What items/accessories are preventing you from mining?

[Benny1985]

A few months ago, I started a website to source difficult to find products for mining, naming it http://BuyAHash.com

Thus far, we stock a good bit of the items that can't be stocked at places like NewEgg or TigerDirect like PCI-E Risers, Dual-PSU Adapters, ATX switches, and a few other items. But I'm still trying to find new products that are hard to get. I've sourced most of the items I use to build my rigs, but I'm just one miner.

We're looking at a few new products, like SATA to 4-Pin Molex connectors, plastic rig casing for Scrypt rigs, USB Eruptors (payable via fiat), USB hubs, and larger/longer/better cable ties for cord management.

But we're still looking for the items I'm missing.

To make it worthwhile: If someone can come up with a product that can't be found easily, and I can source it, I'll send you one of the items free of charge, assuming its not outrageously expensive. Generally, this request is more for Scrypt miners, as ASIC equipment is really out of my price range and league right now, but I'll consider whatever ideas you can come up with in hopes of reducing the price to build rigs.

Thanks!

[andrewsg]

There is a growing need for ASIC "accessories" too - at the moment mostly for USB Eruptor sticks, but very soon for the DIY Avalons (Klondikes), and in the longer term who knows, for BFL DIYs, etc.

Things that come to mind - USB hubs, powered and unpowered. USB fans. USB cables. Molex to PCI-e power converters. PCI-e power splitters. Dual SATA to single PCI-E power converters. PSU breakout boards and switches. 

[billotronic]

How about raspberry pi kits with sd cards imaged with minepeon?

[Benny1985]

There is a growing need for ASIC "accessories" too - at the moment mostly for USB Eruptor sticks, but very soon for the DIY Avalons (Klondikes), and in the longer term who knows, for BFL DIYs, etc.

Things that come to mind - USB hubs, powered and unpowered. USB fans. USB cables. Molex to PCI-e power converters. PCI-e power splitters. Dual SATA to single PCI-E power converters. PSU breakout boards and switches. 

Thanks for the list. I've been trying to source some USB hubs from my manufacturers. It seems that no one has good powered USB hubs that can handle 8+ Erupters, so I think that's something I am going to hit really hard to source.

I'll be looking into USB fans/cables and other USB accessories, as well as the PCIE power converters.. I just had a big conversation with a major provider of Molex-PCIE converters that does a lot of other work with SATA as well. The PSU breakout boards are interesting - I have to look into those more as to if they can be sourced easily. I have a friend that is an EE that is going to help with a few basic ideas we're working on, as well.

@Billotronic - I will look into Raspberry Pi kits too. I've seen a few mining stores sell them, but not with SD cards imaged with Minepeon. Actually, that's a great idea, as I already have a source on SD cards among other things. Just gotta get the Pi's themselves and start imaging them.

[FiatKiller]

What do you mean "8+"? The Anker one works great.

[tom_o]

There is a growing need for ASIC "accessories" too - at the moment mostly for USB Eruptor sticks, but very soon for the DIY Avalons (Klondikes), and in the longer term who knows, for BFL DIYs, etc.

Things that come to mind - USB hubs, powered and unpowered. USB fans. USB cables. Molex to PCI-e power converters. PCI-e power splitters. Dual SATA to single PCI-E power converters. PSU breakout boards and switches. 

Thanks for the list. I've been trying to source some USB hubs from my manufacturers. It seems that no one has good powered USB hubs that can handle 8+ Erupters, so I think that's something I am going to hit really hard to source.

I'll be looking into USB fans/cables and other USB accessories, as well as the PCIE power converters.. I just had a big conversation with a major provider of Molex-PCIE converters that does a lot of other work with SATA as well. The PSU breakout boards are interesting - I have to look into those more as to if they can be sourced easily. I have a friend that is an EE that is going to help with a few basic ideas we're working on, as well.

@Billotronic - I will look into Raspberry Pi kits too. I've seen a few mining stores sell them, but not with SD cards imaged with Minepeon. Actually, that's a great idea, as I already have a source on SD cards among other things. Just gotta get the Pi's themselves and start imaging them.

The SD card is the OS storage, you don't need pi's just the image on an SD and people will be ready to boot! The RPi's can be gotten easily on amazon.

[Benny1985]

What do you mean "8+"? The Anker one works great.

From what I see of the Anker hub, its only 4A. Correct me of I'm wrong, but that'd only support 8 running simultaneously.

[FiatKiller]

Then why is everyone and their brother running 9 + fan fine...

[Trongersoll]

What do you mean "8+"? The Anker one works great.

From what I see of the Anker hub, its only 4A. Correct me of I'm wrong, but that'd only support 8 running simultaneously.

The Ankar cheats. it says 4 amps and based on that can't do 9 + fan, but we all know it does. If you read the ankar documentation it says not to exceed 7 amps. I'm guessing that they are combining their 4 amps with the 3 amps that come in from the host system... But i could be wrong.

[andrewsg]

I'll be looking into USB fans/cables and other USB accessories, as well as the PCIE power converters.. I just had a big conversation with a major provider of Molex-PCIE converters that does a lot of other work with SATA as well. The PSU breakout boards are interesting - I have to look into those more as to if they can be sourced easily. I have a friend that is an EE that is going to help with a few basic ideas we're working on, as well.

Some more PSU board inspiration http://enterpoint.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Power-Distribution-Board-650x404.jpg

[mazedk]

angled pci-e power plugs.. my current cards are top of card power plugs insted of end ones. Thats annoying when trying to fit them into rack units and/or close fit cases.

[Benny1985]

I'll be looking into USB fans/cables and other USB accessories, as well as the PCIE power converters.. I just had a big conversation with a major provider of Molex-PCIE converters that does a lot of other work with SATA as well. The PSU breakout boards are interesting - I have to look into those more as to if they can be sourced easily. I have a friend that is an EE that is going to help with a few basic ideas we're working on, as well.

Some more PSU board inspiration http://enterpoint.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Power-Distribution-Board-650x404.jpg

I'm unfamiliar with this design. What exactly does this do?

[chungenhung]

Do not sell SATA to molex. B/c people are going to start connecting those Molex to PCI-E 6 pin. This is a perfect recipe for fire.

[Benny1985]

Do not sell SATA to molex. B/c people are going to start connecting those Molex to PCI-E 6 pin. This is a perfect recipe for fire.

Ahhh. I was carrying SATA to Molex for powered risers, where the power draw was going to be much less than PCI-E 6-pin.

I assume that Sata-PCIE is a no-go, right? Are there any other ways to increase the number of PCI-E pins on a PSU? Or does it have to be a native molex to work (I notice that most GPUs come with Molex to PCI-E 6-pin).

[tom_o]

Do not sell SATA to molex. B/c people are going to start connecting those Molex to PCI-E 6 pin. This is a perfect recipe for fire.

Ahhh. I was carrying SATA to Molex for powered risers, where the power draw was going to be much less than PCI-E 6-pin.

I assume that Sata-PCIE is a no-go, right? Are there any other ways to increase the number of PCI-E pins on a PSU? Or does it have to be a native molex to work (I notice that most GPUs come with Molex to PCI-E 6-pin).

You'd have to gang 3 SATA connectors, using all of the power pins to supply one 8 pin PCI-E.

SATA pins rated at 1.5A max, 3 per connector so 4.5A max per SATA
PCI-E 8 Pin can supply up to 150w, divided by 12v = 12.5A
PCI-E slot can supply up to 75w which comes to 6.25A so still too much for a single SATA connection.

So if all the power pins on the three SATA connections are high quality and connecting properly you get just 1.5A headroom on PCI-E 8pin using 3 SATA, going nearly 2 amps over the spec on powered risers when using just one.


Would be much better off just stripping the wires and crimping them into PCI-E connectors directly or using electricians terminal blocks and molex-PCI-E's with the molex end cut off.

[billotronic]

There is a growing need for ASIC "accessories" too - at the moment mostly for USB Eruptor sticks, but very soon for the DIY Avalons (Klondikes), and in the longer term who knows, for BFL DIYs, etc.

Things that come to mind - USB hubs, powered and unpowered. USB fans. USB cables. Molex to PCI-e power converters. PCI-e power splitters. Dual SATA to single PCI-E power converters. PSU breakout boards and switches. 

Thanks for the list. I've been trying to source some USB hubs from my manufacturers. It seems that no one has good powered USB hubs that can handle 8+ Erupters, so I think that's something I am going to hit really hard to source.

I'll be looking into USB fans/cables and other USB accessories, as well as the PCIE power converters.. I just had a big conversation with a major provider of Molex-PCIE converters that does a lot of other work with SATA as well. The PSU breakout boards are interesting - I have to look into those more as to if they can be sourced easily. I have a friend that is an EE that is going to help with a few basic ideas we're working on, as well.

@Billotronic - I will look into Raspberry Pi kits too. I've seen a few mining stores sell them, but not with SD cards imaged with Minepeon. Actually, that's a great idea, as I already have a source on SD cards among other things. Just gotta get the Pi's themselves and start imaging them.

No problem, you will get my consulting invoice in the mail! lol

[Benny1985]

There is a growing need for ASIC "accessories" too - at the moment mostly for USB Eruptor sticks, but very soon for the DIY Avalons (Klondikes), and in the longer term who knows, for BFL DIYs, etc.

Things that come to mind - USB hubs, powered and unpowered. USB fans. USB cables. Molex to PCI-e power converters. PCI-e power splitters. Dual SATA to single PCI-E power converters. PSU breakout boards and switches. 

Thanks for the list. I've been trying to source some USB hubs from my manufacturers. It seems that no one has good powered USB hubs that can handle 8+ Erupters, so I think that's something I am going to hit really hard to source.

I'll be looking into USB fans/cables and other USB accessories, as well as the PCIE power converters.. I just had a big conversation with a major provider of Molex-PCIE converters that does a lot of other work with SATA as well. The PSU breakout boards are interesting - I have to look into those more as to if they can be sourced easily. I have a friend that is an EE that is going to help with a few basic ideas we're working on, as well.

@Billotronic - I will look into Raspberry Pi kits too. I've seen a few mining stores sell them, but not with SD cards imaged with Minepeon. Actually, that's a great idea, as I already have a source on SD cards among other things. Just gotta get the Pi's themselves and start imaging them.

No problem, you will get my consulting invoice in the mail! lol

Actually, I will likely send you a free USB hub once I source a reliable one. I've found one manufacturer of them (its the source brand of the Anker everyone swears by). I figure if I am selling the Erupters, I might as well do some sort of "Buy 5 and get a USB hub free" sort of thing.