MV-8800 Modification - Removable Compact Flash Drive

[jdhighberg]

MV Users -

I wanted to share my recent successful upgrade of my MV-8800 with a StarTech.com 3.5in Drive Bay IDE to Single CF SSD Adapter Card Reader. Below are the steps of the modification with images.



1. Opened MV-8800 bottom and located open bay on mounting rail to the right of CD-RW/DVD drive (after mod, CF drive will be on left side of MV-8800 under pads). Note: this is where the floppy drive is located on an MV-8000; so, I chose this location for this the CF mod.



2. Removed StarTech CF Drive PCB from bracket and positioned onto open bay and traced on backside of MV-8800 case with permanent marker. My plan is to create rectangular opening for the CF card for insertion/ejection on the outside.





3. Drilled Pilot holes near edges of traced rectangular opening for CF card. I plan to use a Dremel (handheld rotary) tool with different cutting and sanding bits to machine the opening.





4. Used small router bit on Dremel tool to create opening “by hand”, which I expected to be an ugly cut.





5. After using some other Dremel tool bit accessories (cutting wheels, conical sanding stone) I was able to create functional (not perfect) opening on MV-8800 for the CF Card to be inserted/removed.



6. Re-seated the CF drive bracket, then marked and drilled two holes. And then used two self-tapping machine screws for secure mounting.





7. Mounted the CF PCB board onto bracket and attached 44-PIN IDE drive cable. NOTE: a longer 12-16 inch IDE drive cable is required (original is too short).



8. Dissembled the drive bay frame and vacuumed out all the metal filings from the drilling/cutting/grinding of the CF Drive’s card opening on MV-8800. I left the old 3.5 IDE drive in place for safe keeping. Then, reassembled (as shown below).



9. Here is the view of the MV-8800 on Left Side under the pads with the Compact Flash card installed.



10. Here is the view of the MV-8800 with the Compact Flash card removed.



Finally, I formatted the 120 GB flash drive (128 GB micro SD in a CF card adapter) and transferred over all my backed up MV-8800 files on my Mac to the newly formatted CF card. Inserted the card, powered up the MV-8800 and last project was loaded automatically. I’ve been using this removable CF drive modification to also transfer project, instrument, and sample files between my MV-8800 and MV-8000 (where I’ve done the same CF mod, but without case modification).

JD

[arp70blue]

Good post and thank you for sharing.

I have just done the same in my MV8000 using the floppy drive space so no need to cut the slot. Works great.

Keep on trucking 🚚

[frankcertione]

Hi, any chance of a full step -by-step description of your installation process for the compactflash in place of CD? I will reciprocate somehow. I can do anything if all the steps are there, and nothing without them. Like for instance, I have no idea at all what to buy or where to buy it.

[conecthink]

Hi, any chance of a full step -by-step description of your installation process for the compactflash in place of CD? I will reciprocate somehow. I can do anything if all the steps are there, and nothing without them. Like for instance, I have no idea at all what to buy or where to buy it.

midimaniac has a nice to follow tutorial on yt called "Install IDE-CF-Reader in MV-8000/MV-8800 (KEYNOTE STYLE!)"
and "MV-8800: I replaced the SSD for an IDE-CF adapter and the result is amazing!" both show how to do it,

the StarTech IDE cf.. he used I still see on amazonDE.... and then you need a CF card or a CF card adapter so you can use a mini sd card. but He goes over that topic too. He also lists the stuff he used.