Trying to connect a Nikon Coolscan III to a 16" Macbook Pro M1 with SCSI->USB A cable + USB-C hub. I need help.

[Ompopo]

Hiya

So my father have a lot of old dias images and negatives that he wants to scan and get onto his new M1 Pro MacBook Pro 16". He is not the most tech savvy, but buys a machine so he can have it for years. Which I'm sure will be the case with the M1 Pro as this is technically more than he will ever need. Anyway, that is not the point.

Last week I saw an ad for a Nikon Coolscan III that was being sold for a low sum (about US$167) so I ordered it for him thinking I could use Vuescan to scan the images with it.

Then we received it in the mail today an I picked it up and was going to set it up for him. I don't know much about scanners either, but I try.

The scanner was sold with a SCSI to USB-A cable that the last owner had used (it says "adapted" on the cable, I'm guessing it is just the producer of the adapter cable?). It had been standing in a cupboard unused for a few years and he didn't need it anymore. So I try to connect it to a USB-C 10-port hub from UNISYNK I have myself, power the scanner up and it lights up green, but no connection between the scanner and the laptop

So, I'm blind here. What do I need to do/get to help my father to use the scanner? Or is it not possible at all?

I'm really grateful for all help and tips. If not I guess I'll just need to sell the scanner again if there are no way of using it.

 

[kecklund]

Three quick comments.

You might find the following user's guide useful. http://download.adaptec.com/pdfs/user_guides/usb2xchange_v10_ug.pdf Further results from your favorite search engine.

SCSI busses are terminated, which might cause some problems if you don't have a terminator attached. Note there are two connectors on the back of the scanner. This allows a chain of devices to be connector to one SCSI adapter. The last device in the chain should be terminated. The terminators look like a connector, with no cable attached, and contain resistors to properly terminate the chain of SCSI devices. Some devices may have internal termination, but in that case you expect to find only one connector. Good news - it looks like there is a switch on the back of the scanner that says "Terminator". Set this to ON and try again.

You may need a driver for the OS (mac OS) to recognize the SCSI-USB adapter. You may be in luck if it's built into macOS.

 

[jz0309]

SCSI devices needed HW drivers if memory serves correctly, doubt there will be any for Monterey though ...
but, check the link below:

Nikon CoolScan III Scanner Driver & Software | VueScan Scanner Software

Want to keep using your Nikon CoolScan III on macOS Sonoma, Windows 10, and more? VueScan has a built in Nikon Scanner Driver - so it works even without a driver.

www.hamrick.com

 

[Ompopo]

SCSI devices needed HW drivers if memory serves correctly, doubt there will be any for Monterey though ...
but, check the link below:

Nikon CoolScan III Scanner Driver & Software | VueScan Scanner Software

Want to keep using your Nikon CoolScan III on macOS Sonoma, Windows 10, and more? VueScan has a built in Nikon Scanner Driver - so it works even without a driver.

www.hamrick.com

Thanks. I’ve downloaded VueScan already since I knew that Nikon’s software was outdated years ago. So I was thinking/hoping that VueScan would be able to help me.

The problem is that VueScan can only work (as far as I can tell) if it recognizes the scanner. But I can’t get the Macbook Pro to detect the scanner at all at the moment 😞 And without being able to choose the Coolscan from the list of printers I can’t get anywhere.

 

[jz0309]

Thanks. I’ve downloaded VueScan already since I knew that Nikon’s software was outdated years ago. So I was thinking/hoping that VueScan would be able to help me.

The problem is that VueScan can only work (as far as I can tell) if it recognizes the scanner. But I can’t get the Macbook Pro to detect the scanner at all at the moment 😞 And without being able to choose the Coolscan from the list of printers I can’t get anywhere.

only suggestion I have is to try an older computer that has an OS where the drivers are still supported ...

 

[mollyc]

I feel like somehow this would be in @bunnspecial's wheelhouse.

 

[chown33]

You can check whether that Adaptec interface appears on the USB bus using the System Info app that comes with every Mac:

System Information User Guide for Mac

In System Information on your Mac, create a system report.

support.apple.com

Look under the "USB" subheading of "Hardware", and see if you can identify anything with an Adaptec name. If not, then it's possible something is wrong the the Adaptec interface itself, or its cable, connector, or a USB hub it's plugged into.

You should also confirm that the USB hub itself appears in the USB listing. If not, try plugging the Adaptec directly into the Mac, at least temporarily. I'd also try the Adaptec interface plugged into USB, but NOT plugged into the scanner.

Diagnosing device problems often means confirming that every link in a chain of connections is working.

 

[bunnspecial]

Zero experience running these scanners over USB-SCSI adapters, but I can say with certainty that Vuescan supports all the Nikon Coolscan models including the III. When I had mine set up, I ran it in Nikon Scan(think you need version 3.x for SCSI scanner support) on a G4 running OS 9 with an Adaptec 2930CU SCSI card. That card shipped BTO with a lot of G3 and G4 towers and works natively, plus has the LV50 connector on it.

Say what you will, but Nikon scan is better than Vuescan. I find it superior both in ultimate sharpness and quality of results, and Digital ICE works better than Vuescan's attempt at an equivalent(happy to provide examples if you want them).

Now, all of that out of the way, the USB adapter you have I can only find Macintosh drivers for OS 9 and PPC versions of OS X. You MIGHT be able to coax it into working on 10.6, but 10.5 or earlier on a PPC system might be easier.

So, here's my answer-

1. Get a Windows computer to run it, and you might even be able to get Nikon Scan working.

2. Get a PPC Mac, and if you're going that route I highly recommend running it via a SCSI card in a PowerMac G4 and OS X 10.4.11 or earlier.

 

[Fishrrman]

Some thoughts...

The scanner appears to have a termination on/off switch.
You don't need "an external terminator".
Set the termination switch to "on".
If that doesn't work, set it to "off".
Sometimes you have to try different combinations to find one that works.

Is that a USB hub I see in one of your pics?
If so, REMOVE IT from "the connection chain".
You want "as little in the chain" as possible.
Get it out of there.

If the Adaptec converter has a USBa plug on the end of the cable, get a "USBc to USBa adapter", like this:

Cable Matters USB C to USB Adapter 6 Inches (USB to USB C Adapter, USB-C to USB 3.0 Adapter, USB C OTG) in Black

Cable Matters USB C to USB Adapter 6 Inches (USB to USB C Adapter, USB-C to USB 3.0 Adapter, USB C OTG) in Black

www.amazon.com

Again, I'd get the hub "out of the chain".

There's a "rotary switch" on the scanner for the SCSI ID number.
It looks to me like it's currently set for "6".
You might try different numbers, including "0".

Does Apple's "image capture" see the scanner?

Having written all this, I'm kind of "on the pessimistic side" that you're going to get this to work. Not because the scanner itself isn't good, but rather because trying to convert the signal from SCSI-to-USB1-to-USBc could give you trouble, along with the fact that the drivers (if required) for the scanner may be too old to still work.

My suggestion is:
Don't waste any more $$$ on this setup (other than the USBc-USBa adapter).
Instead, look for something "a bit more modern".

 

[MacNut]

First of all, set the site to Fluid HD. Why is that not the default.

I really don't miss the days of SCSI, it was such a hassle.