MiniScribe 8450 for sale

[heatcipher]

Images here (sorry for poor quality better photos available upon request)

I happened to chance upon this old HDD while going through my father's old computer parts. I knew there was a niche for vintage computing so I decided to look and see if it was still needed by anyone. I was really surprised to see one for sale on Ebay for $191, which I thought was probably outrageous. Then I was even more surprised to see one of these refurbishment sites selling them for almost $400.

I haven't tested this HDD yet, but if anyone expresses interest in it I will figure out how to do that. No sense wasting my time if no one even wants it. Or if you want to buy it from me without being tested, you can take that risk it's your money.

I don't know what a proper amount to ask for this is, but I'm just concerned about being reimbursed for my time and effort if I have to test this thing (my time isn't worth much I can assure you of that).

If interested, please post a reply or send me a private message. I'd be interested in learning more about it and how to test it even if you're not interested in buying it. This is a pretty interesting piece of history to me since it was made around the same time I was born.

 

[SpidersWeb]

Welcome and good on you for not just throwing it out lol

The drive on ebay is a rarer XT-IDE drive. I still don't imagine it selling for that much though.
Refurb prices are high, partially because they provide a warranty, but also rely on a company coming along who urgently needs a working replacement part and wants to deal with a business rather than a private seller.

To test the drive, you'll need an RLL controller and cables, as well as an older machine to suit. If you have access to gear like this, we can step you through it. If you don't have access then the difference in price wont be worth your effort.

Generally I find if they spin up and sound good, chances are they are. I've bought a few MFM/RLL drives recently and prices for me have usually been in the 20-50 range + shippping costs, but that's private not ebay.

 

[Chuck(G)]

To amplify on what SpidersWeb said, your drive is not the same as what's being advertised for $400 on eBay.

8450 drives came in several flavors. One is the vanilla 8450 MFM/RLL drive (which depends primarily on the controller) which is what you have. There was also the 8450XT, which is what's called an XTA drive--a very early special flavor of IDE. These are desirable for those having equipment that requires this drive.

There is also the 8450AT, which is a more-or-less standard IDE drive. And then there's the 8450C which is an MFM/RLL drive with somewhat larger capacity than the plain 8450.

One problem you'll have getting top dollar is that a large proportion of these old drives no longer work, old age having taken its toll, particularly in the then-new 3.5" form factor. The only way you're going to get a premium price is if you have the equipment to format and surface-test the drive--and that won't be anywhere near $400 if the drive is in perfect condition because MFM/RLL drives are uncommon, but by no means rare.

Absent that, given the unknowns, you've got a nice paperweight.

I hope this helps a bit.

 

[mrwebber35]

It's been 11 years. Is this MiniScribe 8450 still available? I have one with a broken chip that I bought off eBay and it never did work. Completely dead on arrival. Resoldered the SGCC 004460100 8847 22DIP chip and got some error codes and drive spun up. Tried to replace it and broke it. I have since refined my technique and clean the solder better. I am using sockets on that chip to confirm and test new chips.
Does anyone know what this chip is?
I replaced it from the MiniScribe 8425 that had the same DIP22 chip with the same number but the it had 8738 26 instead of 8847. I thought it was a date code but must be made specifically for the drive PCBA. the underside has labels as well. the 8450 SGCC chip is PHIL 4001N 808M158 AND THE 8425 DIP22 SGCC chip just says KOREA. Probably some sort of power distribution chip. If the HD for sale is PCB 05AB I would like to know as well.
I tried to swap the boards but of course that didn't work as the 8425 has interface ST412 and other is ST506.
I have a question.
If I swap what appears to be the main HD DIP40 chip could that be enough to get the 8425 PCBA to function as ST506? The chip is labeled for the PCBA and model number though. You can see the differences in the picture. The 8425 has a perfectly good functioning PCBA but the disks themselves were damaged beyond formatting using SSTOR. The new used drive had a bad PCBA but I got the disks to spin up with swapping the boards . The track motor worked too searching for track zero but couldn't do much more and flashed error code that looks like strobic 7 flashes which is a general error.

 

[Timo W.]

It's been 11 years. Is this MiniScribe 8450 still available?

Even if, he's not going to answer. He never visited the forum again after posting this...

 

[mrwebber35]

Even if, he's not going to answer. He never visited the forum again after posting this...

Thanks anyways. Maybe someone with experience can give some hints.

 

[daver2]

I suspect that the 8238 and 8847 are date codes.

Performing a search for SGCC004460100 does yield a couple of hits - and the photograph of the IC does look to be the same as the ones on your PCBs. Try: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832087007446.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt and https://www.circuitstransistors.com/circuitstransistors?search=4460100.

I am also unable to find a data sheet for the IC.

If you want to get the MS 8450 running - and you suspect this IC - then you could take a 'punt' n trying to acquire one of these devices. They all appear to come from the grey market - so are probably pulls from equipment. However, if you can pick one up cheap, it might be worth the risk.

I see from another VCFED thread that the index pulse goes into pin 3 of this device... That tells me something - but what I don't know... With the SIL resistor package right next door to the device - it could be some sort of input buffer - buffering the input signals from the drive into the controller. The pull-up resistor package being on the inputs. It could be (for example) a simple transistor array?

Dave

 

[mrwebber35]

I suspect that the 8238 and 8847 are date codes.

Performing a search for SGCC004460100 does yield a couple of hits - and the photograph of the IC does look to be the same as the ones on your PCBs. Try: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832087007446.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt and https://www.circuitstransistors.com/circuitstransistors?search=4460100.

I am also unable to find a data sheet for the IC.

If you want to get the MS 8450 running - and you suspect this IC - then you could take a 'punt' n trying to acquire one of these devices. They all appear to come from the grey market - so are probably pulls from equipment. However, if you can pick one up cheap, it might be worth the risk.

I see from another VCFED thread that the index pulse goes into pin 3 of this device... That tells me something - but what I don't know... With the SIL resistor package right next door to the device - it could be some sort of input buffer - buffering the input signals from the drive into the controller. The pull-up resistor package being on the inputs. It could be (for example) a simple transistor array?

Dave

Very helpful thank you. I hope the chip is still available as I have enquired about it.