power and hd-problem

[kvasarnomad]

on the first day i got my a1200 i messed up the hd
so it could't get reconised and the amiga took a while to boot everytime i started it with disk.
i thought i had trashed the hd or needed ide-fix.
but today i opened the amiga and looked on the hd,
the ide-cable was just about to fall out of the ide-connector on the hd, so i connected it tight and put everything together.
YES!!! the hd-led was on, but after 10 sec or so the amiga just powered down, i swithed the on-button off and on, and it was on for a sec and then off again.
it seems like the more i wait the longer time the amiga stays alive.
the hd seems to be reconised and working in wb now

i had the power problem just before i checked the hd so it could't have been done then.

what is wrong?
is the power-problem caused by the hd?

[Jope]

The power problem could be a short circuit somewhere, but try to replug the power cable behind the A1200.. Also check to see if the power connector wobbles on the A1200's motherboard..

[kvasarnomad]

i looked again and i noticed that one of the small cables in the ide-cable was cut
the one marked with red
and the one next to it was exposed

is it meant to be like that?

and if not can i replace it with and old ide cable from a pc if it fits?

btw i have a internal 2.5 6GB hd

[Linchpin]

Is it a 2'5 hdd or a standard PC one?

[kvasarnomad]

2.5 inch

[Linchpin]

Then no, you need a bigger IDE cable than that of a normal HDD - there are 4 extra cables that carry power. That maybe where your short is coming from.

[Mugo]

You don't need to really replace the IDE cable.
In the end where the cable is exposed, just take the connector off the cable, and cut off the end of the cable. Just a little, that be enough to have a perfect insulated cable. Then, crimp the cable on connector again. It's a little tricky for whom is not used to, but you can do. Or ask a friend that can.
Use the connector cap to put the connector back to the cable. The pins in the connector, have to cut the cable insulation. That's why it's tricky. Take care to not brake the connector cap. Use something that can make pressure equally all along the connector and the cap.
The red marked side of the cable, is where the power go to the HD.
Take care to not have any short circuit after reworking the cable. You can blow your Amiga mother board.
I'm sorry, it's difficult explain these things, even more becaus English is not my native language.


Regards,
Marcelo Pires

[mindful]

Let me guess... you have an ATX psu, and NOT an  origional A1200 psu? Right?

Whoever sloppy dude who connected that ide cable, may also have done a poor job somewhere else in the machine. Check all the other cables and make sure they are connected properly. And I mean PROPERLY! The powercable connected to the internal floppy may easy get connected wrong, and shortcircuit your psu.

An ATX psu will in most cases shut down after a while, everything between 2 seconds and a few minutes. But in most cases after a while the psu will DIE and take you hd down along with it.
Happend to me...   :-x Doh!  Tricky little problem...

The red cable on the ide shold not matter in you case...

1, Check all yor cables.
2, Try testing your machine with a new psu.
3, If a new psu down't solve your problem, then you still have a shortcircuit...   :-o

[kvasarnomad]

i have the original psu(black, 25W)  that comes with the amiga

[mindful]

What have you done so far? What is you status?  :-)

[Linchpin]

@ mindful

It looks like he is running a Standard amiga 1200 in a standard case (unless im mistaken!)

The problem here appears to be nothing but a faulty split IDE cable. Remember, on the 2'5 HDD's IDE cable carries the +12v power. If thats shorting on the shield of the amiga then thats the problem.

Unless im mistaken here...

[kvasarnomad]

i tested my old(over 10 years of using) a600 psu and it's up and running as i write!! :-D

is my 2 week old a1200 psu damaged?

and will my old a600 psu be destroyed to after a while or what i wonder?  :-?

[Jope]

kvasarnomad wrote:
i tested my old(over 10 years of using) a600 psu and it's up and running as i write!! :-D

is my 2 week old a1200 psu damaged?

and will my old a600 psu be destroyed to after a while or what i wonder?  :-?

No, the A600 PSU is more powerful than the A1200 PSU so you're better off using that.

Don't worry about the red wire that's been cut - it's been done to stop the HDD from resetting itself when you reset the Amiga.

Sometimes the Amiga can't find the HDD if it takes too long to reset itself, so if it isn't allowed to do this, it's visible all the time.

[Brian]

There is a chanse that the A600 PSU will also burn, the problem is that 23W/25W isn't realy sufficient to drive more than the A1200 itself... adding HD and external diskdrive might give problems, add a turboboard aswell and you're going to have a dead PSU very soon.

I think an A500 50W PSU would be the ideal PSU for you're setup (not knowing what you're setup realy are but that PSU will take quite alot, it survived quite a while supplying my A1200/030/2*3.5"HD/3*Extra drives). Now I've converted 200+W AT PSU's to all my Amigas so I won't have to worry about power that much. :-D