[net.micro.att] Seagate ST225 installation in AT&T 6300

josephs@ttidcb.UUCP (Bill Josephs) (12/26/85)

     Spent the weekend installing the SEAGATE 225 20MB drive with a Western
Digital controller (1002 SWX) purchased from PC's limited for about $480
(with shipping) in my AT&T 6300.  Comments:

     1.   Very easy installation -- some of the screws from my Toshiba
          floppies have different machining than the screws needed to
          secure the Seagate.  My tool kit of old leftover screws from
          Dyna, Eico and Heathkits supplied the missing sizes.

     2.   Running some performance tests indicated that the interleave fac-
          tor was way off (my job is performance testing -- sort of a
          busman's holiday).  I spent about five hours confirming the data
          found in the BYTE magazine article from the "Inside the IBM PCs"
          issue (since when did they stop putting months on their issues --
          this is the "Fall 1985" issue).  It came with an interleave set-
          ting of three (I'm guessing -- I did not have the tools to dis-
          cover the setting -- only to reformat the disk with a known set-
          ting -- but that's where the initial measurements fit) and six
          seemed best with a small tail off at seven and a large one at
          five.  Three was worst (although in might be appropriate for the
          6300 plus or an IBM AT)!

     3.   A very quiet unit -- a mid-frequency whine is constant -- seek
          sounds are almost completely inaudible.

     All told, a very easy job and well within the skills of the novice
(assuming the correct screws are available!).