Ultrabay Question

[Lutiana]

Hi all.

A really quick question from a X31 newbie.

Is it possible to get an adapter to install a standard laptop optical drive into a UltraBay?

The reason I ask is I have quite a few laptop DVD and DVD-RW drives lying around, so buying one specifically for my X31 seems a bit of a waste if there is an inexpensive adapter I could buy.

Thanks in advance.

[automobus]

Is there an adapter? Sort-of. There is no retail adapter, but I have seen a kit on eBay once. It was just pieces spared from a dead drive.

Every Ultrabay 2000 optical drive is an ordinary SFF-8552 12.7mm PATA drive with three UB2000 mounting pieces. Two side rails, and the back piece converts the connector. So you can get the cheapest drive you can find (CD-ROM) and cannibalise it for its mounts. The only trouble is the faceplate: you will need to cut away a part of it, or leave it off.

[ParatoOptimal]

The Enhanced Bay is 12.7mm.
There is an adapter to convert an Enhanced Bay to an Ultrabay 2000.
The bay in the X3 Ultrabase is an Ultrabay 2000.
Perhaps this would work.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-53011

The manual does show that the adapter clips to the side of the plastic already present on an Enhanced Bay drive.
I don't know if the side piece is a part of the faceplate or a separate piece.
It may or may not be attached to the faceplate.
Your drive's faceplate probably wont have that side piece.
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Ultrabay_ ... rabay_2000

Maybe snapping into place under that side piece isn't necessary since there is a screw on the other side of the drive and at the back of the drive.
It says to secure the side screw to prevent the drive from becoming jammed in the bay.
Perhaps some sort of glue would work on the non-screw side if anything is necessary to secure it.

You maybe able to leave your faceplate on. Both are 12.7mm.
Maybe your faceplate will fit along your TP's side.
Otherwise, some trimming maybe necessary.

If necessary, you could purchase an enhanced bay faceplate (which may include the side piece) on ebay.
Otherwise purchase the cheapest enhanced drive available to get the faceplate and side piece.
The butchered drive doesn't have to be a working drive.

I'm interested in an adapter to convert an Ultraslim drive to an Ultrabay 2000.
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Ultrabay
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Ultrabay_ ... rabay_2000

[Lutiana]

Perhaps this would work.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-53011

Yes, it would. But a quick google search reveals this adapter to be quite pricey (I did not check Ebay).

This does confirm exactly what I was thinking. Their optical drives are simply standard drives with a custom adapter on them. The face plate does pose a problem, but not a unique one. I would guess as long as my drives have a flat plate about the same height as the drive itself I should be ok.

Basically all I need is the interface, and I can work the rest out myself.

automobus has one from a dead drive that he is going to send me (thanks again). Once I try it out I'll post my findings here.

I found a Ultrabay 2000 CD-Rom drive for about $9 on Amazon.com.

[jronald]

I have done 4 or 5 DVD-R drives originally built by Sony, simply by adding the "rails" and back off of a dead U2k drive. I ran into 1 that would not work, but it was a used drive.
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid ... DO&cat=DVD
You will need to notch the faceplate on one side. Done correctly and slowly it looks fine.

Ron

[Lutiana]

I received the parts a few days ago (thanks again automobus). Attached them to a DVD-RW drive I had and now my X31 has a DVD writer through the Ultrabay. I did have to notch the front plate, and it does stick out just a tiny bit (maybe 1mm or 2mm).

Thanks for the help.

[automobus]

Happy to help.