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Technical Help & Discussion => Self Building, Upgrading & General Hardware Help => Topic started by: Clive on August 23, 2012, 17:25

Title: 40Mb HDD
Post by: Clive on August 23, 2012, 17:25

Are there any specialist firms selling long obsolete computer parts such as the the above hard drive?

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: Simon on August 23, 2012, 17:41

Never heard of one!  What's it for?

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: Rik on August 23, 2012, 17:56

Two photos or a quarter of my iPod.  :)

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: Simon on August 23, 2012, 19:37

:laugh:

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: Clive on August 23, 2012, 22:46

It's for a 1990's computer attached to a spectrometer belonging to a 36" telescope. 

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: Simon on August 23, 2012, 23:04

Is this any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RR12A491-Quantum-40MB-IDE-HDD-/230625885837?pt=UK_Computing_Other_Computing_Networking&hash=item35b25fbe8d

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: sam on August 24, 2012, 08:24

I bet you'll find some stacked away in University sysadmin offices (I used to have a few but junked them).

Why does it have to be 40Mb? Can it not be larger?

If you let me know the type of hard drive - i.e. what is the connection, I'm going to assume IDE though. I could fire an email off to our sysadmin and see.

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: Clive on August 24, 2012, 10:24

Thanks very much Sam.  I don't know the full details yet but if and when I do I will get back to you.  It's for the 36" at the IoA where the spectrometer has conked out. 

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: sam on August 25, 2012, 10:05

I thought that might have been the case - I'm sure the IoA people (I was in their sys admin office the otherday) must have tons of old kit - then again they might have cleaned.

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: Simon on August 25, 2012, 10:33

Quote from: Simon on August 23, 2012, 23:04

Is this any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RR12A491-Quantum-40MB-IDE-HDD-/230625885837?pt=UK_Computing_Other_Computing_Networking&hash=item35b25fbe8d

 :o:

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: Clive on August 25, 2012, 18:52

Thanks for that great link Simon which I'll pass on.  The IoA have thrown everything Sam and have no spares whatsoever.  This may be a deliberate ploy to kick out the 'owner' of the 36" who is not at all popular within the community.  However, he's a first class astronomer and I think he should be allowed to carry on until he pops his clogs.

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: sam on August 26, 2012, 00:18

I wonder what the new Cavendish building might mean for that scope. I can't quite remember the orientation but its probably not great.

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: Clive on August 26, 2012, 08:50

It's a disaster Sam.  They could have extended the Cavendish in a different direction which would have been more sympathetic to the observatory.  It's almost certainly a deliberate ploy to get rid of observatory, scope and observer in one fell swoop.   :(

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: sam on August 26, 2012, 09:31

Well I don't think that was the reasoning for the Cavendish but I bet someone was aware of that.

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: Clive on August 26, 2012, 22:44

Quote from: sam on August 25, 2012, 10:05

I thought that might have been the case - I'm sure the IoA people (I was in their sys admin office the otherday) must have tons of old kit - then again they might have cleaned.

Do you know a Simon Mentha at the IoA?  He's the guru trying to fix the spectrometer computer.  The department *has* found a disc and it's likely to be suitable enough for the task. 

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: sam on August 27, 2012, 16:26

Know the name but don't actually know the person - almost too many people in there. Good see a replacement might have been found.

Title: Re: 40Mb HDD
Post by: Clive on August 27, 2012, 17:12

Yes, I hope it works out.  The telescope is the UK's largest and it's run by the UK's oldest (and probably last) professional optical astronomer.  That's if you consider spectroscopy to be optical of course!   :laugh:  If the guy was found murdered tomorrow there would be around 200 suspects at the IoA.   ;D