Have you tried patching the firmware?
http://etna.rpc1.org/qsi/
You can assemble an external drive yourself, which will cost you about US$60 or 80, or you can get it already assembled from the manufacturers for around US$100. You can get the enclosures (firewire or USB) and the bare drives, as well as the preassembled models, at newegg.com or many other online retailers.