From owner-freebsd-questions Sat Feb 3 21:57:10 1996 Return-Path: owner-questions Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) id VAA29615 for questions-outgoing; Sat, 3 Feb 1996 21:57:10 -0800 (PST) Received: from genesis.atrad.adelaide.edu.au (genesis.atrad.adelaide.edu.au [129.127.96.120]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) with ESMTP id VAA29610 for ; Sat, 3 Feb 1996 21:57:04 -0800 (PST) Received: from msmith@localhost by genesis.atrad.adelaide.edu.au (8.6.12/8.6.9) id QAA03382; Sun, 4 Feb 1996 16:43:14 +1030 From: Michael Smith Message-Id: <199602040613.QAA03382@genesis.atrad.adelaide.edu.au> Subject: Re: QIC-80 & 15 day return policy To: jbarrm@panix.com (Barry Masterson) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 1996 16:43:14 +1030 (CST) Cc: questions@freebsd.org In-Reply-To: from "Barry Masterson" at Feb 4, 96 00:14:01 am MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-questions@freebsd.org Precedence: bulk Barry Masterson stands accused of saying: > > I just purchased a Colorado Jumbo 350 QIC-80 tape drive, and I still > have 12 days left to return it for refund. Don't wait, _send_it_back_. These drives are _awful_; the whole floppy-tape idea sucks six ways from Sunday. > My question is, before I return this tape unit, is there any quick fix > that will allow for reasonably large files to be written to this brand of > drive without the above mentioned problems? It's possible that the driver could be improved, but there are _fundamental_ problems with the interface that can't be overcome. > I'm running a 486DX2/66 VLB with an ide harddrive. The mail archives > suggest that the Adaptec 1542 (currently $229.00) will work alongside > an ide i/o card. Certainly will, and lets you run other SCSI peripherals to boot. If all you want to use is a tape unit, then personally I'd go for a cheaper SCSI controller (I seem to recall people running Exabyte units successfully off Adaptec 1520's). > The Colorado only costs $120.00, it seemed like a good deal at the time. > But the cost of the 1542, and whatever a tape drive for that card will > run me is a concern. You should be able to get a secondhand QIC150 tape unit for around $100; these will take the 250M DC6250 tapes, and are rock-solid. (eg. I paid $150 australian recently for an Archive Viper 150 and an Adaptec 1510). With a little occasional TLC, one of these drives will give you excellent service. > Barry Masterson -- ]] Mike Smith, Software Engineer msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au [[ ]] Genesis Software genesis@atrad.adelaide.edu.au [[ ]] High-speed data acquisition and (GSM mobile) 0411-222-496 [[ ]] realtime instrument control (ph/fax) +61-8-267-3039 [[ ]] "wherever you go, there you are" - Buckaroo Banzai [[