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couple ?s on external HDD on 515

7K views 46 replies 7 participants last post by  bigedusa 
#1 ·
couple ?s on external HDD on 515

I have been reading alot of infor. here mostly on non 515 machinces.


it confusses me the way the threads are all splite up

is there a complete external HDD install thread?


is the orginal 515 Hdd SATA? if yes a SATA adaptor is'nt required?

just the SATA cables?


STB
 
#3 ·
how doe's this docking station look to you?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817182197


this seams a tad better and less expensive.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817153071



?1.w/ the included M/M eSATA cable looks like I'll only need the coupler and a F/M SATA cable correct?

?2. or can I just use this single cable plugged into the 515? I've read a little here and am unsure of the connection weather it's male or female inside the 515.


?3.when I remove the orginal HDD from the 515 can I insert it into this station and continue to use?


?4.any suggestions on a AV type HDD, or a better docking station?


5. these DS are they plug and play or do they require formatting or drivers ect. installed from a computer? or will the Magnavox skip709 function format the DS and the HDD individually or both simultancely?


?6. the eject button on the Thermaltake BlacX ST0005U doe's it shoot the HDD forcfully up in the air?


I'm thinking a external HDD is more stable
http://www.aztekcomputers.com/WD5000...L-2415025.html

any thoughts.


Thanks

STB
 
#4 ·
With a subject as important as this, it would be better if you posted your questions in the MAIN thread for the Mags, the Sticky at the top of the page, where Mag users are always available to help, and new users will always know where to look for info or help.
 
#6 ·
OK Thank you,


STB
 
#7 ·
I moved thread back here.and have unsubscribed to the stickie.


anyone w/ 515 external HDD knowlegde willing to share? please do so here. I will limit each post to an individaule ?


?1. I'm assumming the SATA cable connection inside the 515 is female is this true or false?


it must be a female SATA connection inside the 515 because the dock station is male to male.


so now I am confussed on the coupler why is it even used? to extend the lenght of cable? or to gender change? either reason why not just use a SATA F/M like this.?

http://www.amazon.com/SATA-Male-eSAT.../dp/B002P6W8E8


STB
 
#8 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by stevethebrain /forum/post/20736976


I moved thread back here.and have unsubscribed to the stickie.


anyone w/ 515 external HDD knowlegde willing to share? please do so here. I will limit each post to an individaule ?


?1. I'm assumming the SATA cable connection inside the 515 is female is this true or false?


it must be a female SATA connection inside the 515 because the dock station is male to male.


so now I am confussed on the coupler why is it even used? to extend the lenght of cable? or to gender change? either reason why not just use a SATA F/M like this.?

http://www.amazon.com/SATA-Male-eSAT.../dp/B002P6W8E8


STB

Every hard drive is female, and the connector from the control board is male. Your extension has to be female at one end and male at the other. The problem is defining what is female and male on a sata cable. The conector to the external box is male/male. That is due to the fact that the female is always the stationary plug. The cord in the picture the normal looking end is the male and the larger square looking end is the esata female. I think the problem is how the extension plugs into the control board. You may need a female sata to female esata, but according to the ones who have seen the inside of the DVDR, the chord you link to is the right one. You will still have to use the male/male esata chord that comes with the external unit. You should not use the power from the DVDR, but get a station that has it's own power supply. It is possible to "fix" the female end as a staionary plug on the back of the unit and use the male/male connector so that a wire is not just "sticking out".


You do need to have everything turned off, when connecting the extension. I would then power the external hard drive case. Then power on the DVDR. Changing Hard drives is not hot swappable. When changing turn off the DVDR first, then the external drive. Swap out your drive and then with the power on the external drive power up the DVDR. Each new drive you insert, you will have to go through the new drive setup procedure. Once that is done, re-inserting recorded to drives should not need this procedure.
 
#9 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by stevethebrain /forum/post/20736976


...

?1. I'm assumming the SATA cable connection inside the 515 is female is this true or false?


it must be a female SATA connection inside the 515 because the dock station is male to male.


so now I am confussed on the coupler why is it even used? to extend the lenght of cable? or to gender change? either reason why not just use a SATA F/M like this.?

...

Steve, I have one of those dock stations. And the cable that comes with it is male-male ESATA. So I got a ESATA-SATA and plugged it into my computer that doesn't have a ESATA port. I plugged the SATA into my internal computer port. That drawback from this is I can't unmount the dock station because my ESATA is not true ESATA port. I have to power it off in order to unplug the dock station. I can however plug the ESATA/dock station in with power on, just not unplug it.


I would also like to look inside my "515" but I just bought it, and the warranty would prevent that. Looks like I will have to wait a year or so.


If you do open the "515" case can you take pictures of the inside. I would love to see its layout.
 
#10 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by timtofly /forum/post/20737565


Every hard drive is female, and the connector from the control board is male. Your extension has to be female at one end and male at the other. The problem is defining what is female and male on a sata cable. The conector to the external box is male/male. That is due to the fact that the female is always the stationary plug.so I was correct in my assummsion that the female end connects to the inside of the 515? The cord in the picture the normal looking end is the male and the larger square looking end is the esata female. I think the problem is how the extension plugs into the control board. You may need a female sata to female esata,so there's a SATA to ESATA conversion? and this is why 2 cables and the coupler is used? but according to the ones who have seen the inside of the DVDR, the chord you link to is the right one. You will still have to use the male/male esata chord that comes with the external unit. You should not use the power from the DVDR, but get a station that has it's own power supply. It is possible to "fix" the female end as a staionary plug on the back of the unit and use the male/male connector so that a wire is not just "sticking out".

are you saying to have the male end mounted to the back of the 515s case simiaril to all the rest of it's out put connections? I was planning on the docking station to be dedicated (use only on the 515) DS.



You do need to have everything turned off, when connecting the extension. I would then power the external hard drive case. Then power on the DVDR. Changing Hard drives is not hot swappable. When changing turn off the DVDR first, then the external drive. Swap out your drive and then with the power on the external drive power up the DVDR. Each new drive you insert, you will have to go through the new drive setup procedure. Once that is done, re-inserting recorded to drives should not need this procedure.

responses in bold.

?I understtand that the skip 709 function on the 515 formats a bare HDD will the 515 also format the docking station? or will the DS require formatting from my computer?

Thanks

STB

Quote:
Originally Posted by vmc /forum/post/20737792


Steve, I have one of those dock stations. And the cable that comes with it is male-male ESATA. So I got a ESATA-SATA and plugged it into my computer that doesn't have a ESATA port. I plugged the SATA into my internal computer port. That drawback from this is I can't unmount the dock station because my ESATA is not true ESATA port. I have to power it off in order to unplug the dock station. I can however plug the ESATA/dock station in with power on, just not unplug it.


I would also like to look inside my "515" but I just bought it, and the warranty would prevent that. Looks like I will have to wait a year or so.


If you do open the "515" case can you take pictures of the inside. I would love to see its layout.

are there 2 differnt types of HDDs 1. ESATA other

2.SATA ?

The DS accepts ESATA and the orginal 515 is just regular SATA?


so there actualley is a conversion?


I am in the research phase of this eventuale upgrade when I deside to do the upgrade I will completely document w/ images.


I believe the folks that have done this upgrade are very farminarl w/ computer hardware and related wires (unlike me) just looking for some clarification would prefer to use only one wire instead of the coupler and 2 wires.


How are you liking the DS?


I am also thinking why even use a DS cound'nt I bypass the DS and simply plug directly into the HDD and just lay the HDD ontop of the 515 case?


Thanks

STB
 
#12 ·
a forum broad is for sharing knowlegde in you'r case jvernon well Sir you just keep whatever little knowlegde you may or maynot have.


I'm here trying to learn
 
#13 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by stevethebrain /forum/post/20757831


...

are there 2 differnt types of HDDs 1. ESATA other

2.SATA ?

The DS accepts ESATA and the orginal 515 is just regular SATA?


so there actualley is a conversion?


I am in the research phase of this eventuale upgrade when I deside to do the upgrade I will completely document w/ images.


I believe the folks that have done this upgrade are very farminarl w/ computer hardware and related wires (unlike me) just looking for some clarification would prefer to use only one wire instead of the coupler and 2 wires.


How are you liking the DS?


I am also thinking why even use a DS cound'nt I bypass the DS and simply plug directly into the HDD and just lay the HDD ontop of the 515 case?


Thanks

STB

There's just one SATA, but the interface of ESATA allows one to unmount the hard drive. The "515" doesn't have this feature. You would have to connect the external SATA before power up.
 
#14 ·
Have you considered Power over ESATA (esatap)? This way, the docking station or ext. hdd will get its power from the 515, no external AC cords needed. I hooked up a 2.5" external hdd enclosure to my 515. It turns on and off with the 515. I've come across 3 esatap docking stations if you prefer, but only 1 is still available, the Shentek 75001 . I haven't bought it, so I can't say if it will work for sure. I prefer ext. hdd enclosures to protect the hdd.


As for the internal connections, you would need this 22 Pin Male - Male Serial ATA Data and Power Adapter 22MALE2 to connect the Koutech 5v/12v esatap cable (CBL-PSA512V-100) that connects to the 2.5" ext. enclosure. My 515 came with a Western Digital 3.5" AV-GP 500gb hdd, so I went with the 2.5" AV-25 500gb hdd (WD5000BUDT). I used 2.5" hdd's because no one sells a 3.5" esatap hdd enclosure.


A few quick tips.


First of all, you may want to wait until your warranty expires before doing this. One of my 515's had a clock problem and I had to exchange it.


The connector that attaches to the hdd inside the case is taped to a small circuit board and will need to be cut. I cut and stacked some rubber sheets (Home Depot) and placed them under the end of the Koutech cable inside the case. This will lift up the 515 connector that was attached to the hdd inside the case. I drilled 2 holes in the bracket that the hdd was screwed to (after removing it from the 515) so that I could zip-tie the koutech cable sitting on the rubber sheets to the bracket. This will keep the cable from moving inside the case.


I ran the koutech cable outside the case through the vents on the side of the cover. I used a utility knife to CAREFULLY cut 3 of the slits and bend them back. That's enough to squeeze the smaller end of the koutech cable through. I then used a small rubber grommet (cut open) to protect the cable passing through the vent.


Sorry if this is a little confusing, but I'm typing this in a rush.
 
#15 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by vmc /forum/post/20758372


There's just one SATA, but the interface of ESATA allows one to unmount the hard drive. The "515" doesn't have this feature. You would have to connect the external SATA before power up.

if I decide on a docking station would I still be able to use the orginal 515 HDD inside the DS?


Thanks

STB

Quote:
Originally Posted by gm2040 /forum/post/20759212


Have you considered Power over ESATA (esatap)? This way, the docking station or ext. hdd will get its power from the 515, no external AC cords needed. I hooked up a 2.5" external hdd enclosure to my 515. It turns on and off with the 515. I've come across 3 esatap docking stations if you prefer, but only 1 is still available, the Shentek 75001 . I haven't bought it, so I can't say if it will work for sure. I prefer ext. hdd enclosures to protect the hdd.


As for the internal connections, you would need this 22 Pin Male - Male Serial ATA Data and Power Adapter 22MALE2 to connect the Koutech 5v/12v esatap cable (CBL-PSA512V-100) that connects to the 2.5" ext. enclosure. My 515 came with a Western Digital 3.5" AV-GP 500gb hdd, so I went with the 2.5" AV-25 500gb hdd (WD5000BUDT). I used 2.5" hdd's because no one sells a 3.5" esatap hdd enclosure.


A few quick tips.


First of all, you may want to wait until your warranty expires before doing this. One of my 515's had a clock problem and I had to exchange it. excellent advice I am still in research phase and will wait till the warrenty runs out.

? where is this seal on the 515 that if broken voids the warrenty?

is it a sticker that can be heated up w/ a hair dryer and peeled back leaving it intact?



The connector that attaches to the hdd inside the case is taped to a small circuit board and will need to be cut.?are you just cutting the adhesive and not the wire correct? I cut and stacked some rubber sheets (Home Depot) and placed them under the end of the Koutech cable inside the case. This will lift up the 515 connector that was attached to the hdd inside the case. I drilled 2 holes in the bracket that the hdd was screwed to (after removing it from the 515) so that I could zip-tie the koutech cable sitting on the rubber sheets to the bracket. This will keep the cable from moving inside the case.


I ran the koutech cable outside the case through the vents on the side of the cover. I used a utility knife to CAREFULLY cut 3 of the slits and bend them back. That's enough to squeeze the smaller end of the koutech cable through. I then used a small rubber grommet (cut open) to protect the cable passing through the vent.


Sorry if this is a little confusing, but I'm typing this in a rush.

I think to simplifile the upgrade I would prefer a external HDD w/ it's own power supply. besides simplifing wound'nt this also put less strain on the 515 PS?


I'm leaning to a DVR type HDD like this. do DVR type HDDs have any advantage's compared to a conventional HDD?

Thanks

STB

http://cgi.ebay.com/Western-Digital-...34796492582431


The few writeups I've read here make it sound so simple for the 515 (since it allready has the SATA HDD and the SATA adaptor just remove the orginal HDD then plug a female SATA cable in it's place run this wire to outside of case other end of this cable is SATA male connect coupler M/M then Male ESATA out of coupler into external HDD then the format skip709 one touch test record then use as nomal.
 
#16 ·

Quote:
if I decide on a docking station would I still be able to use the orginal 515 HDD inside the DS?


Thanks

STB

Yes, as long as the docking station supports 3.5" sata hdd's.



The warranty sticker is on the back with all the inputs and outputs between the black cover and gray case. I tried to delicately peel it back but it leaves a "void" on the cover. I've never tried heating it up though.


Quote:
The connector that attaches to the hdd inside the case is taped to a small circuit board and will need to be cut.?are you just cutting the adhesive and not the wire correct?

I just cut the black adhesive tape that holds the hdd connector to a small circuit board. It made it easier to work with. There are no electrical wires that need to be cut.


Quote:
I think to simplifile the upgrade I would prefer a external HDD w/ it's own power supply. besides simplifing wound'nt this also put less strain on the 515 PS?

Yes, it would but the 515 power supply is already designed to handle the power of the hdd. For me, one less power cord in the tangle of cords is a plus, it frees up a spot on the surge protector and you save on your electric bill (however miniscule that may be).



I followed the guide written by scottypa even though it's for a mag 2160. He used different connectors and cables but the idea is the same. After I modified my 515, I started to write a quick quide but I kept getting sidetracked. Here's a link that TRIES to explain the different sata's (2nd from the bottom). The connector inside the 515 that attaches to the hdd is a FEMALE sata. So if you decide to use an Esata hdd enclosure, make sure the cable inside the 515 is a 7 pin (Data only) MALE Sata cable and the one to the enclosure is the appropriate (Male or Female) Esata connector. The amazon sata-esata cable you linked to should work on the inside of the 515. The esata side depends on your enclosure.


The hardest part is securing the cable inside the case because the connector that attaches to the hdd is not rigidly attached to anything. The hdd was holding it in place. Scottypa has his cable taped to the bracket that holds the hdd (the first photo), which could be sufficient if your using a docking station that doesn't get moved around. But for my hdd enclosures, the cable constantly gets moved so it had to be securely fastened.


I have no experience with the DVR type hdd's. I would check first if you can replace the hdd inside if you ever needed to. I used the 2.5 (AV-25) version of the 3.5 Western Digital AV-GP hdd that the 515 came with. It is designed for 24x7 video streaming, stays cool in my enclosures without any fans and uses about ¼ the power of the 3.5. I'd rather spend a little extra to get a better product than cut corners.


I recommend that when you're ready to modify the 515, you open it up and verify what you need to do BEFORE you buy any parts for it. Also, an extra pair of hands can be helpful to hold some of the parts while you're tinkering inside the 515.
 
#17 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by gm2040 /forum/post/20761575


Yes, as long as the docking station supports 3.5" sata hdd's.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=ju5470wisuse


+1 for the docking station on reusing the 515s HDD I also have a few small 160GB that could be used.

However the WD world books seam to be superior w/ there builtin cooling sys.


can I expect a HDD w/ it's own cooling sys. to last any longer than a conventional HDD?


The warranty sticker is on the back with all the inputs and outputs between the black cover and gray case. I tried to delicately peel it back but it leaves a "void" on the cover. I've never tried heating it up though.

Yes the hair dryer is used to heat up the adhesive then simple peal, I will use the hair dryer to unstick the tape holding the wire to the ciruit broad then just use a bread knife or simiaril to seperate.




I just cut the black adhesive tape that holds the hdd connector to a small circuit board. It made it easier to work with. There are no electrical wires that need to be cut.





Yes, it would but the 515 power supply is already designed to handle the power of the hdd. For me, one less power cord in the tangle of cords is a plus, it frees up a spot on the surge protector and you save on your electric bill (however miniscule that may be).



I followed the guide written by scottypa yes excellent write and thanks Scotty for the images even though it’s for a mag 2160. He used different connectors and cables but the idea is the same. After I modified my 515, I started to write a quick quide but I kept getting sidetracked. Here’s a link that TRIES to explain the different sata’s (2nd from the bottom). The connector inside the 515 that attaches to the hdd is a FEMALE sata. So if you decide to use an Esata hdd enclosure, make sure the cable inside the 515 is a 7 pin (Data only) MALE Sata cable and the one to the enclosure is the appropriate (Male or Female) Esata connector. The amazon sata-esata cable you linked to should work on the inside of the 515. The esata side depends on your enclosure.


The hardest part is securing the cable inside the case because the connector that attaches to the hdd is not rigidly attached to anything. The hdd was holding it in place. Scottypa has his cable taped to the bracket that holds the hdd (the first photo), which could be sufficient if your using a docking station that doesn’t get moved around. But for my hdd enclosures, the cable constantly gets moved so it had to be securely fastened.

I will most likely attach the cable the same way Scotty did using the grey Extra stronge 3m double sided tape. I plan a smaller hole in the back of the case. I would like for the Male end sticking out of case be securely attached like the orginal outputs are. maybe expoxy the Male houseing to the case.

I have no experience with the DVR type hdd’s. I would check first if you can replace the hdd inside if you ever needed to. I used the 2.5” (AV-25) version of the 3.5” Western Digital AV-GP hdd that the 515 came with. It is designed for 24x7 video streaming, stays cool in my enclosures without any fans and uses about ¼ the power of the 3.5”. I’d rather spend a little extra to get a better product than cut corners.


I recommend that when you're ready to modify the 515, you open it up and verify what you need to do BEFORE you buy any parts for it. Also, an extra pair of hands can be helpful to hold some of the parts while you’re tinkering inside the 515.

General ? on HDDs are you concerned about HDD failure and lose recordings or do you just burn DVDs on stuff whorth saving and hope the HDD lasts a few years?


I ask this because my last lap top's HDD needed replacement after only 2 years, previous LT HDD lasted

twice that time, seams that stuff is being made as cheaply as possiable w/out reguards to how long it lasts. I'm thinking there's no way around the backup DVD.

excellent advice gm2040,

Thanks STB
 
#18 ·
#19 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by stevethebrain /forum/post/20768787


what would be recommended for a decent AV DVR type 3.5 HDD 500GB to use w/ this DS

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=ju5470wisuse

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...scrollFullInfo


sometimes the orginal HDD in the 515 wakes me up in the middle of the night.

?1.is the orginal HDD in the 515 concidered to be noisy? and I thinking it will be even louder in a DS outside the 515 case.


?2.will this WD AV type be just as loud?


Thanks

STB

If you leave the unit on so that it is constantly filling it's buffer, then when it checks for the time @ midnight the boot up process should not happen. Getting used to it running all night should help, I would think. If you are going to go externally, go with a 2.5 "laptop" or even a seagate external. They should not be as loud as a 3.5.
 
#20 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by stevethebrain /forum/post/20768787


what would be recommended for a decent AV DVR type 3.5 HDD 500GB to use w/ this DS

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=ju5470wisuse

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...scrollFullInfo


sometimes the orginal HDD in the 515 wakes me up in the middle of the night.

?1.is the orginal HDD in the 515 concidered to be noisy? and I thinking it will be even louder in a DS outside the 515 case.

I don't think it's the hdd that's loud but the fan inside the case. Occassionaly on my externalized 515, I may turn it on and it sounds fairly loud. I then shut it off and turn it back on and it seems quieter. Same thing with my unmodified 515. When it's louder than normal, I can push on the fan housing a certain way and the noise goes away.


?2.will this WD AV type be just as loud?

This is the oem hdd in my 515. I use it for backup on my PC. Again, I think it's the fans not the hdd's that are loud.


Thanks

STB
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevethebrain /forum/post/20764732


General ? on HDDs are you concerned about HDD failure and lose recordings or do you just burn DVDs on stuff whorth saving and hope the HDD lasts a few years?

I expect the hdd's to last, especially the one's designed for streaming video. I transfer (through DVD's) some of the recordings to the PC for storage on multiple hdd's (the oem 515 hdd being one of them).



Here are some pictures I took of the 515 when I modified it. I remember somebody wanted to see the inside of it. The cable sits on the rubber sheets (this is to raise the 515 connector off the hdd bracket) and is zip-tied in 2 spots to the bracket that the hdd was originally screwed to. The cable is connected to the sata 22pin male-to-male adapter which is attached to the 515 connector the hdd was plugged into. Looking at these pictures, I think the 515 connector may have been taped to the hdd bracket and not a circuit board, as I previously mentioned. The black you see on the hdd bracket is electrical tape. Initially I was going to tape the cable to the bracket and have the 515 connector sit on the tape to prevent any type of short circuit. The 515 connector is now raised off the bracket and held up by the cable and adapter. The thin, wide, white ribbon cable is taped to the hdd and needs to be DELICATELY removed from the hdd.


 
#21 ·
I wanted a picture. Can you take a full picture. I don't see how the DVD is aligned. Also to the right of your home made cable assembly, it looks like another HD could be installed there. Is there a SATA port, or what am I looking at - to the right.?
 
#22 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by vmc /forum/post/20771804


I wanted a picture. Can you take a full picture. I don't see how the DVD is aligned. Also to the right of your home made cable assembly, it looks like another HD could be installed there. Is there a SATA port, or what am I looking at - to the right.?

I took those pics a few months ago when I modified my 515. I have no plans on taking it apart again. It's in a cabinet with a bunch of other stuff and ton's of cables. Here's a link to some better pics (towards the bottom). It's a different model, but they're similar.


If you're looking at my pics, the front of the unit is to the top or right side of the pic. The gray bracket the cable's tied to is where the oem 3.5" hdd sits on. It is the same size as a 3.5" hdd. I doubt you'd be able to fit two 2.5" hdds if thats what you're thinking. The white ribbon cable is connected to a small circuit board that has a sata connector. This is what plugs into the hdd or in my case the cable. There's only one connector. To the right of the gray hdd bracket is a large circuit board and next to that is the dvd drive. Check out the link above and look for "Removing DVD Drive" towards the bottom. It'll clear things up. The dvd drive is on the left side of the first photo and the hdd on the right.
 
#24 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by timtofly /forum/post/20769268


If you leave the unit on so that it is constantly filling it's buffer, then when it checks for the time @ midnight the boot up process should not happen. Getting used to it running all night should help, I would think. If you are going to go externally, go with a 2.5 "laptop" or even a seagate external. They should not be as loud as a 3.5.

Hello Tim I have been told that a HDD that is never turned off is constantly spinning thus wearing. I have been turning all my HDD off when not in use, even my LT that gets used frequently as far as the 515 ? if I don't power it off it will eventually turn itself off correct?


what are your thoughts on can I expect a HDD w/ it's own cooling sys. to last any longer than a conventional HDD?

the WD AV DVD expander I linked to it in previous post.


Thanks

STB

Quote:
Originally Posted by gm2040 /forum/post/20770160


I expect the hdd's to last, especially the one's designed for streaming video. I transfer (through DVD's) some of the recordings to the PC for storage on multiple hdd's (the oem 515 hdd being one of them).



Here are some pictures I took of the 515 when I modified it. I remember somebody wanted to see the inside of it. The cable sits on the rubber sheets (this is to raise the 515 connector off the hdd bracket) and is zip-tied in 2 spots to the bracket that the hdd was originally screwed to. The cable is connected to the sata 22pin male-to-male adapter which is attached to the 515 connector the hdd was plugged into. Looking at these pictures, I think the 515 connector may have been taped to the hdd bracket and not a circuit board, as I previously mentioned. The black you see on the hdd bracket is electrical tape. Initially I was going to tape the cable to the bracket and have the 515 connector sit on the tape to prevent any type of short circuit. The 515 connector is now raised off the bracket and held up by the cable and adapter. The thin, wide, white ribbon cable is taped to the hdd and needs to be DELICATELY removed from the hdd.

Hello GM2040 dam that 22 pin connector is big. very kind of you to post images.

using the 515 power is convenient however the connectors and adaptor cost more than a DS. I am also concerned w/ how many times the external HDD cable can be plugged in

?1. is it just the female end that has limited times it can be plugged in before it wears and fails? w/ DS I only plug in once.


?2. you say you used a knife to cut the side of case? am I understanding this correctly?


?3.did you reglue the white ribbon cable ontop of the adaptor to secure it.


Thanks

STB
 
#25 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by stevethebrain /forum/post/20773576


Hello GM2040 dam that 22 pin connector is big. very kind of you to post images.

using the 515 power is convenient however the connectors and adaptor cost more than a DS. I am also concerned w/ how many times the external HDD cable can be plugged in

?1. is it just the female end that has limited times it can be plugged in before it wears and fails? w/ DS I only plug in once.

The sata connections (i.e. hdd) are designed for internal use and not repeated removal and insertion. Wikipedia says they're designed for about 50 insertions. Esata (External sata) and esatap connections (i.e. hdd enclosures and cables) are designed for 5000 cycles. They're specifically engineered for this, like USB plugs and ports. This is why I didn't use a docking station. You won't be able to recover your recordings if the sata connection on your hdd becomes damaged from repeatedly removing it from a docking station. The hdd enclosure will protect the hdd and provide an external port (esata or esatap) for repeated insertion.


?2. you say you used a knife to cut the side of case? am I understanding this correctly?

Yes, a sharp utility knife. You'll want to place it at the edge of a table with 2 small blocks underneath it. I cut it in the middle of the slit (vent) and bent the pieces back. I stuck a rubber grommet in there to protect the cable and to help secure it from moving around also. Originally, I was going to use a nibbler to cut a hole in the back of the case like scottypa, but to fit the grommet in would have required too large of an opening for my liking.


?3.did you reglue the white ribbon cable ontop of the adaptor to secure it.

No. It was taped to the top of the hdd which I removed. You can't really bend the ribbon cable to fit where you want it to. The cable itself is a very thin slick plastic, about the thickness of a piece of paper. It actually has a fold in it, like if you were to fold a piece of paper in half. There was nowhere to tape it to, but I don't think it really needed taping.

Two other tidbits. My biggest concern was that the hdd's I bought might be faulty, so I ran a full scan on them first (takes a long time though) in the enclosures I bought hooked up to a pc. Western Digital has a toolkit you can download for this. Another thing, 2.5" hdd's can withstand higher physical shocks than 3.5" hdds. 350g versus 65g operating shock (when it's reading) for the western digital drives I've mentioned before.


gm2040
 
#26 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by gm2040 /forum/post/20776336


Two other tidbits. My biggest concern was that the hdd's I bought might be faulty, so I ran a full scan on them first (takes a long time though) in the enclosures I bought hooked up to a pc. Western Digital has a toolkit you can download for this. Another thing, 2.5" hdd's can withstand higher physical shocks than 3.5" hdds. 350g versus 65g operating shock (when it's reading) for the western digital drives I've mentioned before.


gm2040

Re-looking several times, I have a question. Is your cable hooked to "a" USB port. The new Western Digital portables use a hard drive that has this port instead of the standard sata port. What cable are you using? It looks like a sata to USB mini port. Is the new satap compatible with the mini USB port? I was hoping to remove the case and use it like an internal drive, but I need a cable that will hook up to these new drives.


Thanks,
 
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