Upgraded to 1 Terabyte without removing warranty sticker

[Adama]

Just upgraded with one of these http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...source=froogle and two of these http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/108...FR5dMAodvhMIKg after using Skycopy+ beta to clone my original drive I am now up to 1000gb - minus 140gb for Sky's own use.... and it works! Planet Earth-2%, I Robot-2% Star Wars-3%... God I'm so smug... and all for about £350

[Spit]

lm interested, how does it work then?

[Giblets2]

Nice avatar by the way Adama - ni!

I'm guessing this is a dual drive SATA box with an external power supply and some sort of RAID hardware built in (set in JBOD mode for this application). That's certainly a good price for what it is if that's the case and it's exactly what I was looking for when I erroneously bought a Nexus Drive-A-Way, which I got refunded from Novatech.

Can you let us all know if that's the case, particularly the external PSU aspect? Thanks.

[Spit]

But how do you install it, where?

[Giblets2]

Externally, with a SATA cable going into the box to plug into the mobo connection in place of the internal drive.

i will only be impressed when you get me... a shrubbery!

[Giblets2]

Shouldn't that be a 'shwubberwy!' Eckie-eckie-eckie-fdang... ni *shut up!*

[Bernie Steak]

A post like this with no instructions or advice seem pure "smugness". Perhaps some instructions or advice on how it was done could promote you from "smug git" to "forum legend" for those who might be considering something similar!

[Tarbat]

Some details of the Thecus 2050 here - http://www.thecus.com/products_over.php?cid=1&pid=3

Product info

Looks like it uses external power

[Adama]

Giblets got it! Although I had to use a SATA-to-eSATA lead to connect it to the mother board... Took the original drive out(without removing it from its caddy or touching its sticker), connected it to a SATA Pci card in my PC. Then copied the image over to the Thecus N2050(This contains two new Western Digital WD5000KS 500gb's - buy these seperately - and is set to RAID 0 by a switch at the back so they appear as one big volume) which is also connected to the Pci card. Then replaced the original drive back in the Sky box(safest place for it) but only reconnecting the fan, I found the main fan wouldn't power down if I didn't. Then run the SATA-to-eSATA lead from the motherboard thru the hole in the left side (leave the grill off). The only downside to the setup is the N2050 - having it's own external power supply - doesn't power down(although the drives themselves must spindown). The Sky box will crash if you try to access the drive when its powered down. The N2050 does have a fan (the drives do get warm, though no hotter than the ones in your PC) but I don't know how long it would last if you left it on for ever. I turn every thing off at night, unless there's a planner recording due... Sky have made a stick-for-their-own-backs showing all six Star Wars movies in HD on New Years Day - Theres gonna be a lot of full Hard drives!

[Adama]

Sorry I took so long to post - Drunk - Hangover - Couldn't upload the picture - in that order... If anyone's really interested I'll post a shoping list of Links and answer any queries

[mitchec1]

yes please

[T800]

Originally Posted by Adama

Sky have made a stick-for-their-own-backs showing all six Star Wars movies in HD on New Years Day - Theres gonna be a lot of full Hard drives!

Don't talk too soon we might end up with 8% low bit rate showings.

[Adama]

Here's what I used for my upgrade:
2x Western Digital WD5000KS
1x Thecus N2050
1x External SATA (L type) to eSATA (I type) data cable
1x Serial ATA 150/300 data cable
1x Serial ATA Power Interface Cable
1x Serial ATA 2 Port PCI Card

and here's the cheapest links as of 26 Dec 06
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/48670
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/108...FR5dMAodvhMIKg
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...source=froogle
http://www.cablecity.co.uk/product_i...roducts_id=925
http://www.cablecity.co.uk/product_i...roducts_id=385
http://www.cablecity.co.uk/product_i...roducts_id=388

Even with p&p the whole lot came under £350... right I'm off to the pub

[Comer]

Do you loose 140Gb from each 500GB HD or does the sky box see the two drives as one?