HDD options for A1500 with A2091 board

Yoji · 11 May 2015, 20:53

Hi all

My first post so please go easy on me.. simple words please

I am recently returned to Amiga.. and so got my old A1500 out the attic and fired it up. Most of it worked.. but the HDD seems to be dead (a MASSIVE 52Mb Quantum SCSI, circa 1988?). I have opened the 1500 up and the drive does seem dead (green led on back flashes, so it getting power) but zero sound or vibration or clicking.. so not even sure the disk is spinning, let alone heads free and working.

Anyway - assuming it is really dead.. what are my options to replace? I see exact replacement is stupidly expensive on ebay.. so are there any cheap options, like a way to get a CF slotted in.. or a more standard HDD? Does not need to be on the A2091 card if there is an easier option (but want to leave the 2091 in as it has the extra 2MB RAM, which is working fine.

Any ideas?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Cheers.

Franchute13 · 11 May 2015, 21:14

Hi Yoji!, Welcome to EAB forum!.

First, remove battery from A1500 motherboard. Maybe battery has leak acid. Check motherboard status.

HDD option.
Please someone correct me if I'm making a mistake. I´m learning about SCSI tecnology

You can use adapter 50 pin female to 68 female and use a 68 cable with terminator and SCSI III hard drive. Remember if hard disk is more bigger than 4gb you need patch the system.

Example
Adapter
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SCSI-3-HPD...item3f093dfc17

Cable
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-Black-S...item3a74450350

Hard drive
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quantum-At...item463a818091

Bye
sorry for my english.

Jope · 12 May 2015, 11:56

Once you have an alternate mass storage solution set up, you can try starting the old HD by powering it up and giving it a few sharps twists around the spindle axle to free the stuck heads. Then copy anything worth saving off the old disk.

voyager_1701e · 12 May 2015, 13:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jope

Once you have an alternate mass storage solution set up, you can try starting the old HD by powering it up and giving it a few sharps twists around the spindle axle to free the stuck heads. Then copy anything worth saving off the old disk.

Ive also found that solution works with a couple of drives I thought were dead... ie no spin.

Yoji · 16 May 2015, 21:57

Thanks all for your replies.
I will try and get hold of a newer 68 pin SCSI and see if I can get it to work.
I notice in the A2091 manual it says that any standard SCSI that conforms to ANSI X3T9.2/82-2 or later should work.

Cheers

Yoji · 27 May 2015, 21:26

OK - Update :

I got the 68 to 50 pin converter, got a 68 pin SCSI cable and a SCSI Hard drive (all, exactly the ones as suggested by Franchute13 )
But no joy

The SCSI spun up when powered up, but I could not get it recognised by the A2091 SCSI controller/Amiga software, so any further progress was curtailed.
It was designated as SCSI 0 in terms of its jumper configs, I tried with with Wide enabled and disabled, but nothing seemed to get it recognised.

Anyone any ideas?
Cheers

Arnie · 27 May 2015, 22:36

I have a 2gb 50 pin SCSI drive for sale on Amibay if you are interested. I used it in a CDTV, so I know it works. At the moment it's uninitialised but, I can set it up for the Amiga for you.

http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php...pin-SCSI-Drive

Yoji · 27 May 2015, 22:43

OK - thanks - yes - I will buy it.
I will go to amibay and respond there.
Cheers

Franchute13 · 27 May 2015, 23:59

Hi Yoji!
Read this, may be help

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=61574

11 May 2015, 20:53	#1
Yoji Registered User Join Date: May 2015 Location: newcastle-under-lyme Posts: 87	HDD options for A1500 with A2091 board Hi all My first post so please go easy on me.. simple words please I am recently returned to Amiga.. and so got my old A1500 out the attic and fired it up. Most of it worked.. but the HDD seems to be dead (a MASSIVE 52Mb Quantum SCSI, circa 1988?). I have opened the 1500 up and the drive does seem dead (green led on back flashes, so it getting power) but zero sound or vibration or clicking.. so not even sure the disk is spinning, let alone heads free and working. Anyway - assuming it is really dead.. what are my options to replace? I see exact replacement is stupidly expensive on ebay.. so are there any cheap options, like a way to get a CF slotted in.. or a more standard HDD? Does not need to be on the A2091 card if there is an easier option (but want to leave the 2091 in as it has the extra 2MB RAM, which is working fine. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any help. Cheers. Last edited by Yoji; 11 May 2015 at 21:04.

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11 May 2015, 21:14	#2
Franchute13 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Argentina Posts: 281	Hi Yoji!, Welcome to EAB forum!. First, remove battery from A1500 motherboard. Maybe battery has leak acid. Check motherboard status. HDD option. Please someone correct me if I'm making a mistake. I´m learning about SCSI tecnology You can use adapter 50 pin female to 68 female and use a 68 cable with terminator and SCSI III hard drive. Remember if hard disk is more bigger than 4gb you need patch the system. Example Adapter http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SCSI-3-HPD...item3f093dfc17 Cable http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-Black-S...item3a74450350 Hard drive http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quantum-At...item463a818091 Bye sorry for my english.

12 May 2015, 11:56	#3
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,861	Once you have an alternate mass storage solution set up, you can try starting the old HD by powering it up and giving it a few sharps twists around the spindle axle to free the stuck heads. Then copy anything worth saving off the old disk.

16 May 2015, 21:57	#5
Yoji Registered User Join Date: May 2015 Location: newcastle-under-lyme Posts: 87	Thanks all for your replies. I will try and get hold of a newer 68 pin SCSI and see if I can get it to work. I notice in the A2091 manual it says that any standard SCSI that conforms to ANSI X3T9.2/82-2 or later should work. Cheers

27 May 2015, 21:26	#6
Yoji Registered User Join Date: May 2015 Location: newcastle-under-lyme Posts: 87	OK - Update : I got the 68 to 50 pin converter, got a 68 pin SCSI cable and a SCSI Hard drive (all, exactly the ones as suggested by Franchute13 ) But no joy The SCSI spun up when powered up, but I could not get it recognised by the A2091 SCSI controller/Amiga software, so any further progress was curtailed. It was designated as SCSI 0 in terms of its jumper configs, I tried with with Wide enabled and disabled, but nothing seemed to get it recognised. Anyone any ideas? Cheers

27 May 2015, 22:36	#7
Arnie R.I.P Smudge 18-08-16 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Leicester/UK Age: 66 Posts: 3,968	I have a 2gb 50 pin SCSI drive for sale on Amibay if you are interested. I used it in a CDTV, so I know it works. At the moment it's uninitialised but, I can set it up for the Amiga for you. http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php...pin-SCSI-Drive

27 May 2015, 22:43	#8
Yoji Registered User Join Date: May 2015 Location: newcastle-under-lyme Posts: 87	OK - thanks - yes - I will buy it. I will go to amibay and respond there. Cheers

27 May 2015, 23:59	#9
Franchute13 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Argentina Posts: 281	Hi Yoji! Read this, may be help http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=61574

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