Parrot MKi 9200 And Brodit Holder

Posted on July 29, 2009 by Brian

This is just a quick post to express my love for the Parrot MKi 9200, hands-free bluetooth and media streamer.  Also for the sheer quality of the Brodit phone holders.

The Parrot is not without fault though, it has a couple of interface niggles but seems stable enough and provides good voice quality for both ends of a mobile call.

The main attraction for me was that I could stream music from my iPhone, through the Parrot and then through my built-in (Vauxhall) head unit.  It does this very well and the sound quality is excellent.

You also have the option of using bluetooth to stream your music but I had read reports that this method was a little “hissy”.  Also, you don’t get the album cover display either, at least I did not seem to.

Parrot Display Unit

Parrot Display Unit

Parrot Display Unit Cradle

Parrot Display Unit Cradle

Steering Wheel Mounted Parrot Remote Control

Steering Wheel Mounted Parrot Remote Control

The remote control is wireless and can either be dash mounted or steering wheel mounted.  The remote can also be quickly removed if you want to avoid tempting the local pikeys.

I also bought a Brodit holder and mounting kit (kit specifically for a given position in your specific vehicle) that does not require any drilling or use of adhesives.  It is a very well engineered solution and also provides a feed-thru for the iPhone (or iPod) cable.  It was definitely worth the premium.

iPhone Mounted In Brodit Cradle

iPhone Mounted In Brodit Cradle

Empty Cradle Showing Mounting Solution Behind It

Empty Cradle Showing Mounting Solution Behind It

The Parrot can also accept a USB flash drive (with mp3 files on it) or a line-in (3.5mm) to stream music as well, so it pretty much covers all the bases.

Parrot – 8/10 (interface requires some work)

Brodit – 10/10

Posted in Car Geekery | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Fitting Underslung Exhausts

Posted on July 26, 2009 by Brian

I’ve bought a pair of underslung exhausts from a member of the excellent TDR250 Forum

Underslung Exhausts

Underslung Exhausts

They were designed and built by another member of the forum (Martin77) and offer a very different alternative to the standard TDR250 exhausts which exit under the seat.  The pair that I have bought came with TZ350 end cans which are fitted with some cheeky BS approval tags, which is a nice touch).

Removing the original exhausts is a fairly straightforward process and then only issues I could see would be corroded or seized fasteners, especially on the manifold.

I decided to work backwards and start by removing the original end cans first but the very first job was to remove Mildred’s bodywork.  The bodywork parts that you need to remove are the tail piece, side panels, side cowlings and radiator grill/protector but not the top fairing.

Bodywork Removed

Bodywork Removed

Radiator Cover Removed

Radiator Cover Removed

When I removed the radiator protector I noticed another badly repaired area in the bottom left-hand corner.  That’s a Plastex job for another day.

Repair To Radiator Grill - Back

Repair To Radiator Grill - Back

Repair To Radiator Grill - Front

Repair To Radiator Grill - Front

With the bodywork removed, I could then remove the heat shields from the end cans and then the end cans themselves.

End Cans Removed

End Cans Removed

Normally I would fear the next step of the removal process, removing the manifolds.  Manifold studs and fasteners are notorious for being seized and brittle but I was confident that Mildred’s would be fine as the replacement TZR250 engine had not long been fitted before I bought here.

I was right to be confident but by bendy-ended, Halfords ratchet spanners came in handy yet again.

Removing Manifold Nuts

Removing Manifold Nuts

Once the manifolds were loosened, there is just one further screw holding the expansion chambers to mounting points wither side of the radiator.

Removing the original exhausts took no more than 30 minutes, including the time taken to remove the bodywork.

Exhaust System Completely Removed

Exhaust System Completely Removed

Working in reverse order, starting with the manifold, the underslung system was fitted.

New Manifold Fitted

New Manifold Fitted

The only gasket that I have used was the original gasket between the engine and the manifold.  The originals looked like they were in decent condition.

The manifold end of the expansion chamber is then held in place by a pair of exhaust springs.

Exhaust Springs Fitted

Exhaust Springs Fitted

I have fitted the expansion chamber pipe straight into the manifold with no gaskets or gasket paste (more on this later).

The next step of the fitting process involves attaching the end can assembly to the rear foot pegs of the TDR.  This is where I came slightly unstuck; the foot pegs were in the boot of my car which was in a body repair shop after a very embarrassing slow speed accident.  Thankfully, the body shop was still open (just) and the manager said he would wait for to get the foot pegs before he locked up for the weekend.

I didn’t originally want the rear pegs as I have no intention of carrying a pillion passenger.  The rear peg assembly is a bit tatty and the fasteners holding on the pegs themselves were a little corroded but nothing a hammer couldn’t help with.

Rear Footpeg Assembly

Rear Footpeg Assembly

So I stripped out the pegs and it soon became clear how the silencers mounted to the assembly.

Silencer But No Rear Footpeg Assembly

Silencer But No Rear Footpeg Assembly

Silencer And Rear Footpeg Assembled

Silencer And Rear Footpeg Assembled

The next hurdle was a known one after reading about in on the TDR250 Forum The stand hits the very end of the pipe and/or the silencer with these underslung exhausts.

Stand Hitting The Silencer And Pipe

Stand Hitting The Silencer And Pipe

I will get a blob of weld stuck on the stand in the next few weeks but for now I’ve made do with a quick fix; some epoxy and a nut (although I think I really need 2 nuts to be 100% clear).

Sidestand Stop That Needs Modifying

Sidestand Stop That Needs Modifying

Temporary Fix

Temporary Fix

Sidestand Clear (Just)

Sidestand Clear (Just)

Close-up Of The Temporary Fix

Close-up Of The Temporary Fix

The other exhaust was then fitted in the same way as the first.

Both Manifolds And Pipes Fitted

Both Manifolds And Pipes Fitted

Second Silencer Mounted

Second Silencer Mounted

Both Pipes From Behind

Both Pipes From Behind

Once the bodywork was re-fitted it was time for a test drive and a good look at how the underslungs appeared.

The Finished Article - 1

The Finished Article - 1

The Finished Article - 2

The Finished Article - 2

I think I may polish the aluminium silencers to match the chromed expansion chambers.

I then took her out for a decent test ride and although the tickover appears to have risen, she ran very smoothly and more progressively than with the standard pipes.  The only issue is a slight blowing sound from the manifold.  I have no used and additional gaskets or gasket paste between the pipes and the manifold and this may be issue (or just the way these pipes are supposed to sound).

There was one note of concern though; a strange milky spot in the oil level window, although the oil looks fine.

Milky Spot In Oil Level Window

Milky Spot In Oil Level Window

The morning after though it had disappeared but I shall be watching the coolant level very closely for the next few runs.

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Dodgy front brake light investigation

Posted on July 26, 2009 by Brian

Even though Mildred passed her MOT, the tester had a quiet word with me about the brake light being intermittent (at best) when the front brake was used.

As I’ve just replaced the standard TDR lever/master cylinder with a Yamaha Fazer 600 setup, I suspected a dirty/faulty switch.  It is very easy to separate the brake light switch from the lever assembly:

Remove Lever Pivot Screw

Remove Lever Pivot Screw

Lever Removed Which Exposes The Switch Underneath

Lever Removed Which Exposes The Switch Underneath

Switch Removed From Lever Assembly

Switch Removed From Lever Assembly

It is always a good idea to methodically fault find electrical issues.  Start at the beginning and work slowly through the other end.  With this in mind, the first suspect was the switch itself.

The switch (which is push to make) was tested and did what it should have done.  i.e when connected to a multimeter it showed open circuit (at rest) and then short circuit when the switch was pressed.  However, the switch terminals were rather corroded:

Corroded Switch Terminals

Corroded Switch Terminals

So the terminals were cleaned up using a fine file and some fine sandpaper but the brake light still did not work so I isolated a potentially faulty switch by making a manual short circuit.

Wire Jumper To Isolate Possible Switch Fault

Wire Jumper To Isolate Possible Switch Fault

The brake light still didn’t work, so investigation further down the circuit was required.

In-line Connectors About 6" From The Switch

In-line Connectors About 6" From The Switch

Another In-line Connector 12" From The Switch

Another In-line Connector 12" From The Switch

I removed the first in-line (bullet) connectors and again made a manual short circuit with my wire jumper and this time the brake light worked so the fault was in the bullet connectors about 6″ from the brake lever switch.

Wire Jumper In Female Bullets

Wire Jumper In Female Bullets

The male part of the in-line, bullet connectors were badly corroded so that now became the prime suspect.

Corroded Male Bullet Connectors

Corroded Male Bullet Connectors

These were then cleaned up with a fine file and some fine sandpaper.

Cleaned Up Connectors

Cleaned Up Connectors

I re-assembled the complete switch circuit and bingo the brake light worked as it should.

I suspect that I’ll discover quite a few more of the 20 year old connectors may have similar issues over time.  I think I may replace them all during the “Great Winter Re-build” later this year.

You can see the originals of these photos and my other TDR photos online here: My Flickr Photo Sets

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She Passed!

Posted on July 10, 2009 by Brian

Just a quick note to record this momentous day, Mildred is now completely road legal.

I had thought that my MOT was 3pm today but it turns out that it was actually supposed to be yesterday.  Thankfully, the nice folks at Pittville Motorcycles found a slot for her.

Taxed And Tested (At Last)

Taxed And Tested (At Last)

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New Front Brake Setup – Ready For MOT

Posted on July 9, 2009 by Brian

After Mildred had failed her first MOT (about 4 weeks ago) I had to replace the old front disc as it was cracked.  During this process I stripped down the whole front end, to change the fork gaiters, and when I re-mounted the front brake assembly I broke the master cylinder/brake lever clamp.  I tried to repair it using some epoxy rubbish but it broke again after a few hard pumps on the front brake.

Broken Repair

Broken Repair

Now I could have just waited for the clamp to arrive from an online, Dutch parts supplier (CMS) but idle hands make work for the devil (or at least they end up spending too much money online).  I ended up buying a HEL brake line and a Yamaha Fazer 600 master cylinder (from ebay) to go with the EBC front disc.  I’d read a rather good testimony from a member of the excellent TDR250 Owners’ Forum, I recommend any TDR owner (or prospective owner) joins them.

So this Saturday (just gone – this is another delayed post due to my home IT re-shuffle after buying a Drobo) I set to work replacing the original TDR brake line and master cylinder/front brake lever assembly.

First step was to drain the brake fluid.  My Mityvac kit made really short work of this.  The process was exactly the same as if you were going to bleed the brakes but you don’t top up the reservoir as you drain the fluid (rather obviously).  It took no more than a dozen pumps of the hand vacuum pump to completely drain the fluid.

Remember Kids, Safety First

Remember Kids, Safety First

Mityvac Connected

Mityvac Connected

Empty Reservoir

Empty Reservoir

Now I could remove the original front brake line with the minimum of mess.

Master Cylinder End Removed

Master Cylinder End Removed

Caliper End Removed

Caliper End Removed

The original TDR master cylinder is simple enough to remove but the only complication of the master cylinder swap was the different brake light connectors.  The Fazer uses 2 blade connectors whereas the TDR has a combined switch and termination arrangement.

TDR Combined Brake Light Switch And Termination

TDR Combined Brake Light Switch And Termination

The brake light switch assembly is one of those clipped-together plastic types that requires a small, flat-bladed screwdriver to open up and reveal the terminations.

Brake Light Switch Cables Removed From The Switch

Brake Light Switch Cables Removed From The Switch

I stripped back the main outer sleeving and crimped on two blade connectors so it was ready to connect it to the Fazer master cylinder.

The replacement master cylinder is from a Yamaha Fazer 600, I bought it from ebay and the seller did not know what year it was but I am guessing it is somewhere between 2000 and 2003(ish).  It is in decent condition but had some really manky brake fluid left in the reservoir.

Fazer 600 Master Cylinder

Fazer 600 Master Cylinder

Before fitting, I drained all of the old brake fluid from the Fazer reservoir.

Filthy Old Brake Fluid

Filthy Old Brake Fluid

Again, this is a piece of cake to bolt onto the bars, it was just a case of making sure that nothing clashed with the grips or accelerator cable.

Next was the shiny, new HEL braided brake line.

HEL Brake Line Kit

HEL Brake Line Kit

The kit is supplied with everything you need, including 2 new banjo bolts and more than enough copper washers.  I had taken photos of the old routing of the original TDR brake line and just followed that with the new brake line.  It fitted perfectly.  The only comment I would have is the clamp on the forks is a little too large for the narrower HEL brake line but I just squeezed it up a bit and it seems to be kept in control now.

The banjo bolts were torqued up and new brake fluid was used to top up the reservoir (compare the colour of new brake fluid with the old filth that was left in the reservoir).

Braided Brake Line In Place - Master Cylinder

Braided Brake Line In Place - Master Cylinder

Braided Brake Line In Place - Caliper End

Braided Brake Line In Place - Caliper End

Fresh, New Brake Fluid

Fresh, New Brake Fluid

The brake was then bled, with ease using the Mityvac kit, but took a bit longer as there was no fluid in the system at all.  (The bubbles in the clear hose were much bigger and more obvious).

Beginning Of The Bleed Process

Beginning Of The Bleed Process

Nearing The End Of The Bleed Process

Nearing The End Of The Bleed Process

Once the bleeding was finished, the reservoir cap was fitted and I had a quick test of the brakes – very impressive.  The travel and feel of the Fazer reservoir feels more responsive than the original TDR master cylinder and lever.

The brake light terminals were fitted and that was it for Saturday’s efforts.

Brake Light Terminals Fitted

Brake Light Terminals Fitted

You will notice that the brake light terminals are exposed (not insulated) and that I had not replaced the broken master cylinder clamp.  These were 2 small jobs that I finished on the following Tuesday night.  (Heat shrink gun borrowed from work and a delivery from CMS were required).

Tuesday was a beautiful evening, the new master cylinder clamp had arrived and I had a heatshrink gun to finish off the brake light job.  It took no more than 10 minutes but now I could arrange for the second attempt at passing the MOT.  It is this Friday at 3pm and I can’t wait!

Terminals Insulated With Heatshrink

Terminals Insulated With Heatshrink

Terminals Fitted To Brake Light Switch

Terminals Fitted To Brake Light Switch

New Clamp Fitted

New Clamp Fitted

Completed Front Brake Setup - EBS Disc And HEL Braided Line

Completed Front Brake Setup - EBS Disc And HEL Braided Line

Fazer 600 Master Cylinder

Fazer 600 Master Cylinder

If you want to see the higher resolution images, used in this blog post, then click on the appropriate image in the gallery below and you can see it in a new window or you can view my Flickr photostream.

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Adding And Using Drobo Apps

Posted on July 7, 2009 by Brian

There were a number of functions that a Drobo + DroboShare can provide when you use Drobo Apps and this was a big plus point for me.

What are Drobo Apps?  As Drobo is basically a pared-down Linux PC, it has the ability to run scripts, cron tasks and user/community developed applications.  Although it is still early days, there are already enough Drobo Apps to get you started.  A Drobo App is a free application that has been written by a member of the Drobo developer community for public use and these are available for download from the Drobo Apps webpage (although I recommend that you check the developer’s own site for support or later releases of the code).

I wanted to have following functionality for my Drobo + DroboShare (note, it appears that to use Drobo Apps you must also have a DroboShare):

  • FTP
  • SSH
  • Use as an Apple Time Capsule

There are many other applications for streaming media, serving iTunes playlists and even to turn Drobo into a webserver…..

The very first thing to install is the Drobo Apps Admin Utility.  This allows you to install and configure applications much quicker (although the default method is not exactly tedious) but it also gives you a handy “Drobo re-boot” facility.

As this was my first Drobo App I had to use the default method for installing an application.  Now bear with me as I describe the method below:

1.  Enable Drobo Apps from the Drobo Dashboard –> Advanced Controls –> DroboShare Setup –> Drobo Apps

Enable Drobo Apps

Enable Drobo Apps

2.  Open your Drobo volume in Finder/Windows Explorer and drill down to the DroboApps directory

3.  Download your desired app from the Drobo Apps page.

4.  Do not expand the file you just downloaded and copy it into the DroboApps directory

Drobo Apps Finder Folder

Drobo Apps Finder Folder

(My finder view above actually shows 2 applications installed (mt-daapd (iTunes server) and my first application droboadmin)

5.  So once you have the compressed (download) file in the DroboApps directory, you simply reboot Drobo and it will unpack and install it automatically.  There are 2 methods for rebooting Drobo:

  1. Go into the Drobo Dashboard –> Advanced Controls –> Tools and then select Standby (not the one in DroboShare)
  2. If you already have the Drobo Admin App installed you can restart Drobo from the Admin App homepage (menu item on the left of the page)

You can add further Drobo Apps using the method I describe above or you can install a selected range of apps directly from the Drobo Admin App.

Add Drobo Apps Directly From The Admin Application

Add Drobo Apps Directly From The Admin Application

The next application I wanted was Dropbear SSH.  This enables SSH access (from an terminal application) into your Drobo.  Other Drobo application have this application as a prerequisite, so even if you aren’t planning on SSH-ing into your Drobo you may well need it anyway.

I also wanted to have FTP access to my Drobo.  To do this you require an FTP daemon running on Drobo.  Pure FTPd was installed to provide FTP functionality.

I installed Dropbear SSH and Pure FTPd directly from the Drobo Apps Admin “install applications” page, so I did not have to download the application and copy the compressed file to my Drobo.  The Drobo Apps Admin application took care of everything, including the Drobo restart.

The last functionality I required from my Drobo setup was the ability to use it as an Apple Time Capsule (used as the drive for Apple Time Machine backups).  I know there is a method for forcing Time Machine to use non-Time Capsule supported devices but there is then the danger of completely filling your external drive with Time Machine backups.  There is a Drobo App which addresses both of these issues (non-supported Time Capsule devices and filling your external drive with Time Machine backups) called BackMyFruitUp.

In order to use BackMyFruitUp, I had to add some swap memory to Drobo (recommended in the BackMyFruitUp documentation) and rename my Drobo and DroboShare to their default names.

You can add up to 512MB of swap memory to your Drobo (allowing you to run more simultaneous applications with greater performance) by simply plugging in a USB drive to the spare USB port on Drobo and installing the Add Swap Memory application.

Renaming my DroboShare and Drobo was marginally more difficult.  To rename your Drobo, you have to connect it to your Mac (if you have formatted it with the +HFS file system) locally (using the Firewire or USB cable) and then rename it in the DroboDashboard.

Drobo Rename Volume Error

Drobo Rename Volume Error

Set DroboShare Name

Set DroboShare Name

Now I could install BackMyFruitUp and I recommend you use the instructions provided on the developer’s site.  (Note: I have limited Time Machine to use no more than 600GB of my Drobo.  I had read somewhere that you only need to allow twice the size of your Mac’s HDD and mine has a 300GB HDD)

Once installed, my iMac’s Time Machine settings recognised Drobo as a valid volume and I could start using Time Machine (which has already saved me a few times in the space of a week as I consolidated my iTunes and iPhoto libraries).

Time Machine Running And Progress Bar

Time Machine Running And Progress Bar

As you can see from the screenshot above, I had quite a large amount of data to backup during my first Time Machine run.  There was about 250GB of data to write and it took around 8 hours for this first write.  The hourly backups that Time Machine makes are much smaller and much quicker now (less than 5 minutes normally).

So now I have redundant, protected storage that is making Time Machine backups of my iMac which I can also remotely access using SSH or FTP.  I have not used either of the iTunes or UPnP/DLNA serving applications as my iMac is running Rivet and I am using SqueezeCenter to stream my music.

Posted in Home Geekery | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Bleeding Brakes!

Posted on July 5, 2009 by Brian

After I’d had the front off Mildred and made the stupid mistake of hanging the bars and master cylinder over the front of her (upside down) I had filled the front brake line with air.  It’s been a long time since I’d bled any brakes but I do remember it being a pain in the arse if you don’t have the equipment to make life easier.  I shopped around a bit and settled on a Mityvac bleeding kit from M & P I’ve used M&P quite a bit lately (online) and they haven’t let me down yet.

Mityvac Brake Bleeding Kit

Mityvac Brake Bleeding Kit

The kit comes with a vacuum pump, nipple adaptors, loads of clear tubing, tubing adaptors and a comprehensive instruction manual.

They include 2 different sizes of rubber boot to connect to the bleed nipple that leaves the nut accessible at the same time.

Rubber Bleed Nipple Connector

Rubber Bleed Nipple Connector

The rubber boot then connects to a length of clear tubing which in turn is connected to the collector tub (which has a non-return valve).  The hand vacuum pump then connects to the other  side of the collector tub (it is very clearly labelled).

Before connecting the Mityvac and starting the bleeding process, I covered the tank and fairing to protect against any possible splashes of brake fluid.

Protection Stage 1 - Carrier Bag

Protection Stage 1 - Carrier Bag

Protection Stage 2 - Old Towel

Protection Stage 2 - Old Towel

Once the protection was in place, I then opened the master cylinder and topped up the brake fluid before starting the bleed process.  If the master cylinder reservoir empties during the bleed process then you will just start sucking in more air to the brake system.

Master Cylinder Reservoir Before Topping Up

Master Cylinder Reservoir Before Topping Up

Now to loosen the bleed nipple….. yes it had seized solid.  I took a deep breath, walked away (before I forced it and buggered it up completely).  Instead of getting the hump with it I reached for the right tools; my trusty can of Halfords Freeze and Free and one of my birthday presents (pivoting ratchet spanner).  You spray the Freeze and Free onto the fastener you want to shift, give it about 10 seconds then try to loosen it again.  It worked first time!  (Maybe I was being very cautious as bleed nipples can be very fragile?)

Freeing The Bleed Nipple

Freeing The Bleed Nipple

You can use the Mityvac kit in the traditional way; tube to collector tub (with optional non-return valve) as shown below:

Mityvac Old School Stylie

Mityvac Old School Stylie

Or you can use the hand vacuum pump, which means you don’t have to pump the brake lever during the bleed process.  This means you can work remotely from the brake lever/pedal when bleeding.  This is the method I used.

Mityvac With Vacuum Pump

Mityvac With Vacuum Pump

It only took 2 pumps to draw through the first of the brake fluid and you could see the air trapped in the system coming out:

Out Comes The Air

Out Comes The Air

Within 5 minutes the brakes had been bled.  When I could see no more air in the tubing, I gave the brake lever a single, slow pull, closed the bleed nipple, topped up the master cylinder reservoir and re-fitted the reservoir lid.  A quick check of the brakes revealed it had worked a treat.

I was so pleased with myself that I grabbed another couple of serious handfuls and ended up breaking the clamp I thought I had fixed – cock!  She would have been MOT’d by now if it hadn’t been for my ham-fisted efforts 2 weeks ago…..

Broken Repair

Broken Repair

I guess it was better that it broke in my garage, not on the road or during the MOT.  The broken clamp has been a saga, which there is more of in a later blog post.

The other job I had was to add some leads and connectors to the battery and my Optimate charger.  I’d lost the original terminals that came with the charger so had to make up some new ones using a set of Radio Controlled battery connectors from Maplin.  This means I can lift the seat and connect the battery to the charger when Mildred is not in use.  As you can see, I am better at electrical work than mechanical work:

Charger Leads Run To The Battery

Charger Leads Run To The Battery

Connector Stowed Away When Not Required

Connector Stowed Away When Not Required

Optimate Connected

Optimate Connected

I’ve also got a small bag to cover the connector when it is not connected to the charger to prevent and moisture related mishaps.

She may not be road-worthy (quite yet) but at least the battery will be in a tip-top state…..

(Note: this work was done during the weekend of June 27th, the blog post got delayed as I have spent the last week sorting out my home IT setup after adding a Drobo)

You can view these images (and others of my TDR work) here: Flickr Photo Set

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Adding Drives To Drobo

Posted on July 5, 2009 by Brian

The first task, after adding the Drobo Share to the stand-alone Drobo, was to add a couple of old 320GB SATA drives I had in the attic.

I first checked that there weren’t any gems left on them before adding them to the Drobo as Drobo will delete all of the content when it prepares them for use in Drobo.

The promo videos and user manuals all claimed that adding/replacing drives in a Drobo was as simple as adding/changing the drive and then letting Drobo sort itself out (you don’t even have to shut down Drobo).

I added the first 320GB drive with a touch of trepidation but once it was inserted the drive status LED turned green within about 30 seconds (it may have been less than that) – there was no waiting around.  I had the Drobo “Advanced controls” –> “Data” menu open as I inserted the first drive.

Adding First Extra Hard Disk

Adding First Extra Hard Disk

You can see that the drive capacity was immediately detected and appeared in grey as Drobo initialised the drive (no more than about 30 seconds).

So how much extra storage space did adding a single 320GB drive give me?  The screenshot below shows what I had before I started adding files and using 2 x 500GB drives (I had 455GB of usable space).

Drobo Usage (Advanced View)

Drobo Usage (Advanced View)

Space After Adding First Extra Disk

Space After Adding First Extra Disk

Now I had 753GB of useable space and (strangely) the space required for protection had not changed?  So that was a gain of 298GB of protected storage space from a single 320GB drive – result.

Now for the second 320GB drive.  The process was exactly the same and just as quick as the first disk.  How much space did I have now?

Space After Adding Both Disks

Space After Adding Both Disks

Now I have 1.02TB of protected, useable space (notice how the space required for protection has remained virtually unchanged).  I guess this is where Drobo gains over a simple mirrored RAID?

I had added another 320GB drive and gained another 266GB of usable space, not quite as much as the first 320GB gave me but that’s good enough for me.

Maybe the Drobo will reserve more space for protection when it needs it (i.e. when I exceed 470GB of data it will grow the space required for protection)?  Well, after a week of use which includes a week of Time Machine backups and a consolidation of my digital media, here’s what I’m using:

Drobo Space After 1 Week Of Use

Drobo Space After 1 Week Of Use

So I’m using more than 470GB of storage and still the space required for protection remains around 475GB.  Odd, but I’m happy and it checks out with Drobo’s space calculator here: Drobo Calculator

The only downside to using the old 320GB drives from my attic is the fact that they are noisier than the two newer 500GB drives I started with but nothing that I can’t live with.  Drobo makes virtually no sound (it only has a fan at the rear which doesn’t seem to work that hard) and I don’t have it on my desk.  It is tucked away below my printer in a small bookcase-type affair.

So far, so good.  I’m happy with my purchase.  I have protected, future-proof storage and I’m running Time Machine at last.  (There’s another blog post on its way about Drobo Apps and running TIme Machine).

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Adding DroboShare To Drobo

Posted on June 27, 2009 by Brian

DroboShare allows you to use your Drobo as a true NAS device.  This means that I can use it to stream media, create Apple Time Machine backups, have my own huge FTP resource, be able to access the files on my Drobo through a web browser or even have my own web server.  (I’m not thinking of the last use just yet).  All of this additional functionality is provided through Drobo Apps which is an open source project that developers are participating in.  The Drobo is basically a Linux PC which provides developers with an intelligent platform for applications.

The process of physically adding DroboShare to an existing Drobo is very straightforward.  The DroboShare ships with everything that you need to connect your Drobo:

Y-Cable To Split Power Between Drobo And DroboShare

Y-Cable To Split Power Between Drobo And DroboShare

Short USB And Screened Ethernet Cable

Short USB And Screened Ethernet Cable

DroboShare From The Front

DroboShare From The Front

DroboShare From The Rear

DroboShare From The Rear

The first thing to do is to put the Drobo into standby mode before you connect it to the DroboShare.  This is done from the Drobo Dashboard –> Advanced Controls –> Tools.  It takes about 30 seconds for it to shutdown.  You know it has shutdown when the large green hard disk LEDs go out and the power LED turns amber.  The power lead can now be pulled out from Drobo.

Sit the Drobo on top of the DroboShare, locating the rubber feet of Drobo into the dimples on the top of DroboShare.  There is no mechanical fastening between the two components, the weight of Drobo and the rubber feet are more than enough to keep it in place.  Now connect the short USB lead between either of the 2 DroboShare USB ports and the Drobo.  (The second USB port on the DroboShare is used to expand the memory of DroboShare if you several apps running at the same time, I have not needed it yet).  Next, connect the Y-cable to Drobo and DroboShare and the spare end to the original Drobo power supply.  Finally, connect the DroboShare to your LAN with the provided ethernet cable.

You can now power up the combo and they will boot up.

Drobo And DroboShare Together

Drobo And DroboShare Together

The only thing left to do is to set the DroboShare name, configure the IP details (if you want to change them from the settings provided by your LAN’s DHCP server) and configure any email alerts that you want Drobo to send you.

I made the same mistake with my naming of the DroboShare as I did with the Drobo, I changed them to include my name and I should have left them at default to enable the Time Capsule app/hack.  I recommend you leave the name as default (“DroboShare”) as changing the name requires you to locally connect to Drobo.

DroboShare Set Name

Setting DroboShare Name

The first stage of setting up the Drobo email alerts is to select what level of alert you want to receive by email.  I have mine currently set to “on all useful information” and have not been spammed (yet) but I may lower this level in future.

Email Alert Setting Level

Email Alert Setting Level

The next step is not as clear as everything else has been with Drobo and DroboShare , this is configuring DroboShare to use your chosen email account to send the Drobo alert emails.  Most of the other Drobo configuration options are available through the Drobo Dashboard window but the email settings are found in the menu bar for Drobo Dashboard.

Email Settings From Menu Bar

Email Settings From Menu Bar

The email server settings are nothing unusual but do have a useful test email settings button:

Email Server Settings

Email Server Settings

And that’s it.  Adding the DroboShare and enabling it to be used as a true NAS is very simple.  I did need to restart the Drobo (set to standby and cycle the power) and re-booted my Mac so it discovered the NAS device in Finder.

Drobo Apps can now be used and there will be a few blog posts on this very soon.

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Getting Started With Drobo

Posted on June 27, 2009 by Brian

I’d saved a bit of money for the possibility of an iPhone 3GS purchase this month but when it came to the choice between securing my home network data (TV, films, photos, music and starting to use Apple’s Time machine) or an iPhone 3GS I chose a Drobo.

Amazon are currently offering the Drobo + Drobo Share (required to make it a true NAS) at a decent price so I purchased the following:

  • Drobo (v2 with Firewire800 and USB)
  • Drobo Share
  • 2 500GB SATA drives

As I write this the Drobo is copying my digital media and there’s quite a lot of it and I have already learnt a few lessons that I think could be useful if you read this before buying your own Drobo.  Don’t get me wrong, it all works very simply but a few of the things I wanted to do required a slightly different approach (more later).

Whoever designed the Drobo packaging took an awful lot of inspiration from Apple, they have even printed “Designed in California, Built in China” on the packing boxes……

Unpacking Drobo

It is all very well packaged, which is a good job as the idiots at City Link managed to bounce the box it was delivered in.

You can see the single (non-redundant) external drive that I am replacing at the top left of the photo below.

Drobo And Box Containing Leads, Manual and CD

Drobo And Box Containing Leads, Manual and CD

The Drobo is a solid lump, which surprised me as I had read some online comments calling it “Plasticky” (sp?) but I can confirm it is well constructed.

If you open the box and take the front off the Drobo (which has a really nice magnetic fastening system) you see a couple of simple guides that outline the steps required which saves you from reading through the manual.

Idiot Guides Revealed

Idiot Guides Revealed

Adding hard drives to Drobo

This is very very very very simple and easy but the photos below show you the process:

Two 500GB SATA Drives

Two 500GB SATA Drives

**NOTE: if you install SATA drives (you can use any SATA type, brand or capacity) that you have used before, make sure you don’t want the data on them as Drobo will delete all of your previous data on the drive.

Insert The Drive With Label Side Up

Insert The Drive With Label Side Up

Hold The Eject Tab Back And Push Home Drive

Hold The Eject Tab Back And Push Home Drive

When The Eject Tab Clicks The Drive Is In

When The Eject Tab Clicks The Drive Is In

You can push the front of the drive upwards and it does move as it does not seem to be held in tight rails but does positively engage without any force.  I guess this allows Drobo to be more flexible regarding the drive’s physical height.

Press The Eject Tab In And The Drive Pops Out

Press The Eject Tab In And The Drive Pops Out

Both 500GB Drives Inserted

Both 500GB Drives Inserted

The empty drive bays are flaps that push back when a drive is inserted (they are not removable blanking plates).

Connecting and powering up Drobo

Again, this is very simple.  As I have a Mac I used Firewire800 but Drobo does ship with a USB 2.0 cable as well.  The connectors are at the back of Drobo.

Power And Firewire800 Connected

Power And Firewire800 Connected

Firewire Connected To Mac

Firewire Connected To Mac

Finally the power was turned on.  Drobo springs into life and starts to cycle through a number of different LED sequences during startup.  A theme throughout this is; let Drobo take care of itself and be patient.

Drobo LEDs During Startup

Drobo LEDs During Startup

Drobo LEDs When Ready

Drobo LEDs When Ready

Formatting and preparing Drobo

As soon as I had connected Drobo to my Mac it was detected by Mac OS X as a drive but one that was not formatted and it asked me if I wanted to format it.  The Drobo Dashboard software should be used to format and manage Drobo so I ignored this Mac OS X pop-up.

Mac Pop-Up Before Format

Mac Pop-Up Before Format

The Drobo Dashboard application was installed from the CD supplied and automatically added a permanent Mac dock item when complete:

Drobo Dashboard In Mac Dock

Drobo Dashboard In Mac Dock

As soon as Drobo Dashboard launched it had detected that I had attached a new Drobo and it started its initialisation wizard.

Now Drobo Dashboard asked what format I wanted to use for Drobo.  It had detected that I was running Mac OS X so only gave me the choice of HFS+ or FAT32.  I will be connecting Windows devices to this Drobo but only through Drobo Share.  Drobo Share uses Samba shares so pretty much anything can use these.  The HFS+ formatting only limits what machines I can directly connect with through USB 2.0 or Firewire800.

Drobo Format Prompt

Drobo Format Prompt

The wizard now asks what size volume you want to create.  This is not the current size of the drives you have installed now but a maximum upper limit that you may reach in the future.  If you exceed this limit in the future then Drobo will just create another volume which sits alongside your original volume.  The size of volume is a trade-off between future-proofing and Drobo/OS start-up time and as you slide the bar along to increase/decrease the volume size the software tells you what effect you will have.  I selected 4TB as this seemed more than enough for the next 12 months (at least).

Next you have the option of naming your new Drobo volume.

Drobo Volume Naming

Drobo Volume Naming

IMPORTANT: I have since discovered that if you want to use Drobo + Drobo Share as an Apple Time Machine device that you have to leave the volume naming as just “Drobo”.  The DroboApp/hack to enable Time Machine use requires your volume to be simply named “Drobo”.

The Drobo now formats itself and this took about 5 minutes for two 500GB drives.  After formatting, the Drobo restarts itself and while the Drobo is restarting the Drobo Dashboard displays this:

Drobo Dashboard During Restart

Drobo Dashboard During Restart

When you see this, just wait for Drobo to start up.

Once Drobo had restarted my Mac immediately detected it as a mounted volume:

Drobo Volume Icon After Format

Drobo Volume Icon After Format

The Time Machine detected it as a volume that could be used and the icon changed and a Time Machine prompt popped up:

Drobo TM Icon

Drobo TM Icon

Time Machine Pop Up

Time Machine Pop Up

I think the Apple Time Machine pop-ups happened as I have never used Time Machine before on this machine.  (I know it’s bad and it is one of the reasons I decided to get a Drobo).  I cancelled this as I will be using Drobo Share and a Drobo App as a Time Capsule replacement.  If you have no plans to use Drobo Share then you should install another Drobo App, called Time Tamer, to ensure that Time Machine does not chew up your entire Drobo volume.  Drobo Apps are available here: Drobo Apps

Drobo Dashboard

When Drobo Dashboard is launched you see the current Drobo usage:

Drobo Usage (Advanced View)

Drobo Usage (Advanced View)

So with two 500GB SATA drives I have 455GB of space and Drobo uses 473GB to protect my data.  I guess this is slightly less than I would have got with a simple RAID mirror but I’m happy to trade this for the flexibility and future-proofing that Drobo provides.

If you select “Advanced Controls” you have 2 options; “Data” and “Tools”.

Here is the “Data” view:

Drobo Dash Advanced "Data"

Drobo Dash Advanced "Data"

In typical Drobo style, the view is simple and clear and requires no explanation.  This is a purely informative screen and really doesn’t have any options.

Here is the “Tools” view:

Drobo Dash Advanced "Tools"

Drobo Dash Advanced "Tools"

This is a more useful screen with the following options:

  • Standby – select this to put Drobo into standby so that you can remove the power and move it safely.
  • Format – does what it says, use with caution.
  • Blink Lights – this just appears to test the Drobo LEDs.
  • Rename – rename the Drobo volume.  I had to use this when using the Drobo Share + the Drobo App to enable Time Capsule emulation.
  • Drobo to send alert…. – this is the configuration when using Drobo emails to alert you of any problems.  I’m not sure whether you need a Drobo Share to use this but I will explain this in another blog post detailing the DroboShare setup.
  • Drobo Share (area) – without a connected DroboShare this area will be greyed out but still visible.
  • Register – this launches a web browser to allow you to register the product.  TIP: register from this screen as it saves you trying to look at the underside of Drobo for its serial number.
  • DroboCare License – this appears to be some kind of extended warranty/support deal.  I’ve not looked into this yet but seems to give me just short of a year of eligibility at the moment.
  • Check For Updates – this checks online for Drobo, DroboShare and Drobo Dashboard updates.  The Drobo, DroboShare and Drobo Dashboard had the latest firmware and software updates already installed.

Drobo is now ready for use as a new drive.

Drobo Volume In Finder

Drobo Volume In Finder

Drobo Usage Icon In Apple Menu Bar (Right-hand Side Pie)

Drobo Usage Icon In Apple Menu Bar (Right-hand Side Pie)

As it was late in the evening, I left Drobo copying my films, TV and photos from my old external drive.

Copying Films To Drobo

Copying Films To Drobo

I think the copy process shown above actually took about 6 hours in the end.

I’ll be posting another couple of blog posts detailing the DroboShare setup, setting up Time Machine and adding some Drobo Apps over the weekend but for now it’s all good, let’s hope it stays that way.

I’m off to work on my bike while the last of my files are transferred to Drobo.

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