Does anyone know the model number of the HDD sold as HD-ME4 or HD-ME5? I was searching for a source of the Toshiba HDD2187 20GB 4200RPM to replace some dead HDD for Falcon I print systems, and am thinking that it would be better to go with the more current models. Presumably, the newer drives would still have valid manufacturer warranties.

Has anyone used the Toshiba Super Slim 40GB (MK4032GSX) SATA 5400RPM 2.5IN 9.5MM Notebook Hard Drive?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sdds_ca,

We use Western Digital WD800UE 80GB drives with good results.

I actually recycled some 4GB hard disks from the old ai2310/3010 print system and it worked well. This is the disk that was only useful with Postscript printing some of you may recall. The customer just needed a drives, the size was not important. I sent off the old drives for warranty service and now have a couple of spares on hand for the next ones that fail.

I believe any notebook 2.5 inch IDE drive will do the trick.

I have recently been experimenting with a compact flash to sff ata adaptor and so far so good. I am using a 4 gb compact flash card with this:
http://www.techdepot.com/pro/product.asp?productid=5562...s++addonics+addonics

I'm sure it's slower than a regular hard drive, but I'm tired of having to replace the drives every year and a half. Total cost was about $80.

NOTE: I have only successfully used this with the units that have a ribbon cable for the hard drive. I tried it with one of the CanRAM PCB's and it didn't work - but this may have been a bad board.

How is this better, the adapter is $35.00
plus the cost of the 4gig flash

JimmyB - No moving parts to go bad. The printer I put this in (FS-9520) had it's hard drive replaced at least 4 times already in a little over 2 years.

Long term reliability is what I'm going for. The cost is about the same as a decent hard drive - 4gb CF cards are between $30 and $40.

I'm sure you could use 2gb cards - they're about $20.

excelent advice scoful!!
im going to test it on a toshiba copier, i found the same card here http://www.shopaddonics.com $29.00 shipping included. you may save $10.
Thanks again!

Be aware that the card has to be in the "Master" position. The card has two cf slots on it. I have not tried it with both populated.

Thanks for the suggestions. I found the Western Digital 80 GB HDD at Newegg for $70 plus shipping (and sales tax since I couldn't find a way to purchase this as a reseller). All told it was approx. $80 which is way better than $369.

I saw on tigardirect 40 gig drives for $55.00
80gig for $65.00

quote:

Originally posted by Hutch:
We use Western Digital WD800UE 80GB drives with good results.

We just mounted the Western Digital 80 GB hard drive (WD800BEVE)on the bracket and installed it in a 2530 with Print/Scan and got an error message -- Unable to format. What are we missing??

quote:

Originally posted by sdds_ca:

We just mounted the Western Digital 80 GB hard drive (WD800BEVE)on the bracket and installed it in a 2530 with Print/Scan and got an error message -- Unable to format. What are we missing??

The jumper must be in the "master" position. "Cable select" (CS) or "slave" won't work.

After being unable to get past the "format error" as the format hard drive didn't work on the Falcon I, I installed the WD HDD in a Falcon II. The format actually worked and the print system goes to a ready state. Any ideas as to why there would be a difference between the two machines. (We have a 20 GB HDD installed in the Falcon I and it is working.)

This may be not unlike the limitations some motherboards have when they try to automatically detect a hard drive. Older motherboards won't support over a certain size. Many 3.5" drives have a jumper to limit the size to 20 gigs or something. I don't know if there is a jumper like this on a 2.5" drive or not.

After formatting the drive in the Falcon II were you able to use it in the Falcon I?

Good question. I haven't tried yet. Will let you know.

RE: Moving the WD HDD over to a Falcon I after formatting in a Falcon II -- NO GO. Still get Hard disk format error and it won't format.

Bigger concern at the moment is that after powering off and on the Falcon II in which it was formatted successfully (or so I thought), the format error message comes back. I can run through the formatting process -- and it seems to format (I can print partition reports etc). Everytime the machine is turned off -- and on agin -- the format error back pops up.

Hutch, Have you seen that with the WD HDD that you use?

Format the drive in a PC than
try it again in the machine

I've had one that acted like that but it has been so long I can't remember what we did with it. Possibly a bad HD but I guess it could be the pcb it is mounted to.

I have had a couple of the PCB's with the 'CanRAM' logo go bad. These don't use a ribbon cable and the drive doesn't have risers to give better ventilation.