Newbie (well oldbie that forget everything) help....

[danbeaver]

Yes, Mike is correct.  Adding a CDROM (or DVD-ROM) is a great way of starting, plus up your HDD size (20 MB is tiny).  THe GVP 3001 IDE is worthless these days as you will never find one of the two drives that fit it.

I might suggest trying to score a Buddha Phoenix Card (http://www.vesalia.de/e_buddha.htm) which adds a good quality IDE and clock-port.  The Scan doubler is great and the GVP accelerator is nice IF it already has the special GVP RAM with it.  

I love the A2000's durability, expansion capabilities, and ease of work-on ability.

Enjoy!

[danbeaver]

The Buddhas were is stock (NOS) at Amigakit about a year ago and kinda got snapped up, but if you look, they do pop up for sale. Another way to transfer files is via ParNet or SerNet with the Amiga Forever disk (CD) or get a network card for FTP transfers.  The GVP SCSI Card RAM will add into your 8 MB 16-bit memory space, and with the 68030 you are pretty set.  A network card will set you back about $100 USD if you are interested.

[danbeaver]

Right after you format a new drive (on the connector of the dead one), make a directory (like "Old") and copy all the 20 MB files to it; then you can reuse that connector for the SCSI drive (if the cable is long enough).  Longer cables can be found at Amigakit.

Here are some example links:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PLEXTOR-PX-12TSI-SCSI-CD-DRIVE-50-PIN-/171647782928?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27f7015010

http://www.ebay.com/itm/COMPAQ-2-1GB-Hard-Drive-9B0003-021-SCSI-2-199641-001-/380290781008?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588b18cf50

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_68&products_id=443

[danbeaver]

Well, at this point is it worth getting a replacement SCSI?...what is the lifetime expectation for 80's vintage SCSI drives? My thought was it would be better to get a CF drive... Though those bridge boards that support IDE Hard Drives are expensive. Plus I could then relocate the CF to a panel on the back of the machine to have easy access to it....?

The SCSI drives now flooding sites like eBay are being pulled from servers and are backwardly compatible with SCSI-1 & 2; being from servers they are the ones meant to last, need only a $5 buck adapter, and are fast and quiet. Getting from SCSI to IDE is viable with a $100+ USD adapter (http://www.vesalia.de/e_acard.htm <--Pricey; http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2060778.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XIDE+to+SCSI+adapter&_nkw=IDE+to+SCSI+adapter&_sacat=0).

These allow an IDE device such as a CF card reader on the bus.  I prefer (Maxtor) Atlas SCSI drives myself, but have tried them all over time.

[danbeaver]

Well coming from China both the 50-to-68 and 50-to-80 adapters run around $5 bucks; the 80-pin drives have a simple PCB that allows connection of an LED, a few settings and Easy to set ID number.  THe 68-pin drives can be connected with an off center plastic cheapo connector, but don't line up for a "hard card" or tight 3.5" bay.

My preference for SCSI hard drives comes from my use on my CSPPC SCSI-3 bus where the conversion to IDE (for a CF card or SSD) takes a performance hit.  On the GVP, the SCSI bus will be saturated with any SCSI-2 drive, SSD CF card, SD card, and tightly wound rubber band.

Reference:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Computer-80-Pin-To-SCSI-68-Pin-IDC-50-Pin-Adapter-SP-/181623860938?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a49a02eca

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCSI-68Pin-68-Pin-Male-to-50Pin-50-Pin-Male-Adapter-Converter-m-m-/151270902545?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item233872cb11

[danbeaver]

I would just upgrade to KS 3.1 ROM; it is cheap, quick, and an easy upgrade adding updated devices and OS "hooks" for more modern software (that runs on old hardware).

Cheap: $16.57 at http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=157

Quick: remove the case and PSU to access the ROM

Easy: 1) Pull old ROM (carefully), 2) Push in new ROM (carefully)

Then decide on your overall plan:  do you want to change storage (CF card via IDE, SCSI HDD, CD-R/W), access the greater intra vs internet, and/or update your software (OS, CD writing, Browser).

[danbeaver]

I personally have only used AsimCDFS on a multi-disk CD changer as the software is a bit strange. IDEFix software will set up drives on any bus for which there is a device driver and once it generates a mountlist entry, you can pick the CD file system you desire.  The Find tool in IDEFix is very robust.  Mind you, I only have ever written to CD/DVD's under OS4.1, and OS3.X.

[danbeaver]

So it worked with the CDR by itself, but not with the CDR and 2.1 GB HDD?  What are the drive ID numbers?  What does the bus look? Is the last drive terminated?  Active or passive?

[danbeaver]

The Find program would have scanned the device bus and located the drive regardless of the mountlist.  Could the HHD be terminated and blocking the CDROM from responding?

An Active terminator uses electrical circuits to dampen the bus signal, while a passive terminator simply uses resistors to do this.  On old, slow equipment the passive usually works; on faster buses and drives (SCSI-3 and a SCSI-2 bus like the A4091's) active is required to keep the signal usefull.