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Adding HDD to Compaq Portable...mounting question(s)

E

EddieDX4

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2006
Messages
542
Location
Puget Sound region, WA, USA
I got a hold of a Seagate ST-251 MCL1 42MB HDD to go along with my DTC 5150X MFM controller. I installed the card in my Compaq Portable and subsequently ran the low-level format utility from the controller, which gave me the option for the ST-251. All worked perfect and I'm happily booting DOS 6.22 off of it.

All of this was done with the drive sitting on top of the Compaq Portable. Now I am getting ready to permanently install it, which will likely require that I remove the second 5.25" floppy drive. The problem is that this is a half-height HDD... I'd like to add a half-height floppy drive to help fill in the gap. For those of you who have done this, any advice and/or caveats to install 2x half height drives on the second drive bay of the Portable? Consequently, have you successfully installed the HDD elsewhere within the machine, leaving the 2nd full-height floppy drive in?

It seems that the HDD "might" fit sandwiched between the 2 floppy drives, but I'm afraid this could cause overheating issues to any of the drives. It also seems there wouldn't be a place to screw it to, which would leave the HDD loose, risking the ISA card immediately behind the drives, not to mention the drive itself.

One last question... DOes anyone know if this model of the ST-251 has an auto-park feature when powered off?
 
The st-251, once you turn it off, does it go RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR while spinning down? if so, it has auto-park, the 2 that i have do that. and as for mounting the hdd in a compaq portable, how do you even get it in there? i can open mine up but for the life of me can't even GET to the bays..
 
k2x4b524[ said:
The st-251, once you turn it off, does it go RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR while spinning down? if so, it has auto-park, the 2 that i have do that. and as for mounting the hdd in a compaq portable, how do you even get it in there? i can open mine up but for the life of me can't even GET to the bays..
Click to expand...

Yup..... RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.... Right on.

To get to the bays is really easy... Remove the screws on the black rubber mounts (vibration dampeners?), then losen the screws holding the metallic grill (no need to remove the screws, perse)... Then slide the grill and pull upwards... Voila!
 
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