Well, I'm about to be putting together another rig soon (I've put the Xbox mod on hold for a while, until I can get my bearings streight). I really want to stealth the drives, but I just don't like the idea of having to tap the faceplate to get it open.

I found a nice little guide which allows you to hook a monetary switch to an optical drive: http://www.casemodgod.com/new_page_18.htm

So, I'm bored last night, it's about 4am (graveyard shift!), and I decide to use my new soldering gun and an old switch I had laying around to see if I can get this mod to work. I figured if it'd work, I'd be able to do the faceplate application with no problem, at a later time. However, since I'm doing this on an old drive, I definitely need to perfect my ability before beginning on a brand new drive, right? Heh.

So, I had a problem. Needless to say my trial with this didn't work. I pulled off the old switch with some pliars, and then soldering an old push-button switch to it. The thing is, the only monetary switch I had (I have a few toggles) was a push-button on/off switch. Now, I don't know a lot about switches, but isn't that still monetary? Or, since it's an old power button from a case, is it just the same as a push-button toggle?

The optical drive acted weird, though. I plugged it into a test PSU I always use, and before I tinkered with it, it opened fine and all. When I pulled off that old button and soldering the wires on it, when I powered on the PSU, the green light would come on and a little mechanism would move about 1/16 of an inch, then the light would turn off. Is this because the circuit was broken by not having a switch there, or what?

Bump.

Anyone done this mod, any advice/suggestions?

Quote: Originally Posted by subdismal Is this because the circuit was broken by not having a switch there, or what?

Having no switch attached should be the same as having an open switch (meaning, having a switch attached and not pressing the button).

A power switch from a case should work just fine, as long as it's from an ATX case (I believe the old AT's had toggle switches). A lot of pushbutton switches are momentary, but some are push-on, push-off -- you know, the type that clicks and stays down when you push it, then clicks and comes back up when you push it again, like the top of a retractable ballpoint pen.

Quote: Originally Posted by subdismal when I powered on the PSU, the green light would come on and a little mechanism would move about 1/16 of an inch, then the light would turn off.

What happens if you touch the wires together for an instant (essentially "pushing the button")? Does it try to open again?

This probably isn't relevant, but the CD-RW drive in my wife's computer sticks sometimes. Sometimes it works fine, and other times you have to tap on the drive front to get it to open. I only mention it because it'll open about 1/16", then close.

Hrm. Well, it's not sticking, I don't think. When I get home, I'll give it a little tug and see if it's working.
However, the mechanism inside is moving as soon as the power supply is switched on. So, it's doing this as soon as the drive gets power. Seemingly nothing to do with the switch mod.

I think my problem may lie in the position of the hot and ground wires. Apparently the hot is supposed to go in the left-side of the drive (if you're looking at the front face of the drive) and the ground on the right. Assuming the color codes follow the traditional markings.

Anyway, I'll be able to find out more of what's going on when I get home. I burned my finger with the soldering gun, in a stupid mistake, not looking where I grabbed, heh. Anyway, we'll see how things go this evening.

Quote: Originally Posted by subdismal I think my problem may lie in the position of the hot and ground wires. Apparently the hot is supposed to go in the left-side of the drive (if you're looking at the front face of the drive) and the ground on the right. Assuming the color codes follow the traditional markings.

I think you did it right anyway. It shouldn't matter which is which for the two wires going to the switch. When the switch is "on", it's simply connecting those two wires. So neither one is really hot or ground, it's more like one "signal" wire with a switch in the middle.

Quote: Originally Posted by subdismal Anyway, I'll be able to find out more of what's going on when I get home. I burned my finger with the soldering gun, in a stupid mistake, not looking where I grabbed, heh. Anyway, we'll see how things go this evening.

Ouch!

Good luck! The drive's power-up activity might be normal for it -- I'm curious to hear what happens when you push the button.