zip250 USB drive does not power on via USB - repairable?

[supernova777]

happened to come across a zip 250 SCSI/USB (That also has hd50 scsi port on the back)

but it came without power supply + does not seem to power up when plugged in via USB. 

got excited and ordered the firewire addon for this specific drive which makes it a firewire zip drive! 

butthen i realize that it doesnt power up

has anyone ever repaired a zipdrive with this problem before?

id really like to try to get it working so i can use it with some vintage scsi-capable music equipment

after i find myself a hd50-DB25 scsi cable

 

[waynestewart]

I believe you need the power supply

 

[supernova777]

yea it came without it.. i saw an article online tho that explicitly stated it would power itself via the usb!!

check this out:

https://www.cnet.com/products/iomega-zip-250-mb-external-usb-series/review/

says so here on this page

AHA! 

i think i know whats going on - notice what they say here:

Iomega's new Zip model doesn't need a power supply or cord. Instead, it draws power through the same USB cable that carries data.

do u think this might mean that there was an earlier model of the USB ZIP250!?!?  because this article is dated February th 2001! but the date of production on my ZIP250 says that it was 

made in November or October 1999. (cant remember doesnt matter either way) so maybe mine is revision 1 and it needs the power via the PSU adapter (which is 5v + 300miliamp? or 400ma?)

the only problem is the connector on the end of the zip drive for power is in a wierd shape so it literally needs the right power supply and take take a generic one unless i dremel out the pattern

around the ac plug

at first i thought this meant the zip drive was dead as a doornail (which it may still be)

but i hope it will come alive when i can find a PSU because like i said i already ordered the silly firewire adapter

then again i think the firewire adapter delivers power via firewire.. so that might work - ill find out in a week when it gets here from ebay

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I use a drive like the one pictured in that article just about every day with only a USB cable attached to my NetBook. My original USB Zip looked like a lighter, translucent blue version of the original that had a power adapter. ISTR it might have been optional, but I never tried it without.

Hook yours up via a powered hub, if that doesn't work it's likely a very bad sign. :-/

 

[supernova777]

well - its possible the usb port's ability to get power is damaged somehow - so theres still a possibility that i might work via SCSI using external PSU!!!! without any repair whatsoever

i also have a disk stuck inside the drive now that i cant get out because i cant power it up u can insert witout power but eject requires it to be on i think

 

[supernova777]

i dont think this one is powered by usb like i said it says its manufactuered 11/01/1999

usb 2.0 wasnt even out in november 1999 was it?????

omg - is this a usb 1.1 zip drive? lol

does it not support 480mbps usb 2.0 speed?

 

[Byrd]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip_drive

States USB Zip 100 and 250s are USB 1.1 only.  Not that big an issue when you're using it on slow systems.

Try the power brick; your USB port may not provide enough amps to power on the drive

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

For general info, my drive (like the one in the 2001 review) was made in 1993 and has no connector for a power adapter.

 

[rsolberg]

In my experience, the later USB-only Zip drives (such as in the linked CNet article) are the only ones that can be bus powered. The SCSI/USB combo units required the power adapter, whether connected with SCSI or USB, as did the earlier USB-only units that have a power inlet. Essentially if a Zip drive had a power input, it required the AC adapter. IIRC, the FireWire adapter itself was bus powered and didn't require its own power adapter, but it connected to the SCSI port and didn't supply power to the Zip drive.

 

[jimjimx]

If it has a power jack, it needs power....

$4.99 + $4.99 S&H

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZIP-DRIVE-AC-ADAPTER-POWER-SUPPLY-AP05F-US-03522300-DC-5-0V-1-0A-/112319511061?hash=item1a26c3ba15:g:EzMAAOSwuxFYtlJm

 

[butterburger]

I do not understand why some people are of a certain personality, who ask for help yet do not help others to provide help. What is your subject's model? It would be excusable if your specimen was missing its identification label sticker: then, you might not know what model you hold, and you might assume "SCSI". Since you mention month of production, I assume the sticker is not missing.

Is your subject Z250USBPCM?

Z250USBPCM is not a SCSI device. It is not USB bus-powered. It is a Full Speed USB device. It has a connector, which one might assume wrongly "looks like SCSI on mini Centronics 50-pins HPCN50". Z250USBPCM is bus-powered through said connector, by 16-bit PC Card or IEEE 1394 bus. Said connecter carries some kind of Parallel ATA. Z250USBPCM came with a 16-bit PC Card: Z250PCMCIA, which had a captive cable leading to that mini-Centronics 50 pin connector. Although I did not disassemble Z250PCMCIA, I assume its role is PATA host controller to that external PATA drive Z250USBPCM. (If I am wrong, then maybe Z250PCMCIA is just a dumb cable assembly and 16-bit PC Card interface is inside Z250USBPCM.)

A later ZIP drive could be USB bus-powered. IIRC, that later slim and low-power drive came with a redesigned rounded disc cartridge (looks like Sony UMD). By my knowledge, no SCSI/USB dual interface Zip drive ever existed.

EDIT ADD:

Assuming you have Z250USBPCM:

If you want to buy a power supply (for using USB, not necessary for IEEE 1394 bus-power), then seek Iomega SSW5. I advise you to NOT get what jimjimx points to.

If you want to eject your ZIP, then use a straightened paperclip.

(jab: Did you seriously not ever before manually/force eject a disc?)

 

[rsolberg]

I actually have a dual interface USB/SCSI Zip 250- which is what I thought the OP was talking about, but I see I missed the "Centronics" detail. My dual interface unit is just an external SCSI Zip 250 that came retail boxed with an Iomega USB "cable" that connects to the DB-25 on the drive. The adapter is USB powered, and doesn't supply the drive with power.

 

[supernova777]

P/N:  04160D00

Model:  Z250USBPCM 
date:  11/01/1999

07:23
assembled in USA

5v 1.0A

i have also got the firewire adapter which connects to the db25/SCSI connector:

P/N: 30195800
Model: ZIP1394A 

date: 10/05/2000 22:07

here i just found the manual for the zip1394a: 
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/media/i3d/01/A/man-migrate/MANUAL000014831.pdf

this manual refers to the connector as the "ZIP250 connector" rather than a SCSI interface.. so maybe its not SCSI at all *Shrug*

i also checked here to see the original packaging of hte ZIP1394A: 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IOMEGA-ZIP-FIREWIRE-ADAPTER-AND-CABLE-/112519587253?hash=item1a32b0a5b5:g~gAAOSwPfVZjObe
and it says on one of hte images that its powered by firewire..
i have plugged it in just now via firewire into a windows 7-32bit pc and there is a light on the adapter part that is lit to indicate its recieving power

but the drive itself does not power on... and i cant eject the disk that i just inserted and its not reading it at all..

the way i read the packaging was that the drive would power itself in entirety from the firewire power..  both the ZIP1394A  firewire adapter and ZIP250USBPCM aswell...

like i said im not able to eject the disk and i know that when i connected a non-original power adapter the drive just acted as tho the eject button was stuck being pressed!

continually ejecting.. even after the disk was ejected... 

im not sure what to think now.. i guess il have to get the psu and try it
and if that doesnt work ill just have to order a new drive.

Looking to speed up your Zip 250MB USB drive? grab this firewire adapter. Its plug and play so you wont have to reboot everytime you connect the drive to your PC or Macintosh computer (see system requirements for details) and since the firewire accessory is host-powered when you plug it in a 6-pin connection theres no need for an external power supply

to me that sounds like the drive should be getting power aswell.. but its not... 

fact: theres a spot for the power supply to be attached on the back of the firewire adapter.. 

but the ZIP1394A adapter only lights up when its connected to the ZIP250USBPCM

this is confusing maybe my drive is just broken

update: i also tried just now to connect USB cable to a blackberry/iPod/iPad/iPhone style USB/AC power adapter

and that did not work at all so the drive definately does not get power from USB at all

 

[butterburger]

Z250USBPCM is not a SCSI device. It is not USB bus-powered.

this manual refers to the connector as the "ZIP250 connector" rather than a SCSI interface.. so maybe its not SCSI at all *Shrug*

…

update: i also tried just now to connect USB cable to a blackberry/iPod/iPad/iPhone style USB/AC power adapter

and that did not work at all

For clarity:

Z250USBPCM is not a SCSI device. Z250USBPCM is not USB bus-powered.

Full stop.

when i connected a non-original power adapter the drive just acted as tho the eject button was stuck being pressed!

continually ejecting.. even after the disk was ejected...

…

im not sure what to think now.. i guess il have to get the psu and try it

and if that doesnt work ill just have to order a new drive.

…

this is confusing maybe my drive is just broken

Maybe your Z250USBPCM was working, but your non-original power adapter killed it? The ZIP drive should NOT be 'continually ejecting'; such behaviour is a bad sign. I would not advise you to get a new PSU. (If you do want a correct AC to DC power adapter, then seek Iomega SSW5.) If I were in your shoes, then I would want to get a different, known good, drive.

(edited to correct one typo)

 

[Macdrone]

I have that unit pictured and it needs a power supply.  I have a larger later model that does not require a power cord.  both have power cord spots because with scsi you have to add power.  the later unit is usb powered.  I got a 5 volt power supply to fit from goodwill, it generic but only cost a dollar.