Harddisk Tower

[sarius]

Has anyone DIY a hdd tower like this before?

http://usb.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=00529
or
http://www.addonics.com/products/raid_system/ast4.asp
or
http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-15652-Looking+for+the+Ultimate+HDD+Storage+Tower%3F.html

Is it worth the effort? Was the cost saved substantial?

Would you recommend buying this for your laptop?

I have about 5 3.5" hdds I'd like to install onto a self made tray so that I can save space. Of cos I have to find a way to power them up... with the option to select which ones to power on... and find some IDE/SATA to USB adpater/converter thing you'd commonly find on ext. enclosures these days.

Any help/advice/comments would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers!
Sarius

[MadLocke]

looks good if u have a mix bag of sata & ide hdd... and for raid system..

else, if u only have sata hdd, probably those toaster box where u plug the hdd on top seems neater.. :o

[sarius]

i do have a mix of sata and ide hdds.

has nobody tried something like this before?

or can someone tell me where and how to get those ide/sata to usb adapter thingy?

if i were to use one normal CPU power supply to power all my hdds, how can i make a switch to select which hdds to be swtiched on?

thanks in advance!

[sarius]

Schematic of my little project


http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7766/schematic.jpg

[sarius]

Using double pole single throw switch for switching on and off individual hdds

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/478/switchc.jpg

[sarius]

may have found what i'm looking for.

http://www.pchub.com/uph/laptop/440-25930-4424/UPH-USB-2.0-to-IDE-3.5-Cable-USB-HDD-Kits.html

just wondering if they're willing to sell the cable without the power supply and how much cheaper will it be.