[KLUG Hardware] External bays with ATA-to-FireWire converters ...

[Bryan J. Smith]

Okay, I've started seeing these $69 kits around at my local CompUSA:
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=289597 

There is also another product around the same price ($57-63) that
converts ATA to both FireWire and USB 2.0:
http://www.compgeeks.com/details.asp?invtid=203508 
http://www.package2you.com/cgi-bin/miva.cgi?Merchant2/merchant.mv+Screen=PROD&Store_Code=P&Product_Code=90-1644 
USB is a nice addition, although I'll probably stick with FireWire
because of its standards (should be Linux compatible period) as well as
the fact that I can directly transfer data between nodes (without
bothering the host CPU _unlike_ USB).  The latter part is important
because I want to use an external HD with a Digital8 Camcorder on my
notebook (which has an iLink port).  The fact the latter products have 2
FireWire ports means I don't have get a FireWire hub if I'm just going
to use the HD and Camcorder (and simplifies cabling).

I was wondering if anyone has tried these ATA-to-FireWire converter
kits?  From the looks of it, it seem that the power lines on the
FireWire bus does *NOT* power these things, and they need to either be
plugged into A/C while running (or possibly using a PS/2 power tap in
the case of the latter)?

-- Bryan

-- 
The US government could be 100x more effective, and 1/100th the
Constitutional worry, if it dictated its policy to Microsoft as
THE MAJOR CUSTOMER it is, and not THE REGULATOR it fails to be.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Bryan J. Smith, SmithConcepts, Inc.   mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org
Engineers and IT Professionals     http://www.SmithConcepts.com