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Cheaper/alternative solution than scsi2sd?
Posted by: agent_js03 on 2020-02-19 06:59:28
Hey all,

So I was saddened last night to find that, after probably 2 years of not being used, the hard drive on my Macintosh is a goner. I got the dreaded "?" disk icon when attempting to boot.

As you might have gathered from the last post I made here, I have recently configured my scsi2sd to work with my Macintosh LC III, which also had a dead drive. I suppose I could swap it between the LC III and the SE when I want to change things up, but that's a lot of opening of cases and plugging/unplugging of parts. I hate the idea of that brittle plastic snapping and getting broken.

But I also hate the fact that a new scsi2sd now costs >100 dollars. I am wondering if there is a cheaper option.

I should mention that I currently have a floppy emu. I know this supports smart drive, would this work as a hard drive for my SE?

Posted by: LaPorta on 2020-02-19 07:17:22
Not sure where $100 is coming from. Neither the LCIII nor SE will benefit from a v6, so you could order a 5.1 for $60.

https://store.inertialcomputing.com/SCSI2SD-V5-1-p/scsi2sd-v5.1.htm

Posted by: agent_js03 on 2020-02-19 07:31:05
Oh dang, I was checking eBay. I should have looked at the manufacturer's website.

Posted by: CC_333 on 2020-02-22 12:00:40
Yeah, eBay is probably (in my opinion, at least) the worst place to price check things nowadays, as the prices seem to often be quite overinflated there, at least for more desirable items.

That, of course, doesn't mean good deals can't be found. One just has to be careful and patient, lest they pay too much.

c

Posted by: dcr on 2020-02-22 12:12:28
I should mention that I currently have a floppy emu. I know this supports smart drive, would this work as a hard drive for my SE?
A Floppy Emu will work as a hard drive for an SE.  I have an SE with an 80 MB internal hard drive and also have an 80 MB hard drive set up on the Floppy Emu.  I mirror both because the real hard drive is likely to eventually die.  But, the SE will boot from the 80 MB hard drive on the Floppy Emu without a problem.

I don't remember if I configured it as a Smart Drive or something else.  But, whatever the setting, the SE sees it as a hard drive.

Posted by: dcr on 2020-02-22 12:15:31
I should also add that I have an external SCSI2SD that I bought hoping to use it on my Mac SE, but I have not been able to do so.  So far, I have only been able to get my Quadra 800 to see the SCSI2SD.  I am guessing I probably have something configured wrong, but haven't been able to figure out what.  The Mac SE doesn't recognize it being there at all.  I somewhat recall, but can't remember for certain, that the problem might be that the Mac SE doesn't provide SCSI power but the Q800 does?

Posted by: agent_js03 on 2020-02-25 02:53:33
I should also add that I have an external SCSI2SD that I bought hoping to use it on my Mac SE, but I have not been able to do so.  So far, I have only been able to get my Quadra 800 to see the SCSI2SD.  I am guessing I probably have something configured wrong, but haven't been able to figure out what.  The Mac SE doesn't recognize it being there at all.  I somewhat recall, but can't remember for certain, that the problem might be that the Mac SE doesn't provide SCSI power but the Q800 does?
I am guessing this has something to do with your scsi2sd configuration... but you said you could get it working on the Q800...

This guy was apparently able to do it:

http://appletothecore.me/files/scsi2sd_mac_se_solid_state_drive.php

Posted by: sstaylor on 2020-02-26 02:49:14
 the problem might be that the Mac SE doesn't provide SCSI power but the Q800 does?
Pretty sure it was the Mac Plus that lacked SCSI termination power.

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