Zorro Slots >:-(

[Dagon]

Today I received a scandoubler! I thought to myself at last! I can see aga demos after many years of out of scan range from my multiscan monitor

But I had forgotten how hard it is to fit a zorro card into my beloved but aged A4000! My brother and I we were upon Amiga trying to insert the new scandoubler, my CV64 3D (they have to be inserted almost contemporarly) and X-Surf  over a half an hour!!


Anyone that had the same problems into fitting a zorro card but found a trick? :-) (I'm planning to buy Algon  USB but not very soon, so that I can use optical mouse with weel and load photos from memory stick etc)

[Matt_H]

Amiga Format also found difficulty installing the CV64/3D scan doubler. They suggested popping the scandoubler card  in first, then the CV card over it, then slipping the link cable between them. They also advised leaving the backplate off the cards.

If you're having that much trouble putting cards into place, your daughterboard could be damaged. My father's A3000 bus is slightly warped, so getting cards in and out is a serious chore. If this is the case with your system, a replacement 4000 busboard shouldn't cost more than $30US (?) secondhand. Or your could replace it with a dual Zorro/PCI bridge from  Elbox.

[iamaboringperson]

i dont know about the CV64/3D scandoubler option, dont have one, waste of time IMAO ( ;-) )
but i remember Zorro cards were hard to insert in my seccond amiga, but much easier in all my other miggys

hope that helps

[csirac_]

I too have a CV64/3D & scandoubler; it is a right pain in the a**** to get it in/out...

What I ended up doing was (I think.. so long ago removing the bus-stop/faceplate on the end of the CV64/3D so that you could put the scandoubler in first, and then the CV64 could stick out the back through it's slot while you are putting it in.

Then somehow I magically got the faceplate back on... that doesn't sound right does it...

hmm.

Cheers,

- Paul

[Ilwrath]

oh yeah... I forgot what a pain in the arse it was to insert the CyberVision3d/ScanDoubler combo card.

Here's what I did-

Took the Zorro 3 riser out of the Amiga, so I could hold on to it more carefully without putting stress on parts that shouldn't have any...

Take the ScanDoubler off from the CV64-3d and gently and carefully insert and remove each of the cards (scandoubler and CV seperate) one by one several times.  This should "loosen" the slots slightly.  

Assemble the CV64-3d / scandoubler, and reinstall the Z3 riser in the Amiga.  

Insert a non-conductive shim of some form (I think I used cardboard wrapped in an anti-static bag) into the gap between the CV64-3d and the scandoubler module, so they won't bend around as much.  This also gives you a spot to put leverage on the ScanDoubler, without tilting the CV3d.

Gently rock the whole assembly into place inside the Amiga.

Whole assembly took me a couple hours, if I remember correctly.  I think I've only removed it once, since.  ;-)

[csirac_]

Insert a non-conductive shim of some form (I think I used cardboard wrapped in an anti-static bag)

... but anti-static bags are conductive

- Paul

[tonyw]

As I understand it, European 4000s were made 2mm narrower than American 4000s. This means that US boards have trouble fitting into European chassis.

tony

[B00tDisk]

I once had a similar problem on two different occasions: one was fitting my ICD AdSpeed 14mhz 68k to the A500 I had at the time, the other was fitting a VESA video card in to a PC (those were ancient times!)

What I ended up doing in both cases was removing the system board from the case and placing it on the table, on top of a large nonconductive "pad" made out of four neoprene mousepads arranged in a square.

This gives cushion to the board with a firmness underneath to allow the card (or in one case, chip) to be firmly driven home.

It hasn't happened since, so I've had no reason to replicate that "workstation".

[Brian]

Another trick is to insert the scandoubler first, then cut the faceplate at the lower end of the scandoubler port, then insert the CV3D into the zorro slot, then put the lil cable that connects the cards... Done!

Sure it might not be 100% pritty but it's a choise between hours of work in which unusual amount of force is used to fit it vs a very simple fitting like almost any other card and then only have 3/4 of the faceplate at the back.

A much harder work is to remove/fit those darn video cards with millions of round connectors sticking out the back... have to remove all cards, loosen the screws for the reiser board, then pull the zorro card out of the slot, then gently bend the hole case till the zorro card can be pushed down/upp and out of the slide on the back, continue till the connectors on the back of the card is inside the casing and take out the card at an angle... lovley. :-D