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Has any one removed the HDD and used Flash Memory? on the karma?
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Riolist 2007-05-19, 00:31 #31
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In reply to post ID 9577
What you need is CF to IDE44 adapter. I got mine on ebay for a few dollars. There's a stand-alone picture of the one I bought in the dapreview thread.
polandro 2007-06-07, 07:40 #32
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I came across this when searching for a suitable adapter:


[Image: http://www.ably.com.tw/pdt/pics//file200732611759454.jpg]
     

at http://www.ably.com.tw/main.htm
   
PA-CF18H
Product Brief:

Enable CompactFlash (CF) storage card to use TRUE IDE mode. Directly replace HITACHI 1.8" PC IDE hard drive. Also compatible with 2.5" IDE port.
Specifications:

    * One slot for one CF card or Microdrive.
    * Support type I and type II CF storage cards.
    * Fully compatible with IDE Specs.
    * No driver needed.
    * DO NOT support hot-swapping.
    * Plugs directly into IDE port for HITACHI 1.8 inch HDD.
    * Also compatible with IDE port for 2.5" harddisk drive.
    * Dimensions: 60 x 70 x 7 (mm)
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flattop100 2007-06-08, 14:01 #33
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Wow, that's too perfect!
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LycoLoco 2007-06-08, 18:33 #34
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I'm not gonna lie. That's pretty awesome. Kind of makes me wanna take the drive out of my karma and use it as something I could jog with.
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iequalasian 2007-06-09, 16:36 #35
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In reply to post ID 8948
waitt. what do you mean by replacing the current HD with a flash drive you can run with it? You can't run with it before or something? Please enlighten me :o
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RubenNYC 2007-06-09, 17:58 #36
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Quote by iequalasian:
waitt. what do you mean by replacing the current HD with a flash drive you can run with it? You can't run with it before or something? Please enlighten me :o

1.8" Hard drive = moving parts = less than ideal for running
Flash drive = solid state = you can run with it all day and it won't skip
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ericks37 2007-06-10, 08:59 #37
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The device from Ably-Tech does look promising... has anyone found a place they can be purchased?  I looked around their website, and did some cursory google searching, but didn't find a site to purchase.
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LycoLoco 2007-06-10, 23:37 #38
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In reply to post #36
Quote by RubenNYC on 2007-06-09, 17:58:
Quote by iequalasian:
waitt. what do you mean by replacing the current HD with a flash drive you can run with it? You can't run with it before or something? Please enlighten me :o

1.8" Hard drive = moving parts = less than ideal for running
Flash drive = solid state = you can run with it all day and it won't skip
Not to mention that using the old drive means that if I happen to mis-step when the hard drive is seeking or whatnot, I could scratch the head or have other bad hard drive issues. Flash memory is what's in all of the products you see advertised for exercise, and that's why. It doesn't move.
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polandro 2007-06-26, 06:25 #39
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In reply to post #37
Quote by ericks37 on 2007-06-10, 08:59:
The device from Ably-Tech does look promising... has anyone found a place they can be purchased?  I looked around their website, and did some cursory google searching, but didn't find a site to purchase.

I called a UK supplier about this item when I posted the details -they were visiting  Compudex in Taiwan at the time.
Anyway, the long and the short of is that they ordered 100 and have them in stock now (well 99 actually :))

You can find the product page here: http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=11521

£12.00 inc.UK sales Tax (VAT) and 85p p+p in UK

Looks like they may ship to USA but need contacting first - they use FedEx for international shipping. When I was discussing it they thought I was a trade customer and asked how many I wanted when talking about price. Perhaps you could do a group buy?
ericks37 2007-06-26, 07:34 #40
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polandro,
    Thanks for the information and link.  Ably-Tech does have a US distributor, and I contacted them, but at the time they didn't have the product and the email said it was still a prototype.  Looks like the device has moved beyond that stage.
John30_06 2007-06-26, 09:57 #41
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In reply to post #38
Quote by LycoLoco on 2007-06-10, 23:37:
Not to mention that using the old drive means that if I happen to mis-step when the hard drive is seeking or whatnot, I could scratch the head or have other bad hard drive issues. Flash memory is what's in all of the products you see advertised for exercise, and that's why. It doesn't move.

You don't have to worry about scratching the heads unless you fire one out of a gun. There's lots of exercises you can do with a hard drive player, such as weightlifting and walking- I'd speculate a person could even jog if they really worked on cushioning their steps....or just develop a pouch for the Karma with tiny shock-absorbers. :-p
rapiddescent 2007-06-27, 06:07 #42
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I work with elastomer springs (for my mountain bike company) - all you need to dampen a hard disk from 10G hits is either a very thin bit of elastomer - or indeed, one of those little 'peel off' stick on rubber feet that you can get at most hardware stores.  you know, the ones that can be stuck to the base of laptops etc.  they are only 1mm thin and should provide enough damping for some pretty hard knocks.

I always swore by using the mindknob neoprene case because even that little bit of neoprene offers a lot of damping capability.

rd
gorman 2007-06-29, 05:16 #43
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In reply to post #32
Quote by polandro on 2007-06-07, 07:40:
I came across this when searching for a suitable adapter:

[Image: http://www.ably.com.tw/pdt/pics//file200732611759454.jpg]
     
What's with the two extra pins at the top? Shouldn't the connector be identical?
John30_06 2007-06-29, 07:22 #44
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It's actually 4 pins, 2 rows of 2, and not to worry. Those are for Master/Slave/Cable Select in P.C.'s. The Karma doesn't use them.

On a similar note, I was looking at the Hitachi 1.8" ZIF drives Jim T has been talking about, and from a cursory take, they hold some promise. The case is about 5 mm narrower than the IDE drive, where the pinouts of the adapter would sit. The interesting part would be fitting a ribbon cable from the ZIF connector of the drive to the ZIF adapter end and cramming it all in the Karma case......
 I'd assume the drive itself would have to sit against the adapter, in any case. The adapter could be modded for a more ergonomic fit, but by this time, it looks like more work than just adapting the case to accept an IDE drive, since the case would likewise have to be modded for the 8mm ZIF drive and the adapter. imho, ymmv, c'est la vie, wacka-wacka-wacka.
This post was edited on 2007-06-29, 07:31 by John30_06.
badState 2007-06-30, 04:11 #45
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In reply to post ID 8948
Subject: I did it!
Well, i did it. It wasn't that difficult, although I did have a couple of scares along the way.

Basically, I used the disassembly instructions here: http://www.schenkzoola.com/karmaopen.htm

With the adapter from here: http://www.directron.com/ad44midecf.html

and an 8gb cf card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a…?Item=N82E168202…

I think just about any CF card would work. I had no trouble with this one, but a 16GB one would be great. In a few months I'm sure bigger ones will be available, to rival the size of the Karma's native hard drive. Then there will be no reason at all not to do this.

A couple of notes:

1. I did break the lock switch. Damn that thing is tiny and fragile. Oh well. I never used it anyway.
2. The CF/IDE adapter came with an LED on it to show drive activity. Didn't need it, and it made the assembly too tall to close the Karma's case properly. I just wiggled the LED back and forth until it snapped off. Didn't cause any problem with the operation. Even without the LED it was a tight fit, but with careful wriggling and squeezing, I was able to get the case closed properly.
3. I freaked out when my Karma wouldn't turn back on. I actually took it apart again thinking I did something wrong, but when I plugged the partially disassembled unit into the cradle, it did power on. It stuck at the "starting" stage until I restarted it in upgrade mode (hold down the menu button and turn it on) then it upgraded happily. Well, I did that after re-assembling it again.
4. Please make sure your 6 year old son with Aspergers is not in the room when you do this. He will not be able to keep his hands off the parts, and he will drop a very tiny screw on the carpet, causing you heart palpitations.

Now I can run with my karma! At least in theory. I haven't tried it yet. But ,that was the reason I took the plunge, I had been running on the treadmill and making the HDD skip. It was getting more and more temperamental, so I figured it was only a matter of time before the drive failed. I couldn't be happier.

I'm just listening to it for the first time after reloading it. It seems to stutter at the beginning of each song. Other than that the sound quality is fine. Maybe it's something with the mp3's I'm listening to. I don't know. Hmm. Now that I've listened to another album, it doesn't seem to happen. And maybe it happened with the HD too, with that album. I don't remember. It seems fine now. Yeah, it's OK.

[EDIT] I should add, for anyone using this post as a guide, that the CF card/adapter assembly goes together in a way that seems rather backward until you get everything together. The CF card inserts into the adapter face down, then the whole assembly plugs into the karma with the adapter board on top of the CF card. It looks weird, but that's how it goes together. Hope that makes sense.

[ANOTHER EDIT] The screws that hold the screen bracket in place originally anchored into the HD. Without the HD, there's nothing to screw those screws into. It would probably be a good idea to get a couple of little nuts the right size, or use a couple of itty bitty zip ties, or twist some wires through the holes at least to hold the screen in place. I just slapped it together hoping for the best, and the tension of the case seems to be holding the screen in place OK. But still, better to do it better.
This post was edited 2 times, last on 2007-06-30, 04:27 by badState.
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