Possible ZIF to 1.8" IDE adapter! 100GB iriver H140?

[maps]

Just a heads up to my continuing quest for the biggest possible hdd in my mp3 player:

I have the ebay adapter mentioned before as well as the Adapter-King one.
both work, but with the ebay version I have been unable to close the players.

So far:
I have a Toshiba MK6008GAH (60GB) hdd that works in
- ipod 4G
- Gigabeat F
- iriver h120

I had to take out the battery on the iriver so that the 8mm hdd fits instead of the standard 5mm, but the iriver only needs to be portable (so used with either external battery pack or with a power supply). The Gigabeat closes without a problem and I have used it extensively on the weekend.

Now for the sad news: Adapter King only deliver to the EU, not to Asia and not to the US...
If enough people are interested maybe we could organise a group buy?

Let me know.

Oh, and does anyone have a cheap source for the MK1011GAH?

[AlexP]

Oh, and does anyone have a cheap source for the MK1011GAH?

I don't know about cheap, but I quite like www.span.com.

However, as I guess you are in the States, you are better off searching there as I suspect it will be cheaper on your side.  In future you may want to specify where you are from - a very large number of people here are from Europe, and you will get lots of recommendations for shops that aren't so useful for you!

[maps]

ok, Profile updated.

And span.com (at least for this hdd) attempts highway robbery...
So, any other ideas where to get the MK1011GAH from?
Worldwide, that is.

[stuffedspacedog]

Just search eBay... I just got one for $164.

[inluxication]

First of all, the ESS kabel adapter is the best suited, since the adapters on Ebay have the ZIF socket facing the other direction, which makes it harder to mount without breaking the flex strip.

Unfortunately, they do not have it for sale yet, I only got a sample for evaluation.

Any ZIF hard drive should do, provided that it has a 512-byte physical sector size. The MK8009GAH drive, for instance, has 1024-bytes physical sectors, and is not yet compatible. It requires the same kind of modification to the ATA drivers as the iPod 5.5G.

The reason I have the adapter in the first place is to see if we can use 1024-bytes sectors on the H140, but I have yet to find such a drive for testing.

There is a locking mechanism on all ZIF sockets. The text on the web page is simply a warning, so you don't try to insert the flex cable without unlocking first.

Linus, first, many thanks; you are unfailingly helpful.  (I'd have thanked you sooner but didn't want to clog the forum with mere pleasantries.)  Are you sure about the sector size?  A Toshiba page
http://www.toshibastorage.com/techdocs/MK4009GALTechnicalNotes-RevA.pdf
says the MK8009GAH has 512-byte sectors.  In fact every 1.8" Toshiba I checked here
http://www.toshibastorage.com/main.aspx?Path=StorageSolutions/Documentation/TechnicalLibrary-HardDiskDrivesDocumentation
has 512-byte sectors, including the MK{2,3}008GAL, MK{4,6}008GAH, MK8007GAH and MK4007GAL, MK8009GAH and MK4009GAL, and -- spec sheet elsewhere -- your MK1011GAH.  Also, if it was 1024-byte, should it have failed entirely for juanpa (which apparently it didn't), or could the result have been something like the drive having half the proper capacity (which he might not have noticed)?

Looking forward, is there any chance of adapting Toshiba's new micro-SATA 1.8" drives?  I'm guessing the ATA / SATA mismatch is a non-starter.

Too bad the only proven non-DIY adapter isn't available for sale, but hopefully this will sort itself out soon.  Please, anyone, let us know if you find an adapter that fits, in an H1xx or H3xx.

[defiler]

Hi, everyone.  First post, so I may be missing the point, but surely if all you're interested is a 100GB H140 / Pre-5G iPod / whatever, the simpler solution would be to just get a drive with the right connector?

Looking at Samsung's web site, they seem to be catering to people wanting to put bigger drives onto the old plugs.  They have a 160GB ZIF (not CE-ATA) drive listed for launch this year, and they have a 120GB PATA drive listed here.  The only downside I see with this drive is that it's a 5400rpm one, which will hit the battery harder than the slower units.  But would you really want to copy 120GB of music onto a slower drive?  

Obviously, this still puts us all at the mercy of the HDD manufacturers releasing the drives we want with the connectors we want, but at the same time I fully imagine we'll run into problems with the old players with drive sizes bigger than 120GB anyway...

[juanpa74]

The MK8009GAH works fine in my Iriver H340. Only problemt is due to the shape of the ZIF-IDE adaptor I couldn't close the case of the player. Next week I will try to take some pictures and give it another try.
About not noticing the capacity... well I used the rockbox system info from the player and it said it was 80GB.  Should that be enough or should i test it in another way?

Linus, first, many thanks; you are unfailingly helpful.  (I'd have thanked you sooner but didn't want to clog the forum with mere pleasantries.)  Are you sure about the sector size?  
......
has 512-byte sectors, including the MK{2,3}008GAL, MK{4,6}008GAH, MK8007GAH and MK4007GAL, MK8009GAH and MK4009GAL, and -- spec sheet elsewhere -- your MK1011GAH.  Also, if it was 1024-byte, should it have failed entirely for juanpa (which apparently it didn't), or could the result have been something like the drive having half the proper capacity (which he might not have noticed)?

[juanpa74]

A bit missing the point because the Iriver H1xx and H3xx and Pre-5G Ipod don't have ZIF connectors. Of course if there were IDE 1.8" compatible harddisk we wouldn't complicate things. Or maybe it is because you can find much cheaper ZIF harddisk than the equivalent capacity IDE ones.
And you can also buy a broken 5G ipod ith a working harddisk which would make it even cheaper.
How much is that 120GB Samsung? If I was a millonaire maybe I would get one. Or simply just get a 160gb ipod Classic. But I love rockbox and I love my iriver H340.
Damn Iriver.. if they hadn't forgotten the harddisk mp3 players line...

Hi, everyone.  First post, so I may be missing the point, but surely if all you're interested is a 100GB H140 / Pre-5G iPod / whatever, the simpler solution would be to just get a drive with the right connector?

[defiler]

A bit missing the point because the Iriver H1xx and H3xx and Pre-5G Ipod don't have ZIF connectors. Of course if there were IDE 1.8" compatible harddisk we wouldn't complicate things. Or maybe it is because you can find much cheaper ZIF harddisk than the equivalent capacity IDE ones.

Hmm - sorry.  I managed to confuse things in my post.  The 120GB Samsung is listed as having a PATA connector (which I'm *assuming* is the old connector in my iHP-140).  The 160GB is a PATA drive with a ZIF connector (which will work in the iPod Videos).  I should have been clearer about that part.

There were a bunch of these 120GB Samsungs sold on eBay for US$200 each...

[Llorean]

juanpa74: Please, don't respond with multiple posts. Use the "modify" button if you need to add more information.

[juanpa74]

Sorry I didn't know I could do "multi quote". I was responding to different messages.
I will try better next time.

juanpa74: Please, don't respond with multiple posts. Use the "modify" button if you need to add more information.

[stuffedspacedog]

I got my H140 modded to 100Gb with a Toshiba MK1011GAH and a ZIF to IDE adaptor off eBay - it's working fine, although a bit of a tight fit.  Also installed a new 2300mah battery... all OK so far.

[inluxication]

@stuffedspacedog: Excellent! Can you please send a link to the adapter you bought (the completed auction listing, or an identical new item)?

[stuffedspacedog]

Sure, the link is here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280209474185&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=018

A couple of points... in order to make the IDE end fit the iRiver, you either need to file down the right side of the adaptor, or break off the right plastic prong on the iRiver socket (with the player orientated so the socket is at the top).

Also on the H140, there is a black plastic bar with two screws which fits over the socketed end of the hard drive - I removed this, as it doesn't secure the HD any more as the ZIF drives are smaller.

I also removed the blue rubber mount around the HD... this may make the player slightly more prone to damage in a fall, but realistically it's all fitted together so tightly I can't see the blue rubber making much difference in absorbing a shock, and most modern hard drives have shock sensors anyway.

[inluxication]

Great info, thanks.