>> I think you're confusing the RM03 with the RM05 (which is the 12-platter
256
MB drive based on the CDC 9766 I think).  <<

Yup, I guess so...   didn't have my handy vax hardware reference book around,
and its been quite a few years.   When I started here we had a room full of
the CDC removable drives...  all gone now.  

For reference, I think the RM05/256Mb-CDC drives needed 220/240V at about 14A
(start current, 10A run) to run them, and the RM02/03/80Mb-CDC (67Mb?) used
120V @ probably 10A+.   Exactly *WHY* anyone would want one these days is
beyond me...  I'd be looking for a SCSI controller, or at least a controller
for ESDI/MFM/RLL (ST506-interface) drives.  SCSI preferred, obviously, since
even the old ST506 style drives are getting hard to come by.  Assuming a
reasonable rate of perhaps $.08/kwh for your electricity, just to run an
RM02/03 drive @10A for a 24-hour day would cost you (10A*120V=1200W... being
generous, say 1kw) 24*$.08=.. about $2/day.  For maybe 80Mb...  With a SCSI
controller and an old 80Mb SCSI drive (I have a pile of old Quantum 80's off
of Mac's that got upgraded) you could probably get the same storage for (being
overly cautious - 5A@5V=25W, 25W*24h = 600W) roughly $.05/day.   1/40th of the
cost.  

I think I'd rather spend $1.50/month on my 80Mb than $60/month, anyday.

The heat issue comes into play here too, of course...  an RM03/05 pumps out
quite a few BTU's.  So, between the power and the heat... just imagine having
your average 30A/220V circuit Electric Clothes Dryer running 24hrs/7days.  And
probably pumping that much heat into the room its in too!!

And shutting those RM drives up and down all the time isn't a good idea, since
that tends to greatly increase your chances for a crash...  and those drive
heads weren't cheap!!   

Of course, the RM drives are removable...  so you could get more packs and
increase your storage...  and from my *wonderful* memories of lifting those
packs, you could quit your membership at the local gym...  might equal that
$60/month! 
:-)   Start with an RM03 and work your way up to an RM05...  

Anyways, we now run on four 4Gb SCSI drives rather than a room full of CDC's.
Power alone we saved over $3000/month.  Much less the space we saved (two 6"
high rack mount chassis for SCSI drives & SCSI tapes, vs. probably 120sq.ft.
taken up with washing-machine sized hard drives...).  

Oh...and those old CDC's transferred at about 1Mb/sec...  the new SCSI's do at
least 5Mb/sec, except that the controller can only do about 3, so we can't
even get the full bandwith out of the drives.  Best our old beast of a machine
can do.

Pete Hufnagel
"CaptnZilog@aol.com"