Convert your 5th Gen iPod Video to use Flash Memory!

 does this allow you to sync with your computer via BT? . . . .thats something i'd be interested in

I used this iPod hack about six months ago on my 5.5gen 30gig iPod.  At the time the HD was making some noise and I was having some issues with the iPod freezing.  Took me about 45 minutes to get the iPod open, replace the internal drive, install the Flash Card, and get it closed up and running. 

The only problem I ran into during installation was getting the tiny black bar that clamps down the adapter to the iPod to close.  It would not and ended up snapping off in my hands.  Luckily friction has kept it all together and the flash card has only worked itself loose one time after a drop on its end.

I highly recommend this Instructable!

So as you said some cheap taiwanese adapter could burn up my ipod, what are the signs that I burned my ipod using those cheap adapters?

I love the way you can just open it up, swap out the card for a higher capacity, then just snap it back up again. Definitely doing this.

I am a big ham handed person with minimal computer and tiny object experience. Replaced battery and installed 32 gig flash drive in +/- 45 minutes. Listening to it now. Piece of cake. Only comment, should have better blow up of gray battery retainer clip and how it lifts and black ribbon cable retainer and how it just swivels up. The hardest part was understanding how these little clips work. Very Pleased

i love this instructable!!! *printing up pdf for future reference*

does this hack work with the ipod classic?

Yes, they both use the same hard drive and connections. Reports have been good--no problems.

http://www.tarkan.info/20080706/tutorials/apple-ipod-classic-and-iflash

Can you do this mod and the bluetooth one as well? I ask because if that's the case then this WILL be done with the biggest CF card I can get my hands on.

Doesn't flash memory use less energy too? There's no spinning disk.....

This is an awesome hack! I've been successful at converting two 5th gen ipods to flash memory. I used the same CF adapter used in this instuctable for both ipods. On the first ipod I used an 8 GB Adata CF card. I restored the ipod and put music and videos on it. Everything worked great! The only two issues that I encountered were that the transfer speed was slow (not a big problem for me) and sometimes I'd get a message saying Use iTunes to Restore when I turned the ipod on. When I turned the ipod on again it would boot up normally. Overall I was very pleased with my ipod.

The second ipod I repaired for a friend. I did everything I mentioned above except that I put in a 16 GB Adata CF card instead. My friend was very happy to get his ipod back in working condition.

I thought I'd left a comment here but I don't see it. Probably had a Vista crash before hitting the Post button.

Anyway, this is great!! This morning I took possession of my daughter's best friend's defunct 5th Gen iPod. I'm ordering a 32-Gig CF from Amazon ($60) and the adaptor from Tarkan. Pretty exciting!!

Great mod! In the UK though, product specs don't mention if a card is ATA compliant.
Or does "Supports Ultra DMA mode 0-4" mean the same thing? See the 16GB Transcend card on amazon.co.uk.
Any advice?
Thanks.

VOID WARRANTY

if you still own one of those it probably doesnt have a warranty. and plus its made by apple so the only way it will break is if you physicaly damage it

No, mines refurbished

It would so awesome if there was an SDHC adapter... Awesome instructable by the way!!!

how many pins dose the cf have

its called ctrl+alyt+prt scrn then ctrl+v or paste into paint or Gimp or whatever editor u use!

Fstedie, is the transfer rate fast enough from a flash card to watch video on the 5th gen iPod?

Yes. It is actually better than the hdd IMO

could i use this basic idea to expand the memory of an mp3 player that does not have a hard drive (http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=011854&cid=MP.115) this is the one i want to try it with anyone any comments?

the bluetooth hack is to just listen to headsets via bluetooth or can u transfer song to if other ipod has same mod?

Hey fstedie, I've been trying your mod and I love the idea, but I can't quite get it right. I even bought the same exact hard drive to compact flash converter on ebay from the asian vendor, but my computer just won't recognize the ipod when I plug it in. It just comes up with the sad ipod face and then goes to the charging screen, then if I leave it plugged in long enough it will eventually bring up the apple logo like its restarting, then after a couple seconds the screen goes blank and then trys to restart again, over and over. Any ideas???

Hey there, is there anything like an external flash (memory) adapter that can plug into a cell phones usb port and act as a memory capacity booster?

Oh, P.S. next time, if your taking a picture of something on your computer. hit the (Prt Scr/ SysRq) button (next to scroll lock) and then open a new picture file and paste that, it will be a perfect screenshot! (instead of getting bad looking camera pixtures of the desktop.)

ya i no what that means, its just that i wrote this late at night, and as it was friday i was tierd as hell and did not give a crap how i spelled something.

fstedie, i have a question: can you restore a freshly modded ipod on ubuntu. Amarok works with ipods but i don't know if you can use it to format the ipod since i do not use itunes and hate windows.

actually, i have seen ipods work for linux. one can use amarok, gtkpod, rhythmbox, listen, banshee, etc. i just got through looking this up and found that one can format them on ubuntu.

to take the connectors off i used the ipod tools, they worked well.

Nice instructable, but doesn't this mean you have to open up the iPod every time you want to switch cards? Couldn't you get rid of the dock connector or something and have the card sticking out the bottom? I mean, it'd be a lot of work, but it would be handier than having to open it up whenever you want to switch cards. And if your iPod is already broken, wouldn't it be worth your while to do some hardcore modding? ;)

Note: after writing that last part I realized you need the dock connector to connect it to the computer, but you could just put the card into a card reader too, and still be able to switch cards quickly!

Regards,
Josh

Awesome job.
Really detailed, pictures are okay too.
Are these your ideas?

Could you do something like this with an AVI playing DVD player? It seems like you should... but I'm still a developing young mind when it comes to electronics. :)

Sweet, I buy broken Ipods on ebay fix them up then sell them again.
So, if I ever need to convert to flash memory I will know were to go, thanks!

+1 and favorite, thanks again!

In one of the pictures in step 5 it has def leppard. when me and my family were leaving hershey park, we drove right behind the stage and could see the band. it was really loud. nice instructable too. i could probably do this with a bad hard drive ipod and use a cf to 1.8 in. adapter off of dealextreme

i like it! much better than the previous version i saw where u had to resolder your own adapter!

Great instructable, I'll have to try it when I recover from my recent laptop purchase.

(Is the ipodhackers.net watermark really necessary though? lol)

I guess that's true. I just kinda got tired of seeing it but whatever.