Other uses for Ultrabay Plus on A31?

Message

crg7 · #1 Post by **crg7** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 5:53 am

Hi:

I would like to add a second HDD and a second battery but the Ultrabay 2000 (on the left) can take only one.
Can I use the Ultrabay Plus (on the right for A31) for a second HDD or second battery? This currently houses the CD-RW/DVD drive and sees little use.
What adapters will this require?

Best
Reddy

storage_man · #2 Post by **storage_man** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 1:00 pm

Looks like what you want is doable. Check at the bottom of this web site:
http://www.answers.com/topic/thinkpad

It lists all of the possible devices available for each of IBM's Bays. You can probably find the correct part numbers from the IBM accessories page for your A31. Go there and find out what they have available.

http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/accessories/th ... index.html

Storage_man

a31pguy · #3 Post by **a31pguy** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 4:17 pm

Yes - I currently use three hard drives. One in the drive bay, one in the ultrabay 2000 and one in the ultrabay plus.

I also use a battery for the plan in the ultrabay 2000 side for the airplane when I watch a DVD.

You can also do a lot more with the ultrabay. I have a ultrabay plus device carrier for palm and a numeric keypad (that hides away inside when not in use).

You can make your own ultrabay device if you so desire. I adapted the palm sync device for the Treo650 to be a charge and sync. Break out the soldering iron and a dremel tool and your done.

I also made two ultrabay internal fans to keep my laptop from melting when playing HL2 or Counter-strike since the temp on the CPU will spike upwards towards 84 C when playing in 1024x768.

The ultrabays are the best part of the A31s.

Enjoy!

crg7 · #4 Post by **crg7** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 4:13 am

Thanks a lot - you are a resource to this forum.
So the solution to my problem seems to be: the second battery in the Ultrabay 2000 and a second HDD in the Ultrabay Plus.
Now, I know how to fit a HDD in the Ultrabay 2000 - IBM sells an adapter (08K6068). How does one use a HDD in the Ultrabay Plus?
Appreciate your help.

Best
Reddy

a31pguy wrote:Yes - I currently use three hard drives. One in the drive bay, one in the ultrabay 2000 and one in the ultrabay plus.

I also use a battery for the plan in the ultrabay 2000 side for the airplane when I watch a DVD.

Enjoy!

crg7 · #5 Post by **crg7** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 1:28 pm

Thanks storage_man. I did that - all I seem to get is that a HDD can work in Ultrabay plus.

The only adapters shown in the IBM page are:

1. ThinkPad Slim Drive Adapter for Ultrabay 2000 (62P4557)
2. ThinkPad 2nd HDD Adapter for Ultrabay 2000 (08K6068)

So what adapter works for the Ultrbay Plus?

Rest
Reddy

storage_man wrote:Looks like what you want is doable. Check at the bottom of this web site:
http://www.answers.com/topic/thinkpad

It lists all of the possible devices available for each of IBM's Bays. You can probably find the correct part numbers from the IBM accessories page for your A31. Go there and find out what they have available.

http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/accessories/th ... index.html

Storage_man

crg7 · #6 Post by **crg7** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 1:34 pm

Perhaps I was too hasty in my reply.

The site seems to indicate that one can use the2nd HDD Ultrabay 2000 adapter (08K6068) in Ultrbay Plus.

Is this correct?

a31pguy · #7 Post by **a31pguy** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 1:55 pm

Yes - the same hard drive adapter (ultrabay 2000) will work in both. The battery only in the left slot (ultrabay 2000). The battery and device carrier are the only ones with restrictions. The ultrabay plus also acts as a USB device when it detects the device carrier. see this page:

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/UltraBay

rnfolsom · #8 Post by **rnfolsom** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:27 pm

A31Pguy:

You wrote:

The ultrabay plus also acts as a USB device when it detects the device carrier. see this page:

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/UltraBay

I have three questions, none of which are urgent so I do not need a quick reply.

1) On that Thinkwiki page, in the table "Overview over UltraBay types and available devices," in the UltraBay Plus row, the last icon is Batt for battery. That's an error, correct?

My understanding, e.g. from an earlier message by you in this same thread, is that a second battery (the first being the long one in the very front of the A31) goes only in the UltraBay 2000 and not in the UltraBay Plus (where as I sit in front of the A31, the 2000 is on my left and the Plus is on my right).

If the Batt icon doesn't belong in the Thinkwiki Ultrabay row, what should be done (preferably by you <grin> but if necessary by me) to contact Thinkwiki to correct the error?

2) Re your statement that the "ultrabay plus also acts as a USB device when it detects the device carrier":

The device carrier you are talking about is the carrier that holds either a WorkPad Cradle [whatever that is!] or the pullout Numeric Keypad, correct? Or can the device carrier also carry other things instead?

In any case, are the Workpad Cradle and the Numeric Keypad both USB devices? If so, are they USB 1.1 or 2.0 devices?

On the Thinkwiki page you cited, the only reference I can find to USB is for Linux: "UltraBay Plus devices should be handled by the USB subsystem, but if the devices are is not known." I don't know what this sentence means, but I don't think it answers my question 2.

My third question is not directly related to your message:

3) On an A31 CFU-2652, is there any way to upgrade the builtin USB ports from 1.1 to 2.0, or to install a Firewire port (which I think is on at least some A31p models)?

I DO know that I can get a PCCard (PCMCIA) that have USB 2.0 ports, and there may also be PCCards that have a Firewire port, but I'd rather keep those slots free for other purposes.

Thank you.

R.N. (Roger) Folsom

a31pguy · #9 Post by **a31pguy** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 5:53 pm

1. That's an error. I can tell you for certain my ultrabay 2000 battery doesn't work in the ultrabay plus. Even IBM site, however, says that it will. Strangely. Perhaps Bill Morrow can answer this for certain. There are batteries for the ultrabay slim and enhanced. Perhaps it's me. But it doesn't fit and won't lock.

2. Yes - if you modded it to be wired for that device.

3. No - You cannot mod the USB to 1.1 to 2.0 or add a firewire port. Again this is a restriction of the chipset on the mainboard.

rnfolsom · #10 Post by **rnfolsom** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 7:01 pm

Great precise answers. Thank you!

Someday maybe I'll think about putting in an A31p motherboard. I went with the straight A31 because I wanted a Win2k and not a WinXP operating system and license.

Thanks again.

Roger Folsom

elemental666 · #11 Post by **elemental666** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:53 am

not related, but I'm thinking of picking up an A31 for cheap off of ebay, was curious what the differences between a31 and a31p is and if there was a way for me to tell based on specs alone?? ibm/Lenovo model info is crappy for telling the difference in situations like this...

backfromMac · #12 Post by **backfromMac** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:04 am

The difference is primarily the graphics chip A31 has ATI Radeon 7500 16 meg and the p series can have 32 or 64 meg card the p's also have higher res screens, the no p's are native 1024x768. I have an A31 that I am typing on and have been thinking about selling. It is 2.0 hz model fastest in A series 40 gig 5400 hd cdrw/dvd netgear wifi, ultrabay battery and ultra bay floppy and ultrabay device carrier with full size number pad model 2652-pbu 15" XGA in excellent shape 4 + hours on batteries. My ebay handle is kevinsandi for a reference. Has XP Pro SP2 Office 03 Enterprise edition all bios controller and driver updates done. Let me know if you are interested. Kevin

ElbertR · #13 Post by **ElbertR** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 6:16 pm

a31pguy wrote:
2. Yes - if you modded it to be wired for that device.

a31pguy, can you give us some more details on how you modded the device carrier. How did you find out what pin is what?

Thanks.

Other uses for Ultrabay Plus on A31?

Other uses for Ultrabay Plus on A31?

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