[comp.sys.amiga] SCSI Tape Units

jerry@truevision.com (Jerry Thompson) (10/04/90)

I am trying to connect a MacPEAK SCSI tape backup unit to an Amiga 3000.
HDTools doesn't acknowledge the unit.  Has anyone done this?  Do I need to
create a mountlist for it?  If so, what would the mountlist have to be, and
how do I get BRU to write to it?  Anything would help.  Thanks.
-- 
Jerry Thompson                 |     // checks  ___________   | "I'm into S&M,
"What I want to know is, have  | \\ //   and    |    |    |   |  Sarcasm and
 you ever seen Claude Rains?"  |  \X/ balances /_\   |   /_\  |  Mass Sarcasm."

kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu (Kent D. Polk) (10/04/90)

In article <442@epicb.com> jerry@truevision.com (Jerry Thompson) writes:
>I am trying to connect a MacPEAK SCSI tape backup unit to an Amiga 3000.
>HDTools doesn't acknowledge the unit.  Has anyone done this?  Do I need to
>create a mountlist for it?  If so, what would the mountlist have to be, and
>how do I get BRU to write to it?  Anything would help.  Thanks.

First, make sure that it is a real SCSI tape drive (QIC). I tried out several
of the MAC tape drives around here - no go. Fred Fish then pointed out that 
some Mac tape drives act almost like slow hard drives. I used HDTools to
inquire & sure enough, I got drive parameters back. Of course they were
a bit bizarre, but it was respoding like a hard drive. The point is that
they didn't use SCSI tape commands, but some subset of SCSI disk commands.

Any authoritative answer out there?

Kent Polk: Southwest Research Institute (512) 522-2882
Internet : kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu
UUCP     : $ {cs.utexas.edu, gatech!petro, sun!texsun}!swrinde!kent

crazyrat@disk.UUCP (@jap) (10/07/90)

Can someone point me in a good direction towards tape backup for an Amiga
500.  The system is running 1.3 roms and an 84 meg hard drive.  Please
write giving your views and good/bad points about it.

Thanks for your help and info.

@jap

-- 
Joel C. Justen      Crazyrat Productions Ltd.
disc:  who cares?   CRAZYRAT@DISK.UUCP

hgm@ccvr1.ncsu.edu (Hal G. Meeks) (10/10/90)

It would be a great service to the general readership if someone could
post a summary of what they find out concerning SCSI tape drives (prices,
backup software, which controllers will work). I am currently at the 
crossroads of mass storage; my dinky 40meg is constantly full, I don't have
large amounts of cash on hand and I've realised that a larger drive is
going to mean even longer backup times to floppy. 

Maybe this would be a good addition to the monthly "commonly asked questions"
posting.

--hal
--
hgm@ccvr1.cc.ncsu.edu          "He was a legendary hero, 
netoprhm@ncsuvm.bitnet          his IQ was zero." 
		                Zoogz Rift