A500- 8Mb ram problem on alfapower sidecar

oissery77 · 31 August 2015, 11:59

Hello all!

I own one alfa data (alfapower) sidecar :
http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/alfapower

It's working great (i have 6mb ram and a CF CARD) but if i set the jumper on 8mb ram (i have the 16 zips ram in place), i have errors for the last 2mo range of memory if i test the ram. The manual says that if you use 8mb of ram and an HDD you will have to use probably an external power supply. Any ideas about how to solve this issue ? Did someone have tested 8 mb of ram with it without the external power supply?

Thanks a lot for your help !!

Regards
Cédric

dirkies · 02 September 2015, 12:25

mine is a AlfaPower PLUS with 8MB (2x4MB SIMMs) and HDD (CF card though through a IDE>CF adapter) and it works fine without ext PSU.
So not really a confirmation but at least a hint

oissery77 · 02 September 2015, 16:08

thanks dirkies for your return, it's a good point, i have a little hope about using all the memory, it means maybe that my zip ram are faultly.
If anyone have tested the AlfaPower with 8MB (16x512k zip ram) without the ext PSU it would be great.

dirkies · 02 September 2015, 16:09

why not try with only 2 ZIPs at the time, until you discover which ones are faulty (or the socket itself faulty perhaps?)

oissery77 · 02 September 2015, 16:18

yes i have made some tests but the jumpers allows you to have 2,4,6 or 8MB. I have found 2 zip ram that are faulty because on the boot i have an error. Then i have ordered some other new zip ram with no success

.
My first range of 12 zip ram 6MB are good, maybe it's the last 4 sockets. It's why i ask the about the ext PSU and 8MB (maybe the zip ram consumes a lot of energy?)

dirkies · 02 September 2015, 16:20

and if you remove the CF card with 8MB installed?

oissery77 · 02 September 2015, 16:34

I will do the test. I was thinking that the CF don't consumes a lot of energy but it's a good idea.
I have another details: when i set the jumper to 8MB the 8MB of ram are recognised by the system so he can boot but when i use a soft to test the ram i have errors on the last 2 MB addresses

dirkies · 02 September 2015, 16:43

ok good, in case you REALLY want to be sure the RAM and not the sockets are the issue, just change the order of the ZIPs and see if the error comes before 6MB or not.
And if you find ZIPs cheap, better buy some spares just for the future !

oissery77 · 02 September 2015, 17:12

i know i can do this test but the zip ram are really weak, i don't want to damage anything and i've lost many hours to made the first 6MB to work perfectly

Maybe the best is to buy some new rams but first i will try without CF. i'll let you know thanks !

oissery77 · 07 September 2015, 11:28

hi,
i've made some tests without the cf and i have the same behaviour. I think it's a problem of sockets because the rams i bought was new but if someone has succeded to have 8MB working with a CF and without an ext PSU, please let me know.

dirkies · 09 September 2015, 16:23

send perhaps a PM to this guy on Amibay

http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php...-8-Mb-FAST-RAM

was same drive as yours, I did not see a PSU mentioned in the sale, so I assume it works without it.

oissery77 · 09 September 2015, 16:54

thanks dirkies, i've just sent an email to him, so i really think that it's not a ext PSU probleme

oissery77 · 15 September 2015, 13:47

He answers me, he says that the 8Mb are visible by the system without ext PSU. So it's the ram or the sockets. Thanks Dirkies for your help

oissery77 · 18 September 2015, 12:09

Thanks dirkies, you were right it was just a bad ram, i've replaced it and it works. Problem solved

31 August 2015, 11:59	#1
oissery77 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: france Posts: 124	A500- 8Mb ram problem on alfapower sidecar Hello all! I own one alfa data (alfapower) sidecar : http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/alfapower It's working great (i have 6mb ram and a CF CARD) but if i set the jumper on 8mb ram (i have the 16 zips ram in place), i have errors for the last 2mo range of memory if i test the ram. The manual says that if you use 8mb of ram and an HDD you will have to use probably an external power supply. Any ideas about how to solve this issue ? Did someone have tested 8 mb of ram with it without the external power supply? Thanks a lot for your help !! Regards Cédric

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02 September 2015, 12:25	#2
dirkies Zone Friend Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Belgium Age: 51 Posts: 1,297	mine is a AlfaPower PLUS with 8MB (2x4MB SIMMs) and HDD (CF card though through a IDE>CF adapter) and it works fine without ext PSU. So not really a confirmation but at least a hint

02 September 2015, 16:08	#3
oissery77 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: france Posts: 124	thanks dirkies for your return, it's a good point, i have a little hope about using all the memory, it means maybe that my zip ram are faultly. If anyone have tested the AlfaPower with 8MB (16x512k zip ram) without the ext PSU it would be great.

02 September 2015, 16:09	#4
dirkies Zone Friend Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Belgium Age: 51 Posts: 1,297	why not try with only 2 ZIPs at the time, until you discover which ones are faulty (or the socket itself faulty perhaps?)

02 September 2015, 16:18	#5
oissery77 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: france Posts: 124	yes i have made some tests but the jumpers allows you to have 2,4,6 or 8MB. I have found 2 zip ram that are faulty because on the boot i have an error. Then i have ordered some other new zip ram with no success . My first range of 12 zip ram 6MB are good, maybe it's the last 4 sockets. It's why i ask the about the ext PSU and 8MB (maybe the zip ram consumes a lot of energy?)

02 September 2015, 16:20	#6
dirkies Zone Friend Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Belgium Age: 51 Posts: 1,297	and if you remove the CF card with 8MB installed?

02 September 2015, 16:34	#7
oissery77 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: france Posts: 124	I will do the test. I was thinking that the CF don't consumes a lot of energy but it's a good idea. I have another details: when i set the jumper to 8MB the 8MB of ram are recognised by the system so he can boot but when i use a soft to test the ram i have errors on the last 2 MB addresses

02 September 2015, 16:43	#8
dirkies Zone Friend Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Belgium Age: 51 Posts: 1,297	ok good, in case you REALLY want to be sure the RAM and not the sockets are the issue, just change the order of the ZIPs and see if the error comes before 6MB or not. And if you find ZIPs cheap, better buy some spares just for the future !

02 September 2015, 17:12	#9
oissery77 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: france Posts: 124	i know i can do this test but the zip ram are really weak, i don't want to damage anything and i've lost many hours to made the first 6MB to work perfectly Maybe the best is to buy some new rams but first i will try without CF. i'll let you know thanks !

07 September 2015, 11:28	#10
oissery77 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: france Posts: 124	hi, i've made some tests without the cf and i have the same behaviour. I think it's a problem of sockets because the rams i bought was new but if someone has succeded to have 8MB working with a CF and without an ext PSU, please let me know.

09 September 2015, 16:23	#11
dirkies Zone Friend Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Belgium Age: 51 Posts: 1,297	send perhaps a PM to this guy on Amibay http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php...-8-Mb-FAST-RAM was same drive as yours, I did not see a PSU mentioned in the sale, so I assume it works without it.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

09 September 2015, 16:54	#12
oissery77 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: france Posts: 124	thanks dirkies, i've just sent an email to him, so i really think that it's not a ext PSU probleme

15 September 2015, 13:47	#13
oissery77 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: france Posts: 124	He answers me, he says that the 8Mb are visible by the system without ext PSU. So it's the ram or the sockets. Thanks Dirkies for your help

18 September 2015, 12:09	#14
oissery77 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: france Posts: 124	Thanks dirkies, you were right it was just a bad ram, i've replaced it and it works. Problem solved