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BlueSCSI Laptop to external WiFi Antenna?
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2026-04-24 11:21:43
Wondering if a hookup or workaround for running an external antenna lead outside the RFI shielding of a Mac is a possibility?

Running the lead to a wire type antenna in a PowerBook lid might be ideal? RFI shielding of a Duo's HDD bay can be tucked underneath, but dunno about other 'Books Also thinking of mounting the BlueSCSI Laptop version on a dummy card in the CSII slot of my 6360. Should be workable for older CS slot of my Q630 as well.

Could custom CS/CSII carrier board provide power to BlueSCSI?
Posted by: finkmac on 2026-04-24 11:24:03
from what I understand... there is no place to connect an antenna to the pico.

otherwise.. it would be a great idea 🙂

Could custom CS/CSII carrier board provide power to BlueSCSI?

outside the scope of the thread I think 😉 you could... but why would you? lots of pain for little gain. just use an SD extender if you need to expose the slot.
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2026-04-24 11:48:46
from what I understand... there is no place to connect an antenna to the pico.

otherwise.. it would be a great idea 🙂
Dang! might a larger than Pico version with antenna hookup be suitable as the CPU?

outside the scope of the thread I think 😉 you could... but why would you? lots of pain for little gain. just use an SD extender if you need to expose the slot.
Running a power lead to a CS/CSII unit would be a PITA.

However doing a CS/CSII specific version with MicroSD slot and antenna lead available on the backplane of 6xxx/5xxx would be killer!
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2026-04-24 12:24:35
www.briandorey.com

Raspberry Pi Zero W U.FL connector external antenna

Our attempts to modify a Raspberry Pi Zero W to add a suitable external Wi-Fi antenna antenna using a U.FL RF connector on the PCB
www.briandorey.com www.briandorey.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/raspberrypipico/comments/12ifx14/can_i_add_external_anthena_on_pi_pico_w_the_two

RATS:
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2026-04-25 09:04:14
Found an off the shelf solution:
shop.funand.tech

Raspberry Pi Zero 2W with External WiFi Antenna Connector (U.FL)

What's special about this Pi? Want to use an external antenna with the Raspberry Pi? These Raspberry Pi boards are carefully hand-modified to add a U.FL connector and connect it up. This greatly expands the options for external antennas, and there is no additional dongle needed. Optional...
shop.funand.tech shop.funand.tech
It's massive overkill to treat the SCSI to SD conversion as a HAT on a full blown Linux Computer, but the added CPU cost isn't prohibitive.

Now thinking in terms of an LC NIC format SD/WiFi solution. Far more PCB real estate and cubic available than CS/CSII format and the SCSI connector is right there!
Posted by: finkmac on 2026-04-25 11:17:26
pi zero and pico are two different things
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2026-04-25 12:26:48
pi zero and pico are two different things
Indeed, that's why I said it was massive overkill as a replacement for Pico.

Just watched the vid I linked above that relates directly to Pico.

Seems like an easy enough mod that's better/more flexible by installing a cut cable's leads directly to board contacts leading to the antenna connector on the other end rather than installing a connector on the Pico to plug in the full intermediary cable?
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2026-04-25 22:10:57
@luRaichu Found this project for me.
www.tarball.ca

Adding an external antenna to the PicoMEM Pi Pico W

How to add an external antenna to a Pi Pico W to extend WiFi range for devices that reside inside metal enclosures.
www.tarball.ca www.tarball.ca
Posted by: croissantking on 2026-04-26 00:32:48
Would you be able to (practically) connect a BlueSCSI internally to a Performa 630/5xx0/6xx0 style machine, with their IDE hard drive?
Posted by: Torbar on 2026-04-26 06:18:06
Would you be able to (practically) connect a BlueSCSI internally to a Performa 630/5xx0/6xx0 style machine, with their IDE hard drive?
Optical drive on those is SCSI, right? you could replace that with a bluescsi

Or, might be able to replace the internal SCSI ribbon cable with a dual connector one and put a bluescsi internally there somewhere, but might be a pain

db25 bluescsi might be the best bet for that if you wanted to keep the optical drive
Posted by: croissantking on 2026-04-26 06:23:57
Optical drive on those is SCSI, right? you could replace that with a bluescsi

You'd lose the optical drive and have a big gaping hole in the front bezel. 👎

I'd vote for a nice ZuluSCSI Pico Slim on the rear port. They have Dayna emulation & you'd have fewer issues with attenuation & you can easily swap out the SD card.
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2026-04-26 07:16:19
IDC 50M connector crimped onto the SCSI section of the harness underneath the CD adapter bar would be my suggestion.

Unless you listen to radio with the tuner box, that cubic might be about perfect for a laptop SD solution? Out of town ATM, so I can't check for fit.

Thinking 2.5" might be too wide. But if the cubic is available, it might be possible to print a slide out drawer with co-ax connector for antenna and USB-C(?) programming. That would provide the required cubic without deleting either the CD or 3.5" IDE drive or CF adapter in that bay..

Ideally, a longer/narrower version of an SD solution would allow it to fit on a Dummy CS/CSII card or a dummy LC NIC opening up a reasonable market segment for such a contraption?

edit: just found the ZuluSCSI pico slim which could fill the bill. Not a fan of hanging such a device off the SCSI port externally. But doing a 50-25 pin conversion of internal cable by soldering the 25 wires to the board would do nicely. Should work on either LC NIC or CS/CSII dummy cards.
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2026-04-26 08:13:48
Would you be able to (practically) connect a BlueSCSI internally to a Performa 630/5xx0/6xx0 style machine, with their IDE hard drive?
ZuluIDE-Compact-V2-Rev2025a-front-iso-nobg_758a2a13-7a3d-4db3-8529-c252e4d694e0.webp
😉 Front bezel pops off easily enough for card changes. WiFi antenna lead and USB-C cable can be routed to Tuner Bay cover or the vestigial LC port cover. SD extension cable as well?
Posted by: Phipli on 2026-04-26 08:16:29
View attachment 98187
😉
Or you could just use a $10 IDE to SD card adapter and save the money for an ice-cream or 50 next time you're at the beach.
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2026-04-26 08:22:50
LOL! Indeed, but WiFi antenna makes for a relatively expensive banana split option.
Besides a single scoop ice cream is at least $2 at the beach.😛
Posted by: Phipli on 2026-04-26 08:43:07
LOL! Indeed, but WiFi antenna makes for a relatively expensive banana split option.
Besides a single scoop ice cream is at least $2 at the beach.😛
Not if you bring the Ice-cream with you 😉
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2026-04-26 09:50:47
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM!
But certain budgetary options must be balanced. Choosing the less fattening option appeals to me . . .

. . . if we were talking about a steak BBQ, that might be entirely different.Grilled mushroom, peppers and veggies might win out! 😛
Posted by: bakkus on 2026-04-26 09:56:58
There's always the external BlueSCSI as well, which moves both the antenna and the microSD slot out of the faraday cage.
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2026-04-26 10:08:34
Yep, but as I said, I don't like tying up the external SCSi connector, might work on the TAM if if fits though. I the ports cover isn't shielded that is.
Posted by: luRaichu on 2026-04-26 11:01:20
Or you could just use a $10 IDE to SD card adapter
No. CF cards can speak IDE/ATA natively and offer better speeds
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