fdisk not creating correct partition table

Hi,

I am trying to use fdisk to create a couple of partitions on an external USB disk but it doesn't do correctly what I ask it to. It seems the problem is the difference in what the CHS (cylinder head sector) info says and what the start/size info says. For example for a 160GB disk with two partitions I would like to have it be (disk geometry is 7296/255/63 [117210240 sectors]):

#: id cyl hd sec - cyl hd sec [ start - size]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1: 12 0 1 1 - 763 254 63 [ 63 - 12273597] Compaq Diag.
*2: 07 764 0 1 - 1023 254 63 [ 12273660 - 104936580] HPFS/QNX/AUX
3: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused
4: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused

But if I try using fdisk this is what I end up with:

#: id cyl hd sec - cyl hd sec [ start - size]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1: 12 0 1 1 - 1023 254 63 [ 63 - 12273597] Compaq Diag.
*2: 07 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 12273660 - 104936580] HPFS/QNX/AUX
3: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused
4: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused

So as you can see the start/size info is right, but the CHS numbers are not (the end of partition 1 is not correct and the begining and end of partition 2 is not correct). The commands that I gave to fdisk to do this were:

fdisk:*1> edit 1
Starting Ending
#: id cyl hd sec - cyl hd sec [ start - size]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1: 12 0 1 1 - 1023 254 63 [ 63 - 12273597] Compaq Diag.
Partition id ('0' to disable) [0 - FF]: [12] (? for help)
Do you wish to edit in CHS mode? [n] y
BIOS Starting cylinder [0 - 7295]: [0]
BIOS Starting head [0 - 254]: [1]
BIOS Starting sector [1 - 63]: [1]
BIOS Ending cylinder [0 - 7295]: [1023] 763
BIOS Ending head [0 - 254]: [254]
BIOS Ending sector [1 - 63]: [63]

and

fdisk:*1> edit 2
Starting Ending
#: id cyl hd sec - cyl hd sec [ start - size]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*2: 07 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 12273660 - 104936580] HPFS/QNX/AUX
Partition id ('0' to disable) [0 - FF]: [7] (? for help)
Do you wish to edit in CHS mode? [n] y
BIOS Starting cylinder [0 - 7295]: [1023] 764
BIOS Starting head [0 - 254]: [254] 0
BIOS Starting sector [1 - 63]: [63] 1
BIOS Ending cylinder [0 - 7295]: [1023] 7295
BIOS Ending head [0 - 254]: [254]
BIOS Ending sector [1 - 63]: [63]

How can I fix this? I have tried both the CHS method and the default (start/size) method when creating the partitions and neither give the completely correct results. I have tried completely erasing the partition table and recreating it, but nothing seems to give me what I would think should be no big deal. I am puzzled as to how one set of info (ie CHS) does not agree with the start/size info??? I think the 1023 value for cylinders is OK for the end of partition 2 due to some funny WIndows bit of trivia, but the CHS for end of part 1 and start of part 2 should be correct since they are less than 1023.

The disk does have an MBR type partition table. I am doing this on a SATA external drive attached to a USB DriveWire if that makes a difference.

What am I doing wrong? Can I get there using fdisk on my MacBook?

Thanks ....

-Bob