DEC RD54 from Maxtor

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. 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 +------------------------------------------------+--------------------------------+ | John P. Willis, MCP, SBI, NASA-STD-8739.5 | Coherent Logic Development | | Chief Executive Officer | "Multiplatform Solutions | | Coherent Logic Development | for a Multiplatform World" | +------------------------------------------------+--------------------------------+ | web: http://www.coherent-logic.com/ | | e-mail: ceo(a)coherent-logic.com | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Franco Tassone" <franco.tassone(a)inwind.it> To: <cctech(a)classiccmp.org> Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 1:54 PM Subject: DEC RD54 from Maxtor