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Baldeagle

HDD replacement in a Calibur DVMR 4CS

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Hello

I have a Calibur (by IMPAC Technologies) 4CS DVMR that has a 40GB HDD in it. This drive is still working but sounds like fingernails on a chalk board. I have successfully been able to put in a 160GB and a 120GB HDD (one at a time not together) and get them to record just fine. I can record for hours and hours without any problems. I can search for and see the files that I have recorded BUT... When I play the video it will start to play and then the system will light up all the front panel lights and shut down and reboot after watching about 3 or 4 seconds of the recorded video. Does anyone have any idea what I could do to keep this from happening?

Thanks, Steve

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Yeah they need 5400rpm drives .. which ones did you replace them with, 5400 or 7200? Alternatively you could contact GE for a power upgrade kit.

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The drives that I have tried were both 7200 RPM. If I can find a 5400 RPM drive do you think it will work without any problems? Is there a size limit?

As far as the power upgrade kit from GE goes... I am just a user, will they sell the kit to me or is there a dealer I could purchase the kit through?

 

Thanks, Steve

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The power upgrade kit, that depends where you live.

You could check with a local GE Dealer.

 

I would stick to maxtor drives in this case .. 5400rpm ..

hard to locate though .. any 5400rpm drive should work.

 

There are a couple threads on this already ..

 

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3601

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=7988

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3047

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If memory serves me right, the old Impac 4CS units were available as either 37.5GB (IBM drive) and 75GB...both single drive versions.

Later models came with either 40GB or 80GB.

 

These were followed by the Impac/Kalatel 4CD (Duplex) units....also available as 40GB, 80GB, 120GB or later on, 240GB (2 x 120GB drives). These were all Maxtors as far as I know.

 

So...the largest single drive a 4CS is likely to support is 120GB. It may not even correctly register a larger unit.

 

Check when booting....

 

When you first power up the unit, you see a blue screen, then you get a little grey dialog box that shows the model number, the version number and the hard drive capacity.

 

If that displayed capacity doesn't physically match the actual drive capacity, then basically the unit cannot "read" the drive.

 

It *may* support a single 80GB or 120GB Maxtor 7200rpm drive...not sure though. I doubt it will support anything other than a Maxtor.

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If memory serves me right, the old Impac 4CS units were available as either 37.5GB (IBM drive) and 75GB...both single drive versions.

Later models came with either 40GB or 80GB.

 

These were followed by the Impac/Kalatel 4CD (Duplex) units....also available as 40GB, 80GB, 120GB or later on, 240GB (2 x 120GB drives). These were all Maxtors as far as I know.

 

So...the largest single drive a 4CS is likely to support is 120GB. It may not even correctly register a larger unit.

 

Check when booting....

 

When you first power up the unit, you see a blue screen, then you get a little grey dialog box that shows the model number, the version number and the hard drive capacity.

 

If that displayed capacity doesn't physically match the actual drive capacity, then basically the unit cannot "read" the drive.

 

It *may* support a single 80GB or 120GB Maxtor 7200rpm drive...not sure though. I doubt it will support anything other than a Maxtor.

 

You are correct this unit has a 37.5 IBM single HD. The grey screen that comes up says:

CBR DVPR04CS

MUX Ver 2.12

PPC ver 2.09

37.5 HD (with original 5400 RPM IBM HD)

120 (with 7200 RPM 120GB Seagate HD)

157.2 (with 7200 RPM 160GB Maxtor HD)

 

I am looking for a 5400 RPM HD at this time. (I think I have and old 5400RPM 40GB HD somewhere around here but have not had time to look for it yet.)

 

Steve

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I just received an e-mail from someone that reminded me about this. (I know it has been a while since my last post)

 

I just wanted to let anyone else that may have this same problem know that I was able to get mine working with another IBM Deskstar HD that I found cheap on eBay. The HD that I was able to get working is a 41.1GB ATA/IDE and it is 5400RPM. Once I put this HD in and powered the system up it worked fine. I did not have to do anything else to the HD to get it working.

 

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR HELP!

Steve

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