the DEC models,
or enter your own drive geometry, IIRC.
Hope this helps,
John