Re: Confirmation of Focus drive problem and request for ROM 03 GS owners with RAM expanders

["Mark Cummings" <NOTfigjams@primus.com.au>]

> Well, I guess all's well that ends well.  I also had to replace the LED on
> my card - the original one went south a little more than a day ago, which
> scared the crap out of me (since LEDs, in my experience, rarely fail,
which
> means the circuitry around them has), but that's all that went - the new
LED
> is working fine.  (Radio Shack part # 276-041a for the interested - 2 for
> $0.99.  It's about 1.5mm longer than the original, but it's hardly
noticable
> unless you know what you're looking for.)

I agree with you on the LEDs, the only LED's I have ever seen go is because
they are being driven too hard. Like 50-100mA through a 20mA LED... it'll
probably work for a while, but eventually burn up. Pulsing 20mA LEDs at
100mA is a different story.
Anyway I found your comment interesting, as my card also was supplied with a
somewhat dull LED. I figure that it must be just a cheap batch. I have
sometimes bought cheap LEDs from the same tray and had a mix of different
intensitys. There should be no problem replacing it with almost any 5mm LED
that'll fit. The moral is spend a few extra cents to get a better product.

> I've also picked up a 1.08G IBM hard drive for it, which I am currently
> low-leveling.  The data's moving, and I feel fine.

Can you elaborate on the drive type/brand as I believe my drive is the
fault, not the card. For me it is cheaper to simply try another drive than
to ship it back to the US from Australia, so that's what I am going to try
first. If that doesn't work, I'll probably end up with another Focus card
when funds allow.
Looking at the AllTech site there is a recommendation for IBM or Toshiba
drives, and I want to be sure before wasting any cash. Specifically I wan't
to know what other options I have besides those two.

Mark