#3070 Tape Back Up
21 messages in this thread
I would like some feed back from anyone using the 3070 150 Meg tape
backup sold by Grapevine. Could you tell me if it works with QB ok.
Any other info would be apriciated.
I bought the A3070 from a local retailer when C= first started
selling it (primarily for their failed Unix OS). I like it! It's
not as fast as a DAT, but it is cheaper. QuarterBack can use the
A3070, but I have over 500 MB to back up, so I use Ami-Back – it can
compress and back up multiple partitions during one back up session,
and can record onto multiple 250 MB tapes for each session.
Thanks for the reply.
How long have you been using it. Do you still back up to floppy's. Have
you had many errors.
Sorry for so many questions but as I have to buy it from Grapevine in the
US and i'm in the UK I have to make sure it works OK.
Gary,
I haven't had any problems with the hardware (but again it was
refurbished, but bought brand new). I have some backup disks (boot disks
and such), but my hard drive is backed up only on tape (with more than
700MB of hard drive space, I would have to hire someone full time to swap
disks, and rent storage space for all the floppies!!! Presently I so a
complete back up weekly and store three weeks of backups (6-250MB tapes),
and do an incremental backup to a 150MB tape during the week, if I do
anything special that I want to preserve "just in case".
The software isn't flawless (just about none are). I recently
attempted to restore my third partition from a 5 partition 2-250MB pair
and found a bug in Ami-Back (if no files are selectively restored in
earlier partitions the software does a divide by zero and crashes and
burns. The quickie solution is to select a small file (like an .info
file) on the first partition, and the selective restore went well. I
talked to the programmers and they are going to fix the problem in about a
week or so. Although TapeWorm is a product that isn't quite ready for the
early release it had, Moonlighter's other software has been very good
(IMHO), and although they do not hang around on CIS (to my knowledge),
they are accessible via CIS' internet e-mail, and regular phone channels.
I've had Ami-Back for years and purchased it primarily for it's strong
tape handling capabilties. Although QuarterBack (which I also own) can
handle tape back ups, I just don't find it as flexible as AB's ability!
Feel free to ask any questions yoou'd like, more than one person here
on the forum has helped me out, when I had questions… They still do
<g>!
// I'm gonna wait for
\X/ the A5000! <G> -RSL-
Roy;
BRU also works fine (and for me HDBackUp has also). I just recently had
to go through many gigabytes of old backups to look for a couple of files
(not a pleasent task) but was very pleased to see that all of the old
tapes worked fine.
Some of these tapes go back to around the first couple of months that the
A3070 came out and were from various machines and OS versions.
-bill
Gee Bill, how many tapes do you keep as archives?
// I'm gonna wait for
\X/ the A5000! <G> -RSL-
Not all that many tapes actually. I believe that I have 30 or 40 total.
I use a lot of mag opticals for backup now as it is so much faster.
-bill
Gee… 30-40 tapes! I thought my 10 tapes were a bit too much. Backing
up to mag opticals (Mopticals?) would be nice, but it would remind me too
much of Jerry Pournelle (every time I've read his column, it always seemed
to repeat his habit to back things up to his WORMs) <g>!
// I'm gonna wait for
\X/ the A5000! <G> -RSL-
Well, some of this stuff goes back a fair number of years so it
really isn't a large number of tapes. I probably would use WORM
drives. I actually like the idea better than using MagOptical.
Bill,
Just think of all the great technical gizmos a guy could have, if he
had a thousandth of what Bill Gates has <g>!
// ** Commodore **
\X/ -The Bosnia of Computer Companies- -RSL-
Bill,
When you use the 3070 with BRU, what are you using for a MOUNTLIST? I was
wanting to try using BRU for the 3070 but it kept saying to "insert volume
TAPE: in any drive"…
Vernon Graner
Graner Sound Multimedia Studios, Austin Texas
You need to edit the BRUTAB file. Look at the docs in the manual, it
is actually a pretty good description.
I'll be out of touch for about a week thus any messages let for me
here will likely scroll off.
-bill
Hi Roy
Thanks for such a comprehensive reply.
I have a problem with Grapevine there not replying to my fax's. If you can
surgest any other companys who would export to the UK would be useful.
Thanks
Gary Giles
Yap Yap all the way from the UK Via Autopilot
Gary,
Off hand I don't know. Grapevine seems to have a source for
refurbished A3070. Looking at my A3070's ROM, it identifies itself as a
CALIPER CP150 drive. I'm not familiar with that company (maybe someone
out there reading this is???). Have you tried calling mail order places
in your area about DC600 type SCSI tape drives? Maybe you could contact
Moonlighter, I don't know if they still sell QIC drives, but they used to,
and I know they sell other types of tape drives (DATs, I think). They
have a phone number (407-384-9484), a BBS (407-292-6080), a CIS account
(Gary Holland 76420,606), and an internet address
(michaelmounier@bix.com).
Good luck!
<BTW, I have no financial connection to Moonlighter Software, but with
all this positive press, I certainly deserve something <g>!>
// I'm gonna wait for
\X/ the A5000! <G> -RSL-
Beware of a looooong wait if you order from Grapevine. I've been waiting
for my 3070 for a few months now.
\*donovan*\
Donovan..
Wow! Your still waiting, I wish I had your patience, I do believe I
would have gone for the Touchdown drive by now. At this rate if you throw
a few bucks in a kitty each week you'll be able to go for a Exabyte…
Eddie.Ski
Patience is a virtue. Now give me that DAMN tape backup!!!!
Actually I faxed Grapevine the other day and they sent me a letter a
few days later saying I should get the 3070 in a week.
Hi Donovan
Yeh I've been faxing them with no reply.
Gary Giles
Yap Yap all the way from the UK Via Autopilot
Gary, I faxed them the other day and they sent me a letter back saying
my 3070 should be here in about a week. We'll see. At least they
sent me a reply.
Gary,
Grapevine has an international order line at 914-357-2424. They also have
a BBS at 914-343-8463.
As a second source, you might want to try Software Hut. FAX:
215-586-5706. They're just down the road from Commodore and they often
have close outs and refurb'd units (I got my 3070 there).
I've done business with both companies and had no problems. But if I were
you I'd call Grapevine on voice line rather than assume they return
international fax calls. Many companies won't do that because the volume
can become very expensive, very quickly. (And that way you can verify
they have the 3070 in stock BEFORE placing an order).
Good Luck
Gary
on AutoPilot from Charlotte, NC
Gary,
Thanks for the reply.
I've just brought a Tanberg tape backup which I should get in a few days.
Thanks again for the info.
-Gary
Gary Giles
Yap Yap all the way from the UK Via Autopilot