[olug] RE: error w/ cdrdao

[whaisch4 at cox.net]

Executing power calibration...
?: Input/output error.  : scsi sendcmd: no error
CDB:  54 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
status: 0x2 (CHECK CONDITION)
Sense Bytes: 70 00 03 00 00 00 00 13 00 00 00 00 73 03
00 00
Sense Key: 0x3 Medium Error, Segment 0
Sense Code: 0x73 Qual 0x03 (power calibration area
error) Fru 0x0
Sense flags: Blk 0 (not valid) 
cmd finished after 3.087s timeout 20s
ERROR: Power calibration failed.
ERROR: Use option --force to ignore this error.
ERROR: Writing failed.

Okay.  I went up against this on my Win2k with Nero and a new 48x burner.  
I was trying to burn an archive copy of John Lee Hooker's Best of Chess 
Records sessions but kept coming up with that stupid calibration error.  
Nero's online help files suggested that the burner was toasted (no pun 
intended) or bad CD blanks but I could burn data CDs just fine.  This CD did 
not have any copy protection, either AFAIK.  It was explained that CD 
burning lasers need to be calibrated before each burn so they burn the 
media consistantly over the course of the session, regardless of small power 
fluctuations.  If you use the force command, it will ignore this error and 
PROBABLY (big probably) burn correctly.  YMMVWTPWOC.

relevance link:
http://www.nero.com/en/631927293720980.html#5

-Wm.
whaisch4 at cox.net