OSMC Pi Drive Photos

[sasadangelo]

Hi All,

On this forums I talked a couple of time about Raspberry + HDD enclosure:

What enclosure for raspberry mediacenter?

Hi All, thanks for reply. Most of case published are not for RPI+HDD. I think the only option today is Plusberry. The only valid alternative is WD PI Drive but the limitation in shipping (only UK) make it impossible to use. The only problem with Plusberry is cost but it ships with a 3A power supply that probably allow to attach several devices.

My experience with WD Pi Drive Enclosure

Try this: Limited Edition Raspberry Pi 3 and Raspberry Pi 2 XBMC MEDIAPI+ Case box with integrated IR, USB Hub and Media Remote… Bought it and frankly, I love it!

I know I have several options but I have not decided yet what to buy. Plusberry distribution is suspended and the only option I have are OSMC Pi Drive or this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00SEGYY7C/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Several weeks ago I bought WSDLabs Pi Drive but as explained in another thread it was the worst buy I have ever did.

Now OSMC Pi Drive seems a good option but I do not need another HDD and I know it’s not possible buy it without HDD (I think this is an issue that must be solved … people can buy a 2.5" HDD easily if they want … but a good Raspberry + HDD is not easy to find).

Now before order another enclosure I want to ask if someone on this forum have additional photos about it, my doubts are:

1. I do not want an open case where cable and motherboard are visible (ie like WSDLabs Pi Drive).
2. Once the enclosure is closed I need to easly access to the 4 ports because I need to attach a WI FI dongle, a DVB-T USB stick and a USB for my Joypad.

If you do not have photo I simply need confirmation about the two doubts above. I do not want surprise. Another thing is if OSMC Store plan in the future to distribute the enclosure + 3A power supply + cable alone without any HDD. Let me stress that the addition of an HDD in the package is useless since it can be order easily on Amazon for 40/60 Euro.

[jb2cool]

@sasadangelo

talked a couple of time about Raspberry + HDD enclosure

I’m also surprised there are not more of these cases around.

I myself have a PlusberryPi case and am very happy with it. There was talk of one being made my ModMyPi (I think) but that was years ago and I don’t think a product ever came out.

The MediaPi+ case only has 3 USB ports at the back but also has 2 at the front and I think also has one internally.

[sam_nazarko]

Hi,

@sasadangelo

(I think this is an issue that must be solved … people can buy a 2.5" HDD easily if they want … but a good Raspberry + HDD is not easy to find).

You can buy another HDD, but there aren’t many USB native drives out there. If we start selling the case on its own, I suspect most people will think they can put any SATA drive in there and we will get a lot of disappointed customers and returns. So for now we are focusing on selling a complete solution.

@sasadangelo

Several weeks ago I bought WSDLabs Pi Drive but as explained in another thread it was the worst buy I have ever did.

I am sure that you could return it. It’s possible that you still can.

@sasadangelo

1. I do not want an open case where cable and motherboard are visible (ie like WSDLabs Pi Drive).

The OSMC version is not as open as the other cases, which were (quite frankly) a little unstable in their design.

@sasadangelo

2. Once the enclosure is closed I need to easly access to the 4 ports because I need to attach a WI FI dongle, a DVB-T USB stick and a USB for my Joypad.

You can lift the lid off and attach peripherals, there is some space to allow cables to be routed out of the device if necessary.

@sasadangelo

Another thing is if OSMC Store plan in the future to distribute the enclosure + 3A power supply + cable alone without any HDD

Unfortunately there are no plans to do this.

I hope this clears things up. I took some quick photos on my phone camera (excuse the quality) so you can hopefully see how it all fits together. Let me know if you need any more photos or if something isn’t obvious.

Sam

[sasadangelo]

Hi Sam,

@sam_nazarko

You can buy another HDD, but there aren’t many USB native drives out there. If we start selling the case on its own, I suspect most people will think they can put any SATA drive in there and we will get a lot of disappointed customers and returns. So for now we are focusing on selling a complete solution.

I didn’t understand the HDD was a native USB. I thought it was a SATA one. Now I have an 1Tb HDD 2.5" SATA within an enclosure (basically I bought a Western Digital USB external drive). Suppose I accept your proposal for OSMC enclosure without any HDD (the offer you did in the other thread), can I attach my HDD to it in some way?

Looking at your photo, I do not see issue with WI FI dongle, you have one too?

But I sometime attach a USB XBox Joypad and I have also this DVB-T stick:

Trekstor DVBT-Stick Terres 2 DVB-T USB : Amazon.it: Informatica

Do you think I can still use them with the OSMC enclosure?

Thanks

[Dilligaf]

https://wdc.com/products/wdlabs.html

[sam_nazarko]

@sasadangelo

I didn’t understand the HDD was a native USB. I thought it was a SATA one.

This is a big problem I think people will have if we sell the case separately.

@sasadangelo

Suppose I accept your proposal for OSMC enclosure without any HDD (the offer you did in the other thread), can I attach my HDD to it in some way?

I did not make any such proposal – we only sell this kit as a complete kit, at least at this time.

@sasadangelo

Looking at your photo, I do not see issue with WI FI dongle, you have one too?

In my photograph, a WiFi dongle is already plugged in. I can’t see a problem with additional peripherals unless they are extremely long.

@sasadangelo

I tried to make the order putting OSMC + HDD (even if I do not need it) in the basket, check it out. But it asks for billing and credit/card info, nowhere I find the possibility to add a coupon code. Consider also that the enclosure must be shipped in Italy.

We ship worldwide

[sasadangelo]

@sam_nazarko

In my photograph, a WiFi dongle is already plugged in. I can’t see a problem with additional peripherals unless they are extremely long.

That was the case for the DVB-T USB stick. It is 5 cm long. Do you think it can be included in the case?

[sam_nazarko]

5cm works. The OSMC WiFi 802.11ac dongle is 7cm, but didn’t quite fit

[sasadangelo]

Thank you. You’re very kind.

[sasadangelo]

@Dilligaf

https://wdc.com/products/wdlabs.html

Dilligaf thank you for suggestion. It seems that the box sold by WSDLabs is very similar to the OSMC one. But looking at the cable it seems it requires an HDD 2.5’’ native USB while I have a SATA one. Do you know if I can use a SATA-USB adapter (possibly very small)?

[Dilligaf]

The Pi case is the same case with an OSMC logo and also requires a native usb drive. Depending on the sata to usb adapter it may or may not fit. The cable and drive are micro usb 3 connections and NOT usb 2 micro. Best to buy one and hope for the best, they are only about $10 which is cheap for any decent Pi case

[sasadangelo]

Yes. You’re right. One thing that I do not understand is that there are 4 screw for Raspberry and 4 for HDD. But does the external box fixed with screw or it can be opened at any time without screws?

[Dilligaf]

I’ve got one here in a box I just opened to look at. It has magnets that hold the 2 halves together, pretty slick

[Dilligaf]

Looking further at the case a sata>usb adapter will fit, a longer one you may need to modify the case/cut holes but being a plastic case it will cut easily, it’s up to you how much modification you want to do. To me it looks pretty easy.

[sasadangelo]

Which one I need to buy, for example?

[Dilligaf]

the 6X6 one it comes in White or Blue https://wdc.com/products/wdlabs/wd-pidrive-enclosure--white-square-6x6.html#WDLB020RNN

[sasadangelo]

Sorry I was referring to SATA/USB adapter.

[Dilligaf]

I can’t help with that, the one I have is 4cm long and it it would require modification, 3cm or less should fit without a mod. Sorry about the pic quality but it will work

[sasadangelo]

Ok Dilligaf, thank you. I’ll try with the one on WDLabs at least it only cost 10 Euro.

[theophilus]

The WdLabs 4x4 enclosure is completely open on one end, so should not provide an impediment to additional USB devices. But of course that doesn’t meet your requirement of hiding the board, etc. I position the enclosure with the open side facing rearward, and it don’t look to bad. The top of the case just rests on top of the base, and pulls right off. There is nothing attaching it.