cochrane@spot.Colorado.EDU (COCHRANE JIM T) (07/06/88)
Thanks to everyone who mailed a response to my query about Supra hard drives! I ordered a Supra 20 meg, which arrived Thursday, and it's marvelous. (One small problem: the new model has a clock, but there's no documentation and I haven't been able to figure out how to have the software included with the drive automatically set the system clock when turning on the ST (I assume that's what it's supposed to do). If any- one who has the new Supra model has figured out how to do this I (and probably some other new Supra owners) would appreciate hearing the details - thanks). For the benefit of those who may be considering buying a Supra, I am including the replies sent to me (slightly edited for space). If, after reading these, you suspect that I have excluded the negative responses - I didn't; there weren't any. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: leo@cs.Buffalo.EDU (Leo Wilson) I have had mixed experiences with Supra 20MB drives, so I thought my pennies might be useful despite the zillion responses your request is going to generate. First, my own drive: Supra 20MB (really miniscribe 3.5" 20MB), no daisy-chain plug: Noisy, but it works like a champ. I've had it for > 2 years, and it has treated me right thus far. I treat it like a hard drive, meaning: I don't power it off or spin it down. Never. Well, a couple of times, but that's it. I don't jiggle or jostle it at all. It stays in one place, hasn't moved a millimeter since buying it. No problems. It IS noisy, though. Second, my last employer's drives: Jeeze, they went through Supra 20MB drives like a spoiled kid goes through cotton candy at an amusement park. They were convinced (despite my admonishments) that they should shut them off at night, they kept them on jiggly typewriter tables, and they'd shove them around while running to accomadate papers they were working on. They drives lasted from four to eight months each. So, here's what I suggest: If your situation is like mine, get a Supra. Nice drive, albeit a little NOISY. If your situation is like theirs, get an Astra drive. It's designed to be more physically robust. Seems a little quieter, too. Looks worth the extra $$ for the built in DS-DD floppy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: John R. Dunning <jrd@STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM> I bought a Supra 20 last fall, and it's worked flawlessly ever since. I heartily recommend it, esp in comparison to the Atari drivers. I know, they're built out of the same kinds of components, but I've heard of a lot more SH204s going bad than Supras. My only complaint is that I overflowed the thing too fast; after a while 20 Meg doesn't seem very big... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Marion Hakanson <hakanson@mist.cs.orst.edu> I've had mine (the older 5-1/4" 20M drive, not the new 3-1/2" one) for two years. No problems so far. Their software is solid, too. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: rutgers!sunybcs!sbcs!lean@ncar.UCAR.EDU I ordered the 20Meg SUpra drive more than 4 months ago. The first one that i got has a minor problem. I called up Supra the very day and was advised to send it back. I did and a new one was sent back to me within 6 days (i'm on east coast. supra is on west coast). Very fast turnaround. I was happy. I've used that drive since and haven't had the slightest problem. However, the fan makes a little noise (as in some frives). Do see and listen to one personally. I have no regrets buying it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Scott R. Chilcote <dunike!xanth.cs.odu.edu!isis!src> I regularly use a BBS in Norfolk, VA that is run on an ST with a 20 Meg Supra Hard Drive. This drive has been run 24 hours a day for a year and a half, and has suffered no mechanical problems. Two things: Supra drives, for the last year, have usually come with a plug on the back for an additional drive. You can use an inexpensive bare drive since the controller can handle two simultaneously. Make sure your drive has one if your interested. Supra can make goofs now and then. The store that runs the board received one Supra HD that had an unshielded cable--and did not work properly at all! After calling them the cable and interface were replaced quickly and at Supra's expense. They claimed that it had been shipped "by mistake." A couple of times files on the BBS have been found to be glitched, but this is not the fault of the drive. Some programs, such as games made to be instal- led on hard drives, do not handle them well. Small FAT errors can affect other programs and cause headaches. The only cure is to keep regular backups in a safe place. Even IBM drive owners have those problems! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Dave Allum <mcvax!ux63.bath.ac.uk!sc_dra@uunet.UU.NET> I've had one for a year now and have had no trouble with it. It appears that not all Supra 20M units have the same drive, mine is a fanless MiniScribe 3 1/2", so it's worth checking what they are currently shipping. The supplied utilities - formatter, sector editor, autoboot etc. - all work well. All in all I have no complaints. At the time I bought it it was cheaper that the Atari equivalent (and a *lot* smaller), that difference may no longer apply. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: stag!dynasoft!john (John Stanley) Jim, I've been using a Supra-30meg hard disk for close to two years. The only problems I've had were when I've parked the heads, turned off the drive, turned the drive back on, and then (without rebooting the ST) tried to access the drive before it had finished powering-up. Needless to say, this was my own damned fault for trying to get fancy with my use of the hard disk. As long as I wait until it's fully awake before I try accessing it, there's no problem. Needless to mention since this controller is probably almost three years old, Supra may have fixed even this problem by now. With the exception mentioned above, I've been very happy with my Supra drive. BTW, last time I checked, it was not possible to cycle the Atari hard disk off and then on and then access the drive without rebooting the ST. This is one distinct advantage of the Supra. It allows me to do 90% of my programming without having the distraction of a hard disk whurring in the background and still allows me to easily get to tools on the hard disk if I need them.
davel@hpvcla.HP.COM (David Lowe) (07/21/88)
>Thanks to everyone who mailed a response to my query about Supra hard >drives! I ordered a Supra 20 meg, which arrived Thursday, and it's >marvelous. (One small problem: the new model has a clock, but there's >no documentation Yeah. No comment at all about the clock or the SCSI port. > and I haven't been able to figure out how to have the >software included with the drive automatically set the system clock when >turning on the ST (I assume that's what it's supposed to do). If any- >one who has the new Supra model has figured out how to do this I (and >probably some other new Supra owners) would appreciate hearing the >details - thanks). Putting the SUPCLKRD.PRG into the AUTO folder on the boot partition seems to get the clock set. Dave Lowe davel%hpvclx@hplabs.HP.COM hplabs!hp-pcd!hpvcla!davel
david@bdt.UUCP (David Beckemeyer) (07/27/88)
I'm sort of amazed that there are so many people recommending Supra
Drives. I must have had a unique experience, but oddly with all the
ST hard drives we use at BDT, the *only* drives that have ever given
us trouble have been the Supra Drives and an Astra Drive. Even
the Atari drive, an original developers SH204, has worked without
failure (althoough I expect it will die someday soon becuase it
has a Seagate ST225 inside). We have many BMS 100 drives (34.5 MB),
2 Supra Drives, 1 Astra Drive, and 1 SH204 (all 20MB). Both Supras
have failed more than once - each time it has been the Supra interface
board. The Astra drive completely went away and it had to be
replaced with a BMS set-up.
--
David Beckemeyer (david@bdt.uucp) | "Yea I've got medicine..." as the
Beckemeyer Development Tools | cookie cocks a his Colt, "and if
478 Santa Clara Ave, Oakland, CA 94610 | you don't keep your mouth shut, I'm
UUCP: {unisoft,sun}!hoptoad!bdt!david | gonna give you a big dose of it!"grieggs@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV (John T. Grieggs) (08/11/88)
In article <355@bdt.UUCP> david@bdt.UUCP (David Beckemeyer) writes: >The Astra drive completely went away and it had to be >replaced with a BMS set-up. When you say "completely went away", what exactly do you mean? Does this imply also that you have called them for support and not been satisfied with the results? _john -- John T. Grieggs (Telos @ Jet Propulsion Laboratory) 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, Ca. 91109 M/S 301-260A (818) 354-0465 Uucp: {cit-vax,elroy,chas2}!jpl-devvax!grieggs Arpa: ...jpl-devvax!grieggs@cit-vax.ARPA
870086t@aucs.UUCP (SHANNON W. TREMBLAY) (04/19/89)
I am looking to buy a hard drive but would like to have one that I can use as
a monitor stand. The only people I know with ST's tell me that the drive can
only have a 18 inch. (approx.) long cable or you will run into transfer rate
problems. Can any one out there tell me if this is true and if so if there is
a way around the problem.
Thanx in advance
Shannon
My Bit Net Address is
870086t@Acadia
Just use Reply, it's easier!Xorg@cup.portal.com (Peter Ted Szymonik) (04/22/89)
Supra drives are the ones that are limited to an 18" cable, and they also should not be used as monitor stands due to their shape and size (shoebox.) The ICD FaST case is perfectly suited as a monitor stand and ICD's adaptor and shielding allow a cable up to 6' (feet!) in length. Peter Szymonik Xorg@cup.portal.com
Doug_B_Erdely@cup.portal.com (04/24/89)
I just wanted to point out, that if the SCSI interface is up to full specs that
,PROVIDED you use a shielded cable, you can do MUCH more than 18". in fact
the SCSI specs say you can use up to a 40 foot cable. Of course, the shorter
the cable the better. But I have used cables up to about 35 or so without any
trouble. In fact, I am using a 6 foot cable off of a Supra interface right
now, keep in mind this is off of an Amiga. However, I see no reason why the
same would not work on the Supra interface for the Atari.
- Doug -
Doug_B_Erdely@Portal.Cup.Com