#Tape Drives???
20 messages in this thread
I am looking for advive from those who have already used Tape Back-Up
Drives.
I own an A3000 with 2 HDs (52 and 105 Megs), QuarterBack 5.0.4 and am
looking into increasing my HD space and after considering it all I would
like to get a Tape Back-Up Drive. I understand it isn't a HD, I am simply
going to use it to remove from the HD the least used stuff and retrieve it
when I need it. Which brings me to ask several questions:
Is the A3070 simply a 150 meg drive or can you use `other' tapes to
increase it to 250 megs?
What are commom transfer rates? Is it somewhere in the 1 meg/min range?
Using QuarterBack can I back-up a drive and retrieve just one file like I
can with floppies? How well is QuarterBack for Tape-Drives?
Is there anything I should look out for or stay away from?
Thanks in advance for the help.
<<< Tony D. Tracer >>>
Tony,
I have an A3070 and an A3000. You can use a DC6250 type tape and get
250meg on a tape. I get 4-6meg/minute transfers depending on the type and
size of files as well as compression settings. Yes, you can retrieve
individual files with ease as a directory of the tape contents is
displayed. QBack works very well with tape drives. I have used it with the
A3070, an Archive Viper 2150S and an old weird 3M MCD-40. All worked
fine.
OTOH there is also Amiback which does a fine job with all of the above.
It is really a matter of taste as both are quality programs. See a recent
copy of Amigaworld for a decent comparison of Backup programs for the
Amiga
Goin' AP
…..Mark Sterling
Why is it that CBM doesn't sell it as a 250 meg drive?
The local Amiga dealer has the A3070 at $399.00 including a tape, what are
the current prices for other tape drives? And where can I get them?
I have looked around in Amiga magazines but haven't found much, I am going
to go to a IBM store tomorrow and see what they have.
I already have QuarterBack and it has done real well for me so I will keep
using it.
I am planning on getting a IBM mini-tower case to keep the drives I want
to add, I assume there wouldn't be a problem with something like that?
Thanks for your help.
<<< Tony D. Tracer >>>
I don't know why CBM doesn't sell the A3070 drive as a 250meg unit. But
then, who does understand their marketing?
It would be tough to beat the price of the A3070 for a similar SCSI tape
drive. Hmmm, I think I bought my 3070 for $350 from Software Hut from an
ad in AW. Moonlighter Software sometimes has reconditioned Archive drives
for $250. They are the Amiback people.
The A3070 is in a case with its own power supply. It might be difficult to
put it in a tower case as it seems to have a strange connector on the
drive inside. It works very well on its own and has a cable that attaches
to the standard 25 pin SCSI connector on an A3000, A2091 and most SCSI
cards.
Other 1/2 height SCSI tape drives would fit well in a mini tower case. I
have a case with a Syquest, CDRom and 3.5" drive inside. Works great.
Goin' AP
…..Mark Sterling
Thanks for the info. I found a ad for Moonlighter and will call them
tomorrow. I am also going to go around town looking for a mini-tower that
will suit my needs.
<<< Tony D. Tracer >>>
Mark:
I have a 3070 on my system, and I've removed it from it's external case,
and installed it in a PC tower case with no problem. My 3070 has a regular
50 pin header connector like any other internal drive. The 3070 is
actually a Caliper CP150 tape drive, and I think the reason it's sold as a
150 meg drive rather than a 250 is that the 'standard' tape for the drive
only holds 150 megs. The same is true of the Wangtek 5150 that used to be
sold by GVP, it's a 150 meg tape drive that can do 250 megs with the
longer 6250 tapes. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe that ANY 150 meg tape
drive that uses 6150 tapes can hold 250 megs with the 6250 tapes.
// -Mike Schiller
\X/ AMIGA! On AutoPilot in sunny Fort Lauderdale
Mike –
How neat! The CCS Touchdown 100 is based on the Caliper CP150 as well!
THe difference is that the external case is wider but shorter.
wmc – via Autopilot!
Wayne:
I had a Wangtek 5150, as well as a couple of Jumbo drives (on PC's), and
the Caliper drive has them all beat. The Caliper totally encloses the tape
while it's in use which both protects the drive's heads from dust, and
reduces the noise of the drives operation. The flimsey little door on the
Jumbo drives while it's a nice attempt to protect the drive doesn't really
seal all that well, and the Wangtek doesn't even give you that. I had the
Wangtek for about 3 months, and in that time the drive mechanism got so
dirty (my computer room is carpeted with carpeting that seems to hold a
ton of dust) that I was literally pulling out clumps of dust half an inch
thick! I've yet to try any 250 meg tapes, but next time I buy tapes, it's
gonna be the longer ones for sure!
// -Mike Schiller
\X/ AMIGA! On AutoPilot in sunny Fort Lauderdale
Mike,
I could swear that the connectors were strange inside my 3070. I only
took it apart once. Maybe I should look again. It is more useful for me in
the case as I use it on three different machines. I think you are right
about the 150-250meg deal. I use 6250 tapes all the time with my Archive
2150S drive on my UNIX system. I assume they would work with the 3070.
Do you use the C= ethernet card and TCP/IP 1.0? I thought you had said
you use UNIX. I can't seem to get any info on how to generate an escape
sequence with the functions keys with RloginVT. I must be able to do this
to use Amigas with my UNIX applications over ethernet. A dozen phone calls
to C= has yielded only promises but no info. If I am way off base just
forget it.
Goin' AP
…..Mark Sterling
Mark: After reading your message, I remembered what you're talking about.
No, the drive itself doesn't have strange connectors on it, but C= added a
strange PC board that does the 50 -> 25 pin conversion on it, as well as
providing 2 25pin connectors (one to go to the computer, one for the pass
thru), and it might on first glance look strange. You can remove that
board by just pulling it away from the drive, it's only held by the 50 pin
connector. Hope this helps.
// -Mike Schiller
\X/ AMIGA! On AutoPilot in sunny Fort Lauderdale
Mike,
That must be it! I remember two connectors. It is good to know that the
drive could be removed and used in a standard configuration. Thanks for
setting me straight.
Goin' AP
…..Mark Sterling
Regarding your AS225 question: Have you tried asking in CBMSER?
I haven't tried that yet. Good idea. I have been in contact with a Bruce
Mortinson (sp) at CBM but he has yet to get back to me.
Goin' AP
…..Mark Sterling
>I have a 3070 on my system, and I've removed it from it's external case,
>and installed it in a PC tower case with no problem.
That's good news. That is exactly what I am going to do.
Thanks.
Is there anything special you had to do to be able to use the PC case to
hold drives? I haven't done it before but I know I have a text file
describing how someone did it.
<<< Tony D. Tracer >>>
Tony:
Nope, there's nothing really special you need to do.
// -Mike Schiller
\X/ AMIGA! On AutoPilot in sunny Fort Lauderdale
This is really a message to: ALL
I want to buy a Mini-Tower PC case to put HDs, CD-ROM, Tape-Backup, ect…
into it and have it connected to the Amiga.
Where can I get a Mini-Tower PC case at a reasonable price? I haven't
found a place locally that sells cases, but I have found a few mail-order
places in ComputerShopper. I'd hate to buy something mail-order like that
and then not like it.
Btw, I bought the A3070 and it works GREAT!!!
<<< Tony D. Tracer >>>
I thought you would like the A3070. I know a BUNCH of people that have
bought it and like it.
Just buy that mini-tower case mail order. Most local dealers don't seem to
have them. $70-90 should do it. 200 watts minimum. I paid $84 1.5 yrs ago
for a nice mini-tower case/ps and have no problems with it.
Goin' AP
…..Mark Sterling
Tony:
Locally I can get PC mini tower cases for around $40.00 – $60.00. I've
never priced them in Computer Shopper, how does that compare?
// -Mike Schiller
\X/ AMIGA! On AutoPilot in sunny Fort Lauderdale
Tony,
beware of the IBM store versions. You need to be able to interface to a
SCSI for most Amigas.
I have the Touchdown 100 from CCS (Quarterback publishers) and it seems
to work O.K. It also will accommodate 150 or 250 tapes.
I know creaticve computer handles them, but I don't know what the price is
these days..
wmc – via Autopilot!
>Tony,
>beware of the IBM store versions. You need to be able to interface to a
>SCSI for most Amigas.
I was aware about the drives needing to be SCSI in order for me to use
them. They sure have some wierd interfaces in the PC world.
<<< Tony D. Tracer >>>