most SATA drives, at least from a given manufacturer, seem to have
their SATA connectors at the same place.  does anyone make a dock for
such SATA drives (preferably which fits into a 5 1/4 bay)?  it would be
nice to be able to swap in and swap out drives, even if it were
restricted to just one manufacturer's drives.

I believe the icydock and other drives all need carriers, which I would
really like to avoid.

/iaw

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

ivowel@gmail.com wrote:
> most SATA drives, at least from a given manufacturer, seem to have
> their SATA connectors at the same place.  does anyone make a dock for
> such SATA drives (preferably which fits into a 5 1/4 bay)?  it would be
> nice to be able to swap in and swap out drives, even if it were
> restricted to just one manufacturer's drives.

I doubt any one makes a carrier less dock as it might well only be
compatible with one manufacturers' drives. While this would be want you
want it would limit the marker for the dock and is thus probably not
what the manufacturer wants!

> I believe the icydock and other drives all need carriers, which I would
> really like to avoid.

The carriers I've seen have their internal connectors on short leads
making them compatible with many different drives...

Guy

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

thanks, guy.

pity---such a carrier should be very cheap to make, so what if it is
obsolete in 3 years?  The SATA drives are so cheap ($400GB/$120), and
nice and square, I with I could just push them in, backup to them, and
put them into storage---as if they were the cartridge themselves.  (It
would take 4+ IOMEGA Revs at $200 to replicate this, and then I would
be locked in with IOMEGA.  The only appeal is that it is the cartridge
that I can pop in and out.)

I wonder why the drive manufacturers themselves have not had this idea
yet---it would sell a lot more of their drives.

/iaw



Guy Dawson wrote:
> ivowel@gmail.com wrote: 
>
> I doubt any one makes a carrier less dock as it might well only be
> compatible with one manufacturers' drives. While this would be want you
> want it would limit the marker for the dock and is thus probably not
> what the manufacturer wants!
> 
>
> The carriers I've seen have their internal connectors on short leads
> making them compatible with many different drives...
>
> Guy

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

ivowel@gmail.com writes:
> pity---such a carrier should be very cheap to make, so what if it is
> obsolete in 3 years?  The SATA drives are so cheap ($400GB/$120), and
> nice and square, I with I could just push them in, backup to them, and
> put them into storage---as if they were the cartridge themselves.  (It
> would take 4+ IOMEGA Revs at $200 to replicate this, and then I would
> be locked in with IOMEGA.  The only appeal is that it is the cartridge
> that I can pop in and out.)

When you talk about pushing the drive in, it sounds like you expect
something to hold it in place mechanically, and the SATA connector itself
isn't really enough for that.  That's why the carrier.

If you just want to attach the drive temporarily and don't mind
it sitting loose, try this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16812156102

I have the PATA version and it's quite handy.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

ivowel@gmail.com wrote:
> thanks, guy.
>
> pity---such a carrier should be very cheap to make, so what if it is
> obsolete in 3 years?

It's not just the carrier but the back plane to which the carrier
aligns the drive connectors.

Think about being a carrier maker. You select a drive model, make a batch
of backplanes and you're ready to sell them. Then the drive maker
discontinues the drive and the replacement drive has the connectors in
a slightly different place. Now you get to bin all your backplanes.

> The SATA drives are so cheap ($400GB/$120), and
> nice and square, I with I could just push them in, backup to them, and
> put them into storage---as if they were the cartridge themselves.  (It
> would take 4+ IOMEGA Revs at $200 to replicate this, and then I would
> be locked in with IOMEGA.  The only appeal is that it is the cartridge
> that I can pop in and out.)
>
> I wonder why the drive manufacturers themselves have not had this idea
> yet---it would sell a lot more of their drives.

I imagine because most of the market is happy enough with the current
solutions.

>
> /iaw
>
>
>
> Guy Dawson wrote: 
>


--
Guy
-- --------------------------------------------------------------------
Guy Dawson                    I.T. Manager              Crossflight Ltd
gnues@crossflight.co.uk

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

I think you are right---it is the drive manufacturer itself who should
create this sort of device.  It would need to consist only of a rail to
guide along the drive until it hits a connector (and so that it sits
there stable).  It couldn't cost more than $5 to manufacture---and I do
think it would sell a lot of drives for this particular manufacturer.
Let's hope one of the SATA drive manufacturers will have this insight.
Yes, it won't be for everyone, but it would work for some.  I could
almost guarantee that such a simple mechanical device would sell an
extra 5 drives per computer for me.

(PS: thanks for the bytecc link.  The whole idea for me is to get rid
of cables, carriers, etc.  I really want it to sit in a standard
computer, just like a CD-ROM drive.)

/iaw



Guy Dawson wrote:
> ivowel@gmail.com wrote: 
>
> It's not just the carrier but the back plane to which the carrier
> aligns the drive connectors.
>
> Think about being a carrier maker. You select a drive model, make a batch
> of backplanes and you're ready to sell them. Then the drive maker
> discontinues the drive and the replacement drive has the connectors in
> a slightly different place. Now you get to bin all your backplanes.
> 
>
> I imagine because most of the market is happy enough with the current
> solutions.
> 
>
>
> --
> Guy
> -- --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Guy Dawson                    I.T. Manager              Crossflight Ltd
> gnues@crossflight.co.uk

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

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ivowel@gmail.com schrieb:
> I think you are right---it is the drive manufacturer itself who should
> create this sort of device.  It would need to consist only of a rail to
> guide along the drive until it hits a connector (and so that it sits
> there stable).  It couldn't cost more than $5 to manufacture---and I do
> think it would sell a lot of drives for this particular manufacturer.
> Let's hope one of the SATA drive manufacturers will have this insight.
> Yes, it won't be for everyone, but it would work for some.  I could
> almost guarantee that such a simple mechanical device would sell an
> extra 5 drives per computer for me.
>
> (PS: thanks for the bytecc link.  The whole idea for me is to get rid
> of cables, carriers, etc.  I really want it to sit in a standard
> computer, just like a CD-ROM drive.)
>
> /iaw
Hi!

If I dont missunderstand you, you are looking for a thing like
http://www.ssi.com.tw/products/SI-1168SS.html
or
http://www.raidsonic.de/en/pages/pr...e_objectID=4342

with best regards
Dieter Stumpner

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I have a 4-drive hot swap unit that occupies 3x5.25" bays. The carriers
come with with unit. You can see it at:

http://www.satadrives.com/sadrcafor4sa.html

I'm very happy with it as it has solved the problems of drive power
cables coming of the bare drives at the slightest touch which was a real
pain. In my opinion whoever designed the power connector for SATA drives
needs to be taken out and shot :-)

--
Nik Simpson

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Nik Simpson wrote:

> I have a 4-drive hot swap unit that occupies 3x5.25" bays. The
> carriers come with with unit. You can see it at:
>
> http://www.satadrives.com/sadrcafor4sa.html
>
> I'm very happy with it as it has solved the problems of drive power
> cables coming of the bare drives at the slightest touch which was a
> real pain. In my opinion whoever designed the power connector for SATA
> drives needs to be taken out and shot :-)


I agree!  I use the ones by Supermicro that have5 drives in 3x5.25" bay::

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...ce-20/ref=nosim

It takes just a minute to put a drive in the carrier. Either that or you
can probably get more carriers and just keep the drives loaded in the
carrier.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

> Hi!
>
> If I dont missunderstand you, you are looking for a thing like
> http://www.ssi.com.tw/products/SI-1168SS.html
> or
> [url]http://www.raidsonic.de/en/pages/products/mobile-racks.php?we_objectID=4342[/url
]
>
> with best regards
> Dieter Stumpner

looks great.  alas, not yet for sale in the US.  hopefully soon.  /iaw

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]