CompuServe Messages

Jamie, <<What a great story!>> Thanks. I just wish it was somebody else telling it though. <g> Nah, I don't really wish that on anybody. To answer your question, it's a 486 system, a normal Gateway AT/XT desktop case. The PAR disk was in the lowest blank, right below a dual floppy and CD Rom. The 2 hard disk spaces have got Western Digitals, one 4 years old, and one 2. So this puts the disk right in front of the fan on the bottom of the computer, probably the coolest spot in the box. Micropolis's spec sheet for that drive gives an operating range from -40 to 65 degrees Celcius. I think 65 degrees Celcius is something like 145 degrees F, isn't it? I don't think the inside of my case has ever reached that kind of temperature. Also my old power supply was 250 watts, ran the first drive for about a month. The new power supply with more power leads is rated at 300. I'm not trying to use the PAR at all in Windows, and my reference to Stacker was more a reference to how most people felt about proprietary formating of disk drives on this forum in the past. It's not on this system at present. PAR software? I've used everything from 1.08 to something like 1.34b. BTW, I wish they'd quit using us all as beta testers. Buying it from a dealer? I did. He's primarily an Amiga dealer. I do quite a bit of modeling for them in 3D Studio. <g> Once you get past basic install questions, he's pretty much lost. He only handles the tiny Seagates. That's mostly what his Amiga customers have been buying, so I got the hard drive somewhere else. There's the major pivot point. I think it's come down to the hard drive, and the fact that Micropolis keeps sending me refried refurbished replacements. At least that's my suspicion at the moment. The problem with trying to get this all sorted out is two totally and completely interdependent pieces of equipment (the PAR board, the hard disk because of a proprietary format) which are very difficult, if not impossible to test independently, and two nonrelated manufacturers perfectly willing to point the finger. Thus, the customer is up the river, without a paddle, during a drought. I just may try to snag up one of these VISTA boards people have been posting for sale, and keep looking for a used LVR. Thanks. Roger D.