Instructables - File Server in an ammo can

[ATCclears]

Ammo Box Drive Enclosure

Ammo Box Drive Enclosure: Concept and Design Concept- For a long time now I've been pondering how to manage my growing inventory of external hard drives. I didn't want to shell out over $200 for a ready-made enclosure and liked the idea of fabricating my own. I got the itch.…

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[The Heretic]

Meh, I would go with a ruggedized laptop and some 2TB+ thumb drives.

 

[Flopsweat]

Meh, I would go with a ruggedized laptop and some 2TB+ thumb drives.

The guy must be a vlogger or something to need that kind of storage. Most of us can just get by with one external HD. I kind of do. The first one I bought was kind of tiny compared to today's standards, so I bought a much bigger one a few years later. The only reason they're both in use is because I haven't bothered moving stuff. I'll probably eventually use the little one to sneaker-net movies to friends' houses or gatherings.

 

[The Heretic]

I get by fine with 1-2 TB and a small laptop can be had with that much capacity internally. For backup a couple of 2 TB flash drives work fine - keep one handy, another in a secure "off-site" spot, and swap them occasionally.

I more or less keep the computers I have, usually laptops, until they just plain stop working or I give them to somebody. The advantage of a laptop is that it is an "all in one" computer with battery backup, so you don't need to haul around peripherals like a display, etc.

My 10 year old MBA is about to give up the ghost - I just replaced the battery but I think I need to replace the I/O board (connects to battery charger) - those "Mag Safe" connectors suck - they are convenient but they connection contact wear out after about 5 years or so. USB-C is better for longevity. I have a new Lenovo Thinkpad that I will install Linux on for dual boot. I prefer OSX, but the I am thinking I want to get a ruggedized laptop eventually.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Well I read the article...and the posts here so far in this thread....
'Bout the only thing I that I know and understand for sure is "ammo can"...
Looks like a neat idea.
Andy

 

[The Heretic]

How I would (and probably eventually will) approach this, would be to ruggedize a laptop (or buy one), acquire peripherals (first comes to mind is and additional power supply, such as a lithium battery) and spares, then determine which GI ammo can or other sufficiently rugged and water/dust resistant container to put it into.

Then I would put the components inside an EMI/EMP/RFI/etc. protection bag (individual bags) and put those inside Kaizan foam in the container.

If it is an ammo can I would have it sprayed with bed liner, inside and out. I would add a locking mechanism and latching mechanism to hold the container down to whatever I am going to carry the container in (I already have these mechanisms for ammo cans).

I would do the same for comms devices.

 

[SrMachoSolo]

Meh, I would go with a ruggedized laptop and some 2TB+ thumb drives.

But... it supposed to be a file server, not just back up.

What are the IOPs on those flash drives vs a spinning disk?

-Robert

 

[Flopsweat]

But... it supposed to be a file server, not just back up.

What are the IOPs on those flash drives vs a spinning disk?

-Robert

Good point because if that works I'd just use a RaspberryPi and some thumb drives. Headless server.

 

[Siglvr]

Cool project.