New to the group, have questions about a IIe and cards...

["William R. Walsh" <newsgroups1@idontwantjunqueemail.walshcomptech.com>]

Hi!

I'm new here and looking for some answers to questions I have about an Apple
IIe. I hope that's not too direct of a statement and that someone here could
help me out. I have done some moderate to minor research on the web but I
cannot answer all my questions from the info I have picked up.

While I've had the IIe and a decent collection of software for long enough
to run some titles and make use of most of the installed cards, I'm not
technically familiar with the machine or how to upgrade it.

My first question is about an Applied Engineering Vulcan IDE card. I
salvaged this card from a computer scrapyard, and while the card seems OK
visually (and it passes the power-on test) I have been unable to make it
work. I know that sounds like a broad statement...but more specifically:

The original hard disk/power supply combo is ruined. The PSU circuit board
is shattered into many pieces and the hard drive is not exactly able to sit
flat any more. Looks like someone either jumped on or ran over it. I tried
separating the hard disk to see if it still ran, but it does not spin nor
have I been able to make it spin. So I wired up a standard power connector
to my IIe's PSU, cabled up an older 85MB Conner IDE drive to the Vulcan card
and tucked the drive safely under the keyboard area. This all seems to "work
fine" visually speaking, with the drive spinning up at each power on and the
card's onboard LED blinking in unison with the drive making access sounds
for a few moments prior to the machine booting from the DuoDisk drives.

Long story short, I'm wondering if I can in fact substitute a hard disk like
that? Will the controller still see it? How do I prepare the disk for use?
(It has an IBM DOS file system on it now and I know that will have to go,
but I am wondering if it can be erased from the Apple?)

I'm also wondering about whether I would need a certain program to be able
to use the card and hard disk. So far I have been unable to "do" anything
with it and it doesn't show up as listed as anything but "empty" in any slot
when using a ProDOS User's disk. Any other info like documentation or at
least a description of what the switch bank on the card does would also be
nice.

Another card I have happened upon is something called a "PC Transporter"
seemingly also from Applied Engineering. From what I have been able to
gather just by looking at it, it seems to be a complete 8086-based PC on a
card. I seem to have the complete selection of internal wiring for it,
specifically, two lines to intercept the system speaker and a piece that
"intercepts" the keyboard as it plugs into the mainboard.

I would love to use that card, but I have read in various places that I'd
need a special disk drive that plugs into it. If anyone has a disk drive for
this that they could part with or pinouts...I'd love to know about them.
Does this card require any special software to work?

Finally, I'd like to ask about the Diamond Trackstar 128 card. I have one of
these in a Tandy 1000SX, and it is complete from the hardware point of view.
According to what I've been reading on it, I need software to make it work.
It seems that this software was copy protected and therefore the only way to
get it is to have original disks. I'm wondering if anyone here has a set
they could sell or a way to get around the copy protection and make copies
of the disks.

Thanks in advance for any and all answers, and apologies if I've asked too
much or violated guidelines here in the group. If needed, my reply-to is
valid after some minor corrections...remove the dots surrounding and the
"idontwant...." bit to reply.

William