On 5/26/2015 7:54 PM, Billy Pettit wrote:
Jim wrote:
From: jwsmobile <jws at jwsss.com>
Subject: GE disk drives on ebay, one badged Datacraft
GE-14-Hawk-Drive-23991-47d266933G3
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261895292646
One of these systems really appears to be a CDC drive, but the other one
is badged Datacraft 5208, and doesn't look familiar.
Any idea on what it is? Looks like something that would fit a
collection of storage devices as a unique item, given that it is 14"
removable.
This page implies it is a CDC drive, but I've not seen one with the
front this one has.
http://www.mfarris.com/pack/datacraft.html
thanks
Jim
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Couldn't view the item on eBay - got the message that it was removed. However the
page you sent for Datacraft 4441 shows it to be a CDC Hawk drive. The 9425 was first made
by NCR. It moved from California to Oklahoma when CPI and MPI were formed.
The early version 9425 Cartridge Disk Drive was not a good product. It was re-engineered
into the 9427H, code named Hawk. Both were 5MB fixed, 5MB removeable cartridge.
Available as a rack mount or stand alone cabinet. There were 4 different types of plug in
interfaces available. As near as I can remember, there were around 350 different
configurations in production. Most were variations on the color(s) of the skins. But
there were also options for sector count, power supplies, front name plate, terminators,
cables, etc.
Without the original configuration data, it is hard to look at a Hawk and tell what was
in it and who was the OEM customer. Customer base was like a who's who of 1970s -
minicomputers to early microcomputers. There were even a few S-100 controllers for it
There was a 2 disk fixed only version called the Falcon.
Really brings back the memories.
Billy
Billy,
many thanks for your reply.
The auction photos have been altered now to just have the hawk. I
should have saved off the Datacraft drive photos.
Another lurking list member found the federal contract information for
these drives:
From the GE part number on the GE Philly nameplate, I think these came
from Re-entry Systems.
There is a
government contract number on the nameplate. Google
found this contract info:
http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=249&mtch=17&cat=al…
GE Aerospace's headquarters was in King of Prussia. These drives must
have been part of a system made for the Army. I think these drives are
destined for the scrapper as I can't imagine they are even worth the
gasoline to haul them anywhere.
Thanks to Lou for the info. I'll let him chime in if he wants something
on the public list.
I sent back to him that I know that printers and tape drives were in
Valley Forge at the combined operation of Centronix and MPI in 82. I
went there when MPI was trying to break into the market with the
Sentinel. They also made half inch drives there for the broad market.
I had bought a couple of Sun systems and had very nice specimens of
that. Their main market at the time were the vertical reel-reel drives
for DEC in that category.
I think Minneapolis and Ok City were the main disk operations in the
fold at the time. This drive was sold by GE, and that division was in
King of Prussia by coincidence.
Were you still with CDC at the time? (If you don't mind telling the
list). You were with CDC thru most of its history, and can probably
correct some things I have here.
thanks
Jim