🚀 go-pugleaf

vhalkka@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Vesa Halkka) writes:
> But it is hard to find out which kind of disk it is actually, because
> DEC has changed all labels and modified the casing..

Eh? Wot?  Ignoring the RD54 with MAXTOR emblazened across the HDA, I am
yet to see an RD-series drive that wasn't easily recognisable with original
part numbers visible.

> DEC power supplies.. some them have a thermostat controlled fans etc,
> but they lack power.. you can't even use all disk slots in a uVAX II
> case.

A BA23 has a 230W PSU, which is a fairly mondo sort of power supply 
compared to your average PC.  The BA123 is even bigger.  

I've got two disk drives running in my BA23, of the elderly power-hungry
variety.  The power budget is knocking against the limit, but repacing
drives with more modern ones would pull things down quite nicely.

The BA123 has a _lot_ of space for drive mounting, but it is assumed that
some of those drives will be either floppies or tapes and not suck a lot
of power all the time.  Again, putting in more modern drives helps -- an
RD54 pulls a _lot_ less juice than an RD52 for example.  

> So you must be a DEC HW guru to do anything with used DEC gear..
> I used to be at PDP time, but then DEC started to hold information,
> and it became too tedious.

The configuration rules for MicroVAXes are easy enough to deal with, and
the necessary specs are published in the catalogues.  Personally, I find
configuring a MicroVAX easier than PCs with all their odd cases and broken
I/O model.  

So what's your point?

--
Don Stokes, ZL2TNM (DS555)                        don@zl2tnm.gen.nz (home)
Network Manager, Computing Services Centre            don@vuw.ac.nz (work)
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand              +64-4-495-5052