DEC RD54 from Maxtor

From: Kevin Handy <kth_at_srv.net>
Date: Tue Mar 4 10:21:01 2003

John Willis wrote:

>Hi,
>
>The RD54 (Maxtor XT-2190) hard drive is an old ST-506 relic, and is unreliable at best. I have a VAXstation 2000 with an RD54, and
>most of the time the drive won't even spin up. When it does, it makes sounds the same as you are describing here. I went in search
>for a replacement, but found most resellers are getting $300+ for the RD54, as it is rare. I would reccommend looking for RD53s,
>RD52s, etc., or better yet, find yourself a Q-bus SCSI controller. SCSI drives are cheap, and quite more reliable than anything
>you'll find in ST-506.
>
In my experience, anything but an RD54 is likely to be a problem.
The RD54 usually had a two or three times longer lifetime than
the other RD drives. That is probably why RD54's are in such
demand.

If you want something for long-term usage, I'd really recommend
getting a SCSI interface, then you have a much larger choice of
media.

>
>You could also go the DSSI route, if you want nothing to do with *nix, or get a KDA50 and go SDI, if you have the patience to deal
>with its many quirks.
>
>You may also be able to use non-DEC ST-506 drives, but be warned: AFAIK, the only VAX that can perform a low-level format on its own
>ST-506 drive is the VAXstation/uVAX 2000. It allows you to choose one of the DEC models, or enter your own drive geometry, IIRC.
>
>Hope this helps,
>John
Received on Tue Mar 04 2003 - 10:21:01 GMT