Has any one removed the HDD and used Flash Memory? on the karma?

John30_06 2009-01-29, 20:59 #136

Member since Nov 2006 · 394 posts · Location: Heartland U.S.
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

In reply to post ID 15002

Massively expensive? Well, yes...$1695-2495 for a 64 gig chip is massively expensive.
Maybe in about 4 years they'll be reasonable. Oh shoot. The world is supposed to end the year before. Darn the luck.

Otoh, we see on the IDE disk-based side, an outfit in mainland China offering the 9mm Hitachi 60 gig drives for a very reasonable $165 plus shipping. This was something not expected since the supply of those drives was limited, and price was being driven up.

However, given the IBM now Lenovo X40,X41 laptop requires the mini 1.8" hard drives, it's not totally unexpected.

http://tinyurl.com/by8ffz
A thinner battery, some dremeling, and woilla woila Washington, your 60 gig Karma. Still kicking serious audio ass after all these years. I need a frikken Tee-shirt.

M0tah 2009-01-29, 22:15 #137

Member since Dec 2007 · 87 posts
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

In reply to post ID 15001

Quote by jaytee:
What do 1.8" drives run at? 5v or 3.3v? I would guess 3.3v or this wouldn't be an issue, correct?

It looks like it was designed to replace a 1.8" drive even though they say 2.5" - the form factor is screams 1.8".

The Hitachi 1.8" IDE drives will run on either 5v or 3.3v (datasheet for original drives here). They're run on 3.3v in the Karma.

kevinmkr 2009-02-20, 21:10 #138

Member since Dec 2007 · 11 posts
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

Subject: PA-CF18H for cheap!

I found a site that is selling the PA-CF18H for $6.99 + $5 S/H. Oddly, the S/H didn't increase as the quantity did, so I ended up ordering 3 of them for $26, out the door!

Here's the link:

http://www.shopsintech.com/product_info…?cPath=1_17&…

I probably won't receive them for a few weeks, but I'll post again once they arrive.

BTW, what gives over at NewEgg? I was watching the AData 32Gb price drop and drop and now it's no longer listed! Hmmmmm......

John Yaya 2009-02-28, 17:56 #139

Member since Feb 2009 · 2 posts · Location: Milwaukee, WI
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

Thanks for this great thread, everyone. Did this conversion today and am happy enough to do the Walter Houston dance. Thought I would add my experience. Got the PA-CF18H at the previously mentioned shopsintech. I bought 5 & the shipping went up to $7. I think it took less than 2 weeks to receive from Hong Kong. I have also bought batteries from licketysplit in Hong Kong, was always a little leery about buying stuff from overseas but so far all my experiences have been just fine. Got the 32gb Transcend TS32GCF133 ($84.16 shipped at Amazon), and it works well. The adapter seems to have changed slightly from the pics and descriptions given earlier. The cap at the bottom is gone, and the jumper now reads 1.8 or 2.5", rather than 3.3 or 5v. It comes set to 2.5 and I changed it to 1.8, don't know if it's necessary to or not. It also did not include the plastic standoffs that others mentioned. When installed, the card sits on top of the volume buttons. Well, one of the Karma's biggest flaws is the way these buttons can break off the board over time, so I filed the adapter down at the edge until it sits directly behind the buttons and provides a nice little backup for them. Couldn't do the reflash in the cradle, had to connect directly to USB, dunno if that's normal or not. Transfer speed seems about the same as the HD, bootup and shutdown are definitely faster. Curiously enough, putting the unit up to your ear still reveals the high-pitched whine which I always assumed was HD noise. Hoping to someday be able to put a sub $100 64g card in here. Seems to me as long as batteries are available, the Karma has become eternal!

M0tah 2009-03-01, 04:47 #140

Member since Dec 2007 · 87 posts
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

Quote by John Yaya:
Curiously enough, putting the unit up to your ear still reveals the high-pitched whine which I always assumed was HD noise.

On my Karma this noise seems to be caused by the display backlight (it only makes the noise when the backlight is on).

firehouse777 2009-03-01, 18:59 #141

User title: probably don't give this guy money
Member since Mar 2009 · 12 posts
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

Hi all I just joined and was reading what all you were talking about the Karma. Glade to see all you are doing with the karma. I wanted to help in any way I can buy letting everyone know I have parts for the Karma. I also installed a 64GB CF card in a karma for a customer. If anyone needs any more info on the install or parts. I have all enternal and external parts. I have the PA-CF18H adapters for the CF card, screws, buttons, main board with and epoxy on the volume and scroll wheel for strength, batteries(used), LCD screens, accessories, LCD screen frames, and all. You can contact me at firehouse777@cableone.net or call 228-273-4282. I am on ebay also user name rdvm777. I am in the US in MISSISSIPPI. I might be able to learn something from all you have been doing. I been messing around with the karma for about 3 years now. Hope I can help and will be checking in on all the progress you all are making. thanks

kevinmkr 2009-03-07, 11:49 #142

Member since Dec 2007 · 11 posts
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

I just spotted a 32gb Kingston for $59 over at Newegg.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a…?Item=N82E168201…

I have not tested it and have not scoured the back pages to see if this item has been tested. However, I thought I would make it known.

Firehouse...welcome! I actually bought some main boards, batteries and LCDs from you via ebay back in December of '06. (I thought your id sounded familiar so I looked it up!) I'm pretty sure that it's your components that I've been building my mods with, so thank you!

kevinmkr 2009-03-07, 11:54 #143

Member since Dec 2007 · 11 posts
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

heheheh...I just checked the feedback that I had left for you:

"Went out of her way to make sure that I was satisfied. Thank you so much!!!"

If that's not a vote of confidence, I don't know what is! I remember that you threw in a few extra scroll wheels for free. Thanks again! (It's great that a modded Karma still reigns supreme over 2 years later!)

jurgenk 2009-03-08, 12:11 #144

User title: Mirror fogger
Member since Jul 2006 · 69 posts · Location: British Columbia
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

Welcome as well firehouse as it is nice to see another individual out there who is working on the Karma. Thanks for the link to the adapters Kevin as I just ordered 3 myself. I have 8 Karma's in various stages of repair and I am happy to see that there is still this much support and interest in it....

Brad

faichiu 2009-03-08, 14:58 #145

Member since Feb 2009 · 12 posts
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

In reply to post #142

i tried kingtons 16gb cf and did not get a good result.
it is very slow and rmm cannot transfer music or delete muisc.

kevinmkr 2009-03-09, 20:54 #146

Member since Dec 2007 · 11 posts
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

Faichiu, how does the 16gb transfer rate compare to the 32gb? Is it just the capacity that has increased or is the 32gb potentially faster?

Jurgenk, glad to be of service!

faichiu 2009-03-10, 06:08 #147

Member since Feb 2009 · 12 posts
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

This is the CF I have tried
The spec said 133x but it is very slow. Always got error during transfer music.
[Image: http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/20-134-867-02.jpg]

[Image: http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/20-134-867-02.jpg]

I return it and get transcend 16gb 133x and transcend CF works without problem.

Quote by kevinmkr:
Faichiu, how does the 16gb transfer rate compare to the 32gb? Is it just the capacity that has increased or is the 32gb potentially faster?

Jurgenk, glad to be of service!

kevinmkr 2009-03-10, 20:47 #148

Member since Dec 2007 · 11 posts
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

In reply to post #145

Faichiu, good to know. I think I'll hold out for one that's been properly tested.

On another note, I thought that I'd share some photos from my mod.

I used the PA-CF18H with the original battery.

[Image: http://www.kevinkrzyzanski.com/riovolution/karma1.jpg]

[Image: http://www.kevinkrzyzanski.com/riovolution/karma1.jpg]

I had a hard time finding good 2.5 metric nuts, but I finally found some at a local hobby shop. The problem, however, was that they were too tall, so I filed off the corners of the PA-CF18H. Ideally, it would have been nice to run a screw all the way through the LCD holder, the Karma mainboard, and the PA-CF18H, but the holes didn't line up and I wasn't too worried about it. The PA-CF18H stays put fine on it's own, but I wanted the LCD holder secure. This worked perfectly. In fact, the PA-CF18H sits rather nicely on the wider part of the 2.5 nuts, keeping it from floating too much (an unexpected bonus) on the side that isn't secured (The only thing keeping the PA-CF18H attached at all are the IDE connector pins).

Like those before me, I found that the PA-CF18H needed to be filed near the volume buttons. It was quick and easy with a $6 rounded hand file from the local hardware store.

[Image: http://www.kevinkrzyzanski.com/riovolution/karma2.jpg]

[Image: http://www.kevinkrzyzanski.com/riovolution/karma2.jpg]

One more view of the metric 2.5 nut securing the LCD screw.

[Image: http://www.kevinkrzyzanski.com/riovolution/karma3.jpg]

flattop100 2009-03-11, 08:57 #149

User title: Aural Fixation
Member since Jul 2006 · 735 posts
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

Wow, nice work, and GREAT pics! Thanks!

[Image: http://www.plusfourdb.com/images/junk/flame.gif]

CAPS LOCK IS LIKE CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL.
<crunchyfrog> Get off my yard.
You have to be on your toes at a ninja funeral.
People hate failed potential an order of magnitude more than they hate mediocrity.

firehouse777 2009-03-17, 18:04 #150

User title: probably don't give this guy money
Member since Mar 2009 · 12 posts
Group memberships: Members

Show profile ·

Link to this post

Hi kevinmkr

Good to hear you were satisfied. By the way my sister set up ebay for me. I am david the one that took care of you. She only opened ebay for me and I am the one selling. I am back selling again and doing ok. I see your pics and nice job. I dont go that far with the nuts and bolt by cutting out of the board for them.. What do you use for the space between the board and adapter to keep the adapter lined up. I cant see that. I use welding clear lenes about .060 thick with double sided tap to hold them together and use a semi hard epoxy to attach the LCD frame to the main board so removal is not damaging to the main board but it stay in place also. I also had trouble with the kingston CF card from Newegg.com. The Transend ones were much better. You can also take the epoxy I use and put around the volume and power buttons to strengthen them. I painted some outer cases a metallic silver color and i get a lot of looks on eBay for that one. I ve also painted one a three stage color so its like the cars that get painted so depending on witch way you look at it the color changes. I will have to take some pic and show you all. It is wild. I will post again later.

Firehouse