Any other people interested in rack mountable equipment?

[ForcedInduction]

I don't have a job in the IT industry, but I've allways been fascinated by rack mountable stuff. I actually own a full 42u rack cabinet, and it's in my room...heh.

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3446/img0804zz0.th.jpg (http://img98.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0804zz0.jpg) http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/8485/img0815hh2.th.jpg (http://img179.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0815hh2.jpg)


As you can see, I have 2 1u servers in there, old Compaq DL360s one newer than the other. I used them for Folding@home, while I had broadband. On dialup it's not as practical. Right now they're sitting dormant. If I find a reliable broadband carrier that reaches out here into the middle of nowhere, I may well get more stuff.

One thing I have not pictured is a UPS unit, APC UPS1000 2u. It should run both servers whenever I get the batteries. Thing requires 4 lead acid batts, that'll set me back over 100 bukks. THEN, I'll want a good KVM, or perhaps even one of those fold out consoles with built in KVM. Those can be expencive, but I've found deals on Ebay before.

Anyways, just wondering if anyone elce techy here has 19" rack interest. I'm not nuts, am I :questionmark:

[ForcedInduction]

....well, guess I am nuts. Big relief there :laugh: . Good news is I will hopefully be getting broadband again soon. I'll get back to crunching numbers for science with Folding@Home.

[gcountach]

We're not the ideal group to asking if you're nuts are not. We're not all stable ourselves. :p

I have a whole of bunch of old computers and parts sitting around in my computer room. With some work, I could probably build another 2 computers out of em. I'm sure if I had access to free rackmounts, they'd be stacked somewhere in the room too.

[ForcedInduction]

Once I get too stacked with PCs, I'll usually liquidate them down into componants and get rid of the cases to save space. I have drawers full of old hardware... Stacks of CPUs, everything from 486sx 33s to pentuim class, AMD K6-2s, Athlons, etc. I might have a 386 mobo with a CPU in it somewheres, but I don't recall. Not to metion all those mobos, video cards, sound cards, IO expantion cards like USB or even down to an ISA parralell/serial card....won't find a PC newer than 486 class without at least an LPT port and Serial, heh. I think I pulled that from an 8088 or something.


Computer hardware is a sickness for me, along with that automotive one :laugh: .

[Europort]

Actually, I'm pretty intrigued by rack mountable equipment myself. Being an IT guy at my job, I'm usually dealing with our racks of dell poweredge servers haha. I think I eventually wanna get a mini rack for my closet to host a fileserver for my house lol. That may be just a little nuts I guess?

[ForcedInduction]

Yea, I was looking into a half rack or smaller at first, but they ended up going for more money if they were up for bids with no reserve. Believe it or not, I got that full cabinet(the sides and back door aren't pictured as I removed them, but I did get them with the rack) for just 26bukks. I had to drive up to Chicago to get it, from southern IN, so including gas money I have 200 some in it. Not bad considering they go for a grand or more for a new one, and 400 for used ones...not including frieght which would be near 150 or 200. That's for a full 42u cabinet.

Also, if you just want one for kicks and don't want to search high and low for what you need, there's a webpage somewhere that tells how to build your own. You make the cabinet yourself and use rack rails for pro audio racks. They come in anywhere from 2u to 21u lengths and I think they come in pairs. They're pre-tapped with standard size/thread for rack screws...forget what that is. All you have to do is make sure they're the right distance apart and perfectly paralell.