VOGONS

Search

Common searches

386n hard drive

Topic actions

First post, by emosun

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I have a compaq 386n and it's missing it's hard drive and cable. The machine requires a strange edge connector ide cable to connect drives and I'm wondering where I can get one or how to make one , also , if the machine uses just normal ide drives.

Ideally i'd like the machine to be able to boot to a cf card but need to know if that's even possible? The end goal is to put a drive in it max out the ram and install an os.

Reply 7 of 10, by Erik765

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

This was our very first PC. Love this little rig. Only issue I ran into with it was being limited to 16 colors in windows due to the 256k of vid ram. Wish I still had it, but maybe one day I'll pick another one up. Best of luck finding your solution.

Reply 8 of 10, by 386_junkie

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

It's called ESDI cables, for ESDI drives.

Compaq also have proprietary power cables, same Molex connector at one end, different on the motherboard end.

Compaq Systempro; EISA Dual 386 ¦ Compaq Junkiepro; EISA Dual 386 ¦ ALR Powerpro; EISA Dual 386

EISA Graphic Cards ¦ EISA Graphic Card Benchmarks

Reply 9 of 10, by FGB

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

The 386N has an IDE onboard controller and the hard drive is also IDE. You just need a normal IDE cable, a soldering iron and a an edge connector for 45 cents like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/140888512935 . There are also edge connectors for crimp mount, but I'm to lazy to do a search.

www.AmoRetro.de Visit my huge hardware gallery with many historic items from 16MHz 286 to 1000MHz Slot A. Includes more than 80 soundcards and a growing Wavetable Recording section with more than 300 recordings.

Reply 10 of 10, by i486_inside

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

If he didn't want to solder do you think that the solder terminals on the card edge are small enough they could fit it the standard pin header socket. the diagram shows they are spaced 2.54mm which is standard, but I don't know how much bigger the solder points would be compared to a standard pin. My Idea is to buy these 20 pin dupont connectors and connect one to each 20 pin half of the card edge connector and then you could either run both to the IDE connector on the drive or connect them to some type of coupler to connect a longer IDE cable.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5pcs-New-20pin-20cm-2 … aIAAOSwSdZWclOv

Go to top of page Go to top of page
Back to General Old Hardware
Close window
Close window