A few questions about the GVP Impact A500 HD8+ Series II

[AmigaBruno]

It seems to be the same GVP drive I use with my Amiga A500 Plus with Kickstart 2.04. I didn't get any documentation , the original HDD in the unit soon failed, then I had to fit it with a new drive which already had Workbench 2.x and some software installed. There's a topic I posted about it somewhere on here. I've never heard anything about powering it from the A500/A500 Plus though. It has its own PSU, which I switch on first, then allow it to spin up before turning on the A500 Plus. When I turn off the HDD PSU the Amiga A500 Plus screen goes blank, although it's still in the same colour scheme as before.

My GVP drive has some extra RAM, but not the maximum. If I got any more RAM, it probably wouldn't work with the RAM I've already got. I recently noticed an interface on the back of this unit, but I don't know what it's for. Would this allow me to fit a CD-ROM drive of the right type with the right cable? I don't know.

Of course, the classic CRT monitors are best for the Amiga, except for hires productivity display modes, as pointed out by Kooky Tech (Dan Wood).

[AmigaBruno]

I'm amazed to find out that I can plug in a CD ROM drive to this unit, but I still have no real idea how to do that and to get it working.

I'm not sure if the connector on the GVP drive is for power or data. I doubt it's for both.

I already own a CD ROM drive I bought over a year ago, sold as compatible with the Amiga. It seems to be an old PC drive designed to fit inside a case. It's a Samsung SCR-630. I bought the Fresh Fish and some Amiga Active CD ROMs to use with it. I planned to fit it to my Amiga A1200, but it came with some very complicated instructions, so I couldn't do it.

The CD ROM drive has a Molex connector for power. I've got some spare PC PSUs which are 400W and 500W that would fit, but AFAIK all PSUs of that type may need their two main connectors plugged into a motherboard before they can work. I don't think there are any suitable connectors on the Amiga motherboards.

I'd need to know how to connect and how to power this CD ROM drive before I could do that. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll ever be able to do that.

I recently saw an "Amiga CD ROM drive" advertised on eBay, but it was external, had a kettle lead connector and a lead with different plugs on each end. It didn't say Amiga on the drive. Perhaps an old Mac external CD ROM drive would work.

[AmigaBruno]

Kaum zu glauben! You said you couldn't read manuals in German. I can read them, so if I can do it then anyone can do it.

As for the CD ROM drive fitting, that's a DVD ROM drive in your pics, but designed to be external. It looks the same style as one I saw recently on eBay, which was a similar colour to the Amiga case. It also has its own mains power cable. Of Course, you're not actually allowed to use this drive with an Amiga, because it's not the same or a similar colour, so it's shouting at the Amiga, as it's black.

@AmigaBruno -

You kill me, man.  Don't just say you can't do it, thousands of people have done it before you.  Research man, research!

To plug into a 500 sidecar all you need is a SCSI cable an an external chassis to physically hold and power the drive.  I bought mine off ebay a couple years ago for $3 from some Mac user.  

The physical connection is easy, configuring the SCSI ID and termination is what's hard, if you've never done them before.  Also I recommend OS3.1 or 3.9.  No reason you couldn't do it with an earlier version - again - you'd just be making more work for yourself, doing it that way.

I'm a very visual person, I can learn more from a few pictures than I could from a thousand pages of text.  So if you're like me, here's a few pictures to get you started:

[AmigaBruno]

Kaum zu glauben! You said you couldn't read manuals in German. I can read them, so if I can do it then anyone can do it.

As for the CD ROM drive fitting, that's a DVD ROM drive in your pics, but designed to be external. It looks the same style as one I saw recently on eBay, which was a similar colour to the Amiga case. It also has its own mains power cable. Of Course, you're not actually allowed to use this drive with an Amiga, because it's not the same or a similar colour, so it's shouting at the Amiga, as it's black.

@AmigaBruno -

You kill me, man.  Don't just say you can't do it, thousands of people have done it before you.  Research man, research!

To plug into a 500 sidecar all you need is a SCSI cable an an external chassis to physically hold and power the drive.  I bought mine off ebay a couple years ago for $3 from some Mac user.  

The physical connection is easy, configuring the SCSI ID and termination is what's hard, if you've never done them before.  Also I recommend OS3.1 or 3.9.  No reason you couldn't do it with an earlier version - again - you'd just be making more work for yourself, doing it that way.

I'm a very visual person, I can learn more from a few pictures than I could from a thousand pages of text.  So if you're like me, here's a few pictures to get you started:

[AmigaBruno]

It seems like I should forget about attempting to add a SCSI drive to my GVP hard drive unit then. I could plug it in, but it wouldn't work. I have no idea how to set it up.

Meanwhile, it seems here's another, easier solution for my A1200 http://www.vesalia.de/e_amigaslimcddrive.htm . It seems like I just plug it in, then it works. Can it really be that simple? They're closed until Septmber 1, though.

[AmigaBruno]

Well, I thought someone would suggest something.

AFAIK, all I do is plug it this device with the IDE cable containing three plugs. Before doing that, I think I should install BetterWB on my new CF card, because it has program icons representing CD ROMs. After installing BetterWB, then plugging in the CD ROM drive, if my A1200 doesn't recognise it, then I'm %&$#?@!%&$#?@!%&$#?@!%&$#?@!ed! Unless people advise me what to do next, that is.

Hopefully, I'll find a German book about carrying out seemingly impossible upgrades to the A1200, then after following the instructions in it, I'll send a copy to Oldsmobile_Mike!