Using GVP Impact Series II hard drive with Amiga 1000

[scuzzb494]

Hi

The problem with the A1000 is that it doesn't have a hard disk controller and normally boots using the Kickstart disk. There may be ways to get round this but I'm guessing it would involve a little more expense than simply expanding the slot to connect.

I gave up a long time ago of ever getting a hard drive working on the A1000. I just use the sidecars on the 500 and don't worry about such things.

By the way I had two power supplies for the GVP fail in the last year through capacitor leakage. And When I say leakage I mean 'leakage' when I opened up the power supplies they were like covered in brown goo.

One thing you could do is maybe set up a Workbench disk with Parnet and connect to the Hard drive on the A500 so you could access that drive. Its a bit slow and may not work as I have only set up Parnets on hard drives. I'll have a go myself and let you know how I get on. Just that you can see the other hard drive as a network connection using say DOpus. I guess RAM may be an issue. Probably still quicker using a floppy disk. Worth a shot though.

I have read about using the GVP and 590 the wrong way round. I assumed they unscrewed the bottom plate and cut the projecting bit off. Both the GVP and the 590 were supposed to be isolated from the A500 motherboard with a metal clip that is fitted to the 500. I have used them without, but still prefer to fit it.

Whilst the 1000 is a cool bit of kit to own, it really hasn't got much uses when you have a 500 or better a 1200. It took a Commodore team to take the 1000 and make it into a proper computer. Sorry for that.

[scuzzb494]

Hi

I spent a good while day before yesterday creating a specially edited version of the Amiga 1000 1.3 Workbench disk to include the Parnet software so I could link to an Amiga 600 and then discovered that the Parallel Port on the Amiga 1000 is MALE and not female as with all other Amigas. So I had to pause the process whilst my gender changer arrives from Ebay. I did first create a copy of the disk using the 1200 which didn't work. I had to create the disk on the 1000 and then edit by removing some of the fonts and utilities and SAY and stuff to get the Parnet on the disk. And it boots fine, just waiting for a network connection.  Its things like that, that show how much the Amiga came on leaps and bounds once Commodore got hold of it. And I tend to agree with Paul and say if you have a working A500 with the GVP, why use the A1000.

Anyhoo.. Have fun.

[scuzzb494]

Hi

Not exactly the solution you were looking for but having received my gender changer for the A1000 I was able to  modify a WB1.3 disk for the Amiga 1000 to run Parnet and connected this to an Amiga 600 giving me full access to the hard drive on the 600. Thus enabling a hard drive on another machine for use with the A1000. Saves hacking the GVP.

May help. I created a special blog featuring my adventure

http://www.scuzzscink.com/amiga/scuzzblog_december19/scuzzblogddecember19_0701.htm

Using the Amiga is like coming across a locked door in a corridor and instead of giving up just turning around to find another way round. The journey may be longer but the experience is always rewarding.