How do I test this weird conner hard drive?

[VERAULT]

This came out of a Zenith Sportster 286 which was battery pack fried. Nothing was salvageable. As you can see there is damage to the alluminum frame at the top I fixed with vinegar.

The drive is still sealed so there is a chance it may still work. Its connected via ribbon to this board. How do I connect it and power it up and test it? Or should I just throw it out (spring cleaning)?

 

[Agent Orange]

This came out of a Zenith Sportster 286 which was battery pack fried. Nothing was salvageable. As you can see there is damage to the alluminum frame at the top I fixed with vinegar.

The drive is still sealed so there is a chance it may still work. Its connected via ribbon to this board. How do I connect it and power it up and test it? Or should I just throw it out (spring cleaning)?
View attachment 1276505

Chuck(G) may know?

 

[Chuck(G)]

My references say that the CP-323 is a plain old 20MB ATA drive. So I don't know what's under the seals.

 

[VERAULT]

So that connector on the board can connect to an xtide?

found some photos of it opened up:

https://www.reddit.com/r/vintagecomputing/comments/17ezpny/yet_another_fascinating_hard_drive_design_by

 

[Chuck(G)]

Probably, but I'd want to see what's inside that drive carrier first.

 

[Chuck(G)]

From what I read, here, it appears that the connector on the board is standard IDE.

 

[VERAULT]

Probably, but I'd want to see what's inside that drive carrier first.

Isnt opening it up a bad idea? I have a german shepherd and dust and debris are everywhere no matter how often I clean/vacuum.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Inside the carrier, not the drive itself! It's pretty clear from the bit I cited that there's not much to it.

 

[Timo W.]

It's most likely dead anyway. I (finally!) restored my supersPORT 286 just a few weeks ago as well and had to open the drive, since the spindle would not start without help. Got the drive working but even with new bearing oil, the spindle got stuck again after some days...

derSammler (@derSammler@oldbytes.space)

Attached: 3 images Those projects you wish you would not even have... a very filthy **#Zenith supersPORT 286**. PSU is broken and the bad part is most likely impossible to get a replacement for. LCD and HDD are unlikely to still work, either. But it's a nice piece of history, so at least a...

oldbytes.space

 

[VERAULT]

Where do I connect power? the j5 set of 4 pins which almot looks like a berg connector?

 

[VERAULT]

Well I connected to Berg connector to try to give the drive just power not connected to anything else. It started smoking from the board. Either I had it connected wrong or the voltages were not standard with berg connector or it was possibly an upside down Berg connector. It didn't make a sound it is now in the trash. Well I saved it for a few years I have space on my shelf now. I don't feel too bad about it.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Darn--I got to you too late. See: https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/hard-drives-hdd/conner/CP-30084E-85MB-3-5-SL-IDE-AT.html
Under "J4". I suspect that you have the +12 and +5 swapped.
Likely the drive was toast anyway. Out of my several Conner <500MB drives, none has survived.

 

[VERAULT]

I read plenty of these were just dead from time. But yeah. I suspect i had the voltages flipped.

 

[Timo W.]

The mechanical part might still be ok with some, admittedly unlikely, luck.

Before you trash that, I would take it for the cost of shipping. Maybe the spindle is less seized up than mine.

 

[VERAULT]

The mechanical part might still be ok with some, admittedly unlikely, luck.

Before you trash that, I would take it for the cost of shipping. Maybe the spindle is less seized up than mine.

I dont think its worth the cost of shipping to Germany.