NEW MOD JOB!
 

I just thought of another "mod" but its more of a hack. I wanna hack my external parallel port zip drive and turn it into an internal zip. CAN IT BE DONE?

Re: NEW MOD JOB!
 

The intersting part will be the interface.  The quick and easy way would be to take the parellel cable and run it out the back and back into the port.  Kinda ugly but would be easy.  Can tear it apart and see if it looks like ther is an IDE style conector inside and a parellel adapter to bypass and just hook into you're IDE cable's but I seriously doubt that it would be that easy.  If you do enough research you may find a pinout of the drive and solder in a IDE cable but that kinda stuff is hard to come by and even harder to do.  As far as physically making the drive fit that's easy.  Just remember the dremel is the modder's best friend.  I actually have two.  One's multi-speed 110v and one's two speed battery operated.  Use 'em all the time and love 'em.  

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Sounds like a nice mod. Only thing is to make the mod stand out. Let people know when they look at it that it's not quite the way it should be.

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Cool. I'll look into it. LoL guess what. I am so hooked that I convinced my computer programming teacher to add comp modding to his computer club. How sweet is that! My friends call me a geek but I am proud to be what I am! As far as modding the LED lights and cathode lights go. I saw some sweet LED lights at crazypc.com and I heard that cathodes can blind ya and get hot (things I've read, I personally dont know jack diddly). Lastly, what exactly is a dremel? does it cut a hole, or does it cut shapes? How much are they? Where can i get one? Man I love this forum!

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Heres the link to the Lazer LEDs

http://www.crazypc.com/Merchant2/mer...ct_Code=PC8460

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i have not modded any LEDs yet. i have been so busy managing the site and painting cases

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Posted by: ModNoob Posted on: June 3rd, 2002, 8:11pm
Well as far as i know a Dremel is a brand of rotary electric drill.  it can cut holes and shape depending on the drill bit you are using.  They are usually priced between $30-$300 for a new one, but you dont need a new one to get the job done! and finally you can find one at any of your local hardware stores or electroic stores!

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Here's a link to a newer version of one of mine http://www.sears.com/sr/product/summ...id=00961087000  nice url huh??  If you look around you can also find some that run off of small power packs so you don't have to fight the cord.  Hella lot's of help.  They can cut, grind, polish, sand, and make an expresso (okay, I'm not sure about the last one but I know it'll do the rest).  Good investment if you really like.  And we're all geeks to a point.  In fact that's a good news site if you get a chance www.geek.com.  Happy moddin

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[quote author=Savage link=board=voided&num=1023154713&start=0#1 date=06/03/02 at 21:27:54]
The intersting part will be the interface.  The quick and easy way would be to take the parellel cable and run it out the back and back into the port.  Kinda ugly but would be easy.    
[/quote]That would be my way too.  I am Electronically Challenged.  I burn myself regularly soldering, and I cannot use any but the simplest settings on a multimeter.  I'd have to pass the wires through to the back.

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Just remember if man can put it together, man can take it apart, but it takes a geek to mod it.   ;D

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I got all of my tools locally but ebay is always a goo dplace to look.

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a Dremel is the way to go!!  ;)Fan holes, grinding, drilling i use it for almost every mod. It came in real handy for my rocker switch that’s  4 sure ;D

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Just to mention, my buddy picked up a 25 pack of Diamond coated dremel bits at a Harbor Freight for $30.00.  I got a chance to use them when I was modding a removable hard drive casing to fit a PC card. They worked nice! ;D

I dont know if any of you guys got one of these stores but there awesome look into it.

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[quote author=Savage link=board=voided&num=1023154713&start=0#1 date=06/03/02 at 21:27:54]
Can tear it apart and see if it looks like ther is an IDE style conector inside and a parellel adapter to bypass and just hook into you're IDE cable's but I seriously doubt that it would be that easy.  If you do enough research you may find a pinout of the drive and solder in a IDE cable but that kinda stuff is hard to come by and even harder to do.  
[/quote]

(im learning to use quotes. nice feature) Now, can you explain that in noob language? I know what IDE and parallel ports are, BUT i dont know how in the hell I'd bypass the parallel and hook it up IDE. What am I looking for? Also, I'm more than willing to research pinouts if I knew what they were. Can someone help out the ModNoob?

Re: NEW MOD JOB!
 

Sorry that wasn't to much of an explanation.  I'm not sure how Iomega built there drives but I was rambling about a theory.  Basically you need to open it up and see what it's guts look like.  It's possible though highly unlikely that the drive is the same electrically as an internal drive with some kind of adapeter on it so it can work on a parallel port.  So basicaly pry it open and see if it looks like a standard drive inside of the large casing.  I seriously doubt this is the case but if it is it'll be one of the simplest mods around.  By the way what do you want with a Zip drive?  IMHO their best used as a door stop a skeet target but then again I've been known to be slightly opinionated.  

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Well, I dont use it much cuz I have a burner, but i wanna geek it up. See if i can enhance the speed of it by making it internal. So what do I do if it isnt that easy?

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Well like I said to start with I'ld run the cord out the back of the case and back into the parallel port to keep it easy.  Otherwise you'll need a schematic (electonic blueprints) or a pinout and start soldering a ribbon cable connector to it.  Not only would that be hard it would be very easy to fry something.  I have a fair bit of electronics experience and education and I'ld try to steer clear of that.  But if your heart is set on it more power to you.  I'ld love to hear how it turns out.  Unfortunatly I know little more than that trickle of wisdom.  :'(

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Either that or a BFH (Big F****** Hammer)  Then put all the little computer chip crumbs in the bottom of your case.  ;D

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Thanks for the confirmation. hahahaha, looks like another VOIDED WARRANTY!!    ;D :P ;D

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[quote author=Savage link=board=voided&num=1023154713&start=15#19 date=06/04/02 at 20:01:59]
Either that or a BFH (Big F****** Hammer)  Then put all the little computer chip crumbs in the bottom of your case.  ;D
[/quote]
LOL.  ;D Thats why I took it apart, I burn CDs now.  For what one 100MB Zip disk costs, I can get more than 6000MB of burnable CDs.  I understand the retro-look, and the desire for flexibilty of media.  I'd pass on this one though.  Warranty?  We don need no stinkin warranty!  ;D

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Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahaha....HAHAHAHAHA. Im laughing at every part of that post. You're right, zip disks are WAAAAAAAAAY too overpriced and obsolete. is that how you spell it? O.b.s.o.l.e.t.e. And also that stinking warranty. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

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Heres my thoughts, how bout instead of incorporating it into you case, creating a new clear case for it, and maybe throw some super bright blue led's into it.  Pretty EZ mod Job, whats cool is you can see all the mechanical in action when you do right to zip.

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That is a GREAT idea. But the main reason I wanted to make it IDE is this.... PARALLEL IS TOO SLOW. I had a pet turtle that was faster! No joke. I timed how long it took him to run from one side of the room to another. The turtle was able to run laps before the zip drive finished transferring 50 megs worth of data. ok ok, thats not an accurate test at ALL, for many reasons, but you get the picture.

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The usb ones seem to be pretty fast but some of the newer tape drives that are out kick ass.

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[quote author=KeyserSose link=board=voided&num=1023154713&start=15#23 date=06/05/02 at 09:00:09]
Heres my thoughts, how bout instead of incorporating it into you case, creating a new clear case for it, and maybe throw some super bright blue led's into it.  Pretty EZ mod Job, whats cool is you can see all the mechanical in action when you do right to zip.
[/quote]
Other than the BFH Savage refered to, that is the best idea I've heard of to do to an external Zip!

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I am not ruling that out. But where would I find a clear zip drive? That would be bad ass. Would LEDs heat up the zip drive too much?

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Put it in a fish bowl with some fake fish strung up with really thin fishing line  ;D . Or you could just add a window to the Zip drive case like you do to a computer case.  I actually saw somewhere where a gut added a glass cover to his harddrive :o.  Very hard to do and easy to get dust on the platter's and screw the drive  :P but it looked so kick ass I almost pissed myself.  Any time you start cutting the "warranty void if removed" stickers your tinkering with the high end of this stuff.  I'ld just love to do it to watch the heads swing back and forth.  

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LEDs put off virtually no heat.  A window seems the easiest mod.  maybe cut a top window in, mount the Zip with window and LEDs in your top bay, you'll need to cut the baycover to fit, then you could see in your case and see into the Zip.  I saw a mod with a CD rom like that somewhere. ;D