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#Tecmar HD

21 messages in this thread
#36447From: Mike BerroOct 16, 1986 8:35 PM
I just got my Tecmar hard drive and love it (so far). An assembly that takes 4:10 when all include files are in RAM: takes only 4:35 off the HD. This compares to over ten minutes off the floppy. Only drawback is the whining noise (although not louder than any other external drive I've heard). Question: can I extend the HD cable so I can hide the drive? If so, how far? Also, the read light is always on, the write never lights. I suppose I'll have to call Tecmar. I'm going to go play with it some more, bye. — Mike
#36460From: TERRY LAGRONEOct 16, 1986 10:47 PM
I have a t-card and love ram: use. Let me know if you get good use out of the HD.
#36460From: TERRY LAGRONEOct 16, 1986 10:47 PM
I have a t-card and love ram: use. Let me know if you get good use out of the HD.
#36758From: Brian NiessenOct 20, 1986 12:32 AM
Mike, the noise is due to a mixup on the fan connections. They use a 6 volt fan on the unit, but have the fan power connected to the 12 volt power supply. If you are brave, take it apart and desolder the RED wire from the 12 volt line and connect it to the 5 volt line right beside it. It makes it a heck of a lot quieter. As for the REAXD/WRITE, there is a problem there alright. BTW, How much did you pay for it?
#36768From: Mike BerroOct 20, 1986 1:27 AM
I paid $1040 for it, and about $545 for the T-card with 1 meg. How about you? I called tecmar about the lights, and one of the engineers (who "didn't really know much about the Amiga") said that I should open it up and check a jumper from the board to the front panel. At the same time I will try your fix, which I assume you've already done (yes?). Thanx! —
#36814From: Brian NiessenOct 20, 1986 5:31 PM
Mike, $545 for the T-Card w/1 Meg is quiet a good price, no? I did the fix and it works great (Actually helped find the fix). Mike, which version of the DOS did you get? I have 1.0 and 1.1. If you have anything later than that, leave me a message PLEASE! It seems that 1.1 has a few bugs (By 1.0 and 1.1 I mean the TECMAR DOS, not Amiga's DOS). Thanks, Bri P.S. Where are you located?
#36826From: Mike BerroOct 20, 1986 8:11 PM
Brian, I opened the disk drive and found that the fan was rated at 12V. I tried it at 5 volts anyway with no improvement. I built a small shelf behind my disk for it, so now the noise doesn't bother me, it's still quieter than the one for my Apple. I have version 1.1. Occasionally I get a "Software Error" requester while ASSEMBLING a program. I hope that's a problem with the Tecmar hardware! Otherwise I've noticed nothing out of the ordinary, although I've only had it a few days. Sometimes when one of my program bombs and I re-boot, the xDHD must be validated, which takes some time, but it's always come back (with a sigh of relief; I still don't trust it yet!) I am in Sylmar, which is 12 mile north of Hollywood, CA. — Mike
#36833From: Brian NiessenOct 20, 1986 9:22 PM
Mike, sorry about your fan problem. We get the same errors on 1.1 Maybe I should go back to 1.0 and see if it helps any. As for the Validation errors, it scared me at first. If the machine crashes with an OPEN file, you get the drive all confused, and it has to re-validate to properly close the file (It follows ALL files to re-create the BAM or Block Availability Map). Goot luck with it. Say, where did you get it? I still think the 1 Meg T-Card was cheap, but… I paid $150.00 Canadian for my whole 20 Meg/T-Connect system (Prototype).
#36897From: Mike BerroOct 21, 1986 8:34 PM
Form the comments I've been getting it sounds like I was the only one who has actually purchased one of these things. Oh well, I needed it in a hurry. — Mike
#36909From: Brian NiessenOct 21, 1986 9:06 PM
Mike, I put DOS 1.0 back on my Tecmar, and lo and behold, no more GURU errors during compiling. maybe you should look into getting DOS 1.0 instead of the 1.1 you have, If you need it, I can get it to you.
#36937From: Mike BerroOct 22, 1986 1:38 AM
Do you mean AmigaDOS 1.0 or the T-Disk configuration software? — Mike
#36938From: Brian NiessenOct 22, 1986 1:52 AM
Mike, I mean the T-Disk DOS and T-Card Handler Versions 1.0
#36938From: Brian NiessenOct 22, 1986 1:52 AM
Mike, I mean the T-Disk DOS and T-Card Handler Versions 1.0
#36937From: Mike BerroOct 22, 1986 1:38 AM
Do you mean AmigaDOS 1.0 or the T-Disk configuration software? — Mike
#36909From: Brian NiessenOct 21, 1986 9:06 PM
Mike, I put DOS 1.0 back on my Tecmar, and lo and behold, no more GURU errors during compiling. maybe you should look into getting DOS 1.0 instead of the 1.1 you have, If you need it, I can get it to you.
#36897From: Mike BerroOct 21, 1986 8:34 PM
Form the comments I've been getting it sounds like I was the only one who has actually purchased one of these things. Oh well, I needed it in a hurry. — Mike
#36833From: Brian NiessenOct 20, 1986 9:22 PM
Mike, sorry about your fan problem. We get the same errors on 1.1 Maybe I should go back to 1.0 and see if it helps any. As for the Validation errors, it scared me at first. If the machine crashes with an OPEN file, you get the drive all confused, and it has to re-validate to properly close the file (It follows ALL files to re-create the BAM or Block Availability Map). Goot luck with it. Say, where did you get it? I still think the 1 Meg T-Card was cheap, but… I paid $150.00 Canadian for my whole 20 Meg/T-Connect system (Prototype).
#36826From: Mike BerroOct 20, 1986 8:11 PM
Brian, I opened the disk drive and found that the fan was rated at 12V. I tried it at 5 volts anyway with no improvement. I built a small shelf behind my disk for it, so now the noise doesn't bother me, it's still quieter than the one for my Apple. I have version 1.1. Occasionally I get a "Software Error" requester while ASSEMBLING a program. I hope that's a problem with the Tecmar hardware! Otherwise I've noticed nothing out of the ordinary, although I've only had it a few days. Sometimes when one of my program bombs and I re-boot, the xDHD must be validated, which takes some time, but it's always come back (with a sigh of relief; I still don't trust it yet!) I am in Sylmar, which is 12 mile north of Hollywood, CA. — Mike
#36814From: Brian NiessenOct 20, 1986 5:31 PM
Mike, $545 for the T-Card w/1 Meg is quiet a good price, no? I did the fix and it works great (Actually helped find the fix). Mike, which version of the DOS did you get? I have 1.0 and 1.1. If you have anything later than that, leave me a message PLEASE! It seems that 1.1 has a few bugs (By 1.0 and 1.1 I mean the TECMAR DOS, not Amiga's DOS). Thanks, Bri P.S. Where are you located?
#36768From: Mike BerroOct 20, 1986 1:27 AM
I paid $1040 for it, and about $545 for the T-card with 1 meg. How about you? I called tecmar about the lights, and one of the engineers (who "didn't really know much about the Amiga") said that I should open it up and check a jumper from the board to the front panel. At the same time I will try your fix, which I assume you've already done (yes?). Thanx! —
#36758From: Brian NiessenOct 20, 1986 12:32 AM
Mike, the noise is due to a mixup on the fan connections. They use a 6 volt fan on the unit, but have the fan power connected to the 12 volt power supply. If you are brave, take it apart and desolder the RED wire from the 12 volt line and connect it to the 5 volt line right beside it. It makes it a heck of a lot quieter. As for the REAXD/WRITE, there is a problem there alright. BTW, How much did you pay for it?