Problems with the Cremax trays

[madpoet]

Continuing this here as opposed to AVS because it's probably more appropriate.  I have 12 of the Cremax MB123 AK drive trays.  When the drives are inserted and the key turned to lock/on, they all power up and have both LEDs flashing.  But none of them are detected by the motherboard's BIOS or the Promise controllers.  If I take the drive out of the tray and use it with the exact smae IDE cable and power it is detected fine.  I've tried all 12 of my trays and enclosures with the same result.  I have to be doing something wrong.

[erikatcuse]

Madpoet

 

I know you've connected the drives directly, when it was like that did you try and test the unraid software?  I would take two drive and connect them to the mobo directly boot into unraid and see if it detects the drive.  If it does try the same thing with 2 of the drive trays.  I haven't had a monitor hooked up in a while but I don't recall being able to see the drive durring initial boot up only the promise controller promt.

 

Once place you might see them is actually in bios.  Go to BOOT - Boot Device Priority or BOOT - Hard Disk Drives and you should see the drives the mobo is seeing.

[lovingHDTV]

I know on my Cremax trays the key lock can be turned to two different locations.  I have to turn mine all the way to the second location, not the first.

 

Not sure if this makes sense.

 

 

[madpoet]

I did not test the unraid software, I just verified that the BIOS could see them if they were directly connected.  The BIOS definately does not see them in the trays.  And the promise controller says it is not loading because it does not detect any drives attached.

 

The trays are turned to position A, which is Locked and On.

 

Thanks,

Paul

[lovingHDTV]

Just some basics, please don't be offended.

 

- hooked up the short IDE cable, and power cable inside the tray to the harddrive.

- left the drive set for cable select.

- installed tray into computer

- turned key to locked/on

- hooked IDE cable from MB/IDE card to tray

- hooked power to tray

- turned on computer

 

Can you hear the harddrive spinning so you know for sure it got power.  I'm not sure if the power LED lighting on the tray guarrantees that the drive is also getting power.

 

 

[madpoet]

Trust me, I'm not offended

 

1) Yes, both hooked up.  The short cable is keyed so it can only go 1 way.

2) Yes, and also tried master/Slave

3) Yep

4) Yep

5) Yep

6) Yep (and the tray is getting power as evidenced by the tray LEDs coming on)

7) I'm getting into the bios, so yes

 

Can't really hear the hard drives spinning, but I am not sure I would between the fans and the case construction.  Not sure how I could prove that portion...

 

[limetech]

Out of 100's of these trays we've never had a single one bad (probably you didn't want to hear that) 

 

If you want, I'll send you a tested one from our stock - just email me at [email protected].

[madpoet]

Thanks Tom.  Give me another day or two to try and figure out what's going on and I'll email you.

[lovingHDTV]

Hmm, how to hear the harddrive over the fan . . .

 

Maybe this will work.  I have done a similar thing when trying to find an odd noise on my car engine as I don't have a mechanics stethescope.

 

Take a screw driver and place the metal end on the cage with the "spinning" hard drive.  Then . . . I know this sounds wierd, but trust me . . . put the handle against your ear.  This will transfer the vibrations from the drive to your ear.  Then touch the fan momentarily to stop it from spinning.  Maybe you can hear the drive spinning now?