Aussie lowboy with hinged metal control panel

[Zebidee]

Spray paint testing and practice.

I used an offcut piece of 5mm plywood, sanded it down a little, then got into it.

Many many many very very light coats

Hope you like the colour 

[Zebidee]

Nearly finished the magenta paintwork.

The "exposed" middle parts are all complete and looking good. Except for the actual door, I haven't done that yet (ooops!).





I've had to scuff back a little for some minor issues on the out-sides, both left and right. However, I can't do the final spray until the sun comes out for a bit.





One issue has been the return of those darn cracks, or wrinkles may be a better word - this happens when painting while it is raining or just too humid, like it has been these last couple of days as I was pushing to finish it off. Big mistake. I'd take closeup photos, but I always think of it after I've sanded them back, and I can't seem to get a decent pic anyway in this crappy rainy day light.

So I just have to wait for the sun to come out, as we don't have even a single heater.

Another (rather weird) issue has been chickens. We have too many. Anyway, sometimes a hen comes into my workshop area, looking for a place to lay an egg. Apparently this pink arcade cab is just the right place. So they come and climb over it with their claws, ripping absent mindedly into the nice finish. I've literally turned my back to talk to someone, turned back to find a chicken on top! Occasionally I spot the hens lurking around, waiting for an opportunity to sneak in.

maybe they just want to play Joust and Flicky?

So, unless I want to be constantly sanding out their claw marks I need to keep it covered when not working on it.

In the meantime, I've started spraying the control panel. This is just black lacquer paint from a rattle-can, onto steel, so the humidity doesn't really affect it.

Hope you like my spray booth:





After a quick spray (I usually do six even passes, about 1/2 second each, with the can), I close the flaps to discourage dust (and chickens).

[bobbyb13]

Good spray booth.
Less is more!

[Zebidee]

Good spray booth.
Less is more!

Thanks! When not in use, my cats love playing in that spray booth box!

They interpret all the blackness as endless possibility and curiousity.

Because our cat like to race outside the house as you open the door, I put that box in front of our sliding doors, on the inside, facing into the house. When I open the doors, cat races into the box thinking there must be away out, through the box, past the doors 

Endless fun 

[Zebidee]

Major developments so far!

I finally managed to complete the spray painting. Complicating things, it has been raining almost continuously here! This causes problems spraying with acrylics onto this crappy plywood, especially "ripples", cracks, wrinkles, whatever the word, as a thin layer below pops out with the humidity. Eventually I got there.

Some eye candy:

 


Front and back:


 

[Zebidee]

In other news, I also added some feet and wheels today!

I started this cab a long time ago, at the time I wanted to add wheels but wasn't really sure how. I decided I should angle-cut the base at the back, which left me with this:







In practice, this made the cab a bit wobbly and relatively easy to push over backwards. Something had to be done about it, so I got some adjustable feet. I got the T-nuts separately.







To add the feet, I needed to secure them to the floor of the cab. However, I also needed to add a angled piece of wood across the back, to support the wheel. The compromise was that I had to cut holes through the angled wood to let the feet poke out!






The wheels themselves are simply screwed onto the angled wood. Normally the wheel won't touch the ground. However, when the cab is tilted back a little, the wheels engage.






Next:

- some more paint around my new feet and wheels
- fit some handles to the top/rear of the cab to help with wheeling it around
- start filling it back up again with CRT, sound system and PC!

[Zebidee]

I found some old retro-handles I saved from a kitchen renovation in another lifetime. Now these handles have found new life on my cab!

Now it is super-easy to move the cab around to anywhere needed.

My baby looks half-naked, so time to put some T-molding on her.

Do people use glue when installing T-molding? If so, what glue? Or do you just shove it in the gap and hope it holds? I guess a lot of people do that too.

Any thoughtful advice welcome.

[bobbyb13]

Only ever needed a mallet myself but that slot looks to be a lot wider than the standard 1/16"

Getting closer!

[Zebidee]

Thanks.

Would have been a 3/32" slotter (about 2.4mm).

I can't remember all my reasoning back then, is a few years now, but I did my research and purchases. Seemed like a good choice at the time.

It was my first time cutting T-molding slots, so not to terrible I hope

Planning to go around each side 100%, joining at bottom.

See how we go!

[Zebidee]

Just finished off the T-molding.

With the wheels mounted she is easy to move around the workshop area. So I wheeled her outside for a nicer pic.





Mostly it went without issue, despite the slot being 3/32" instead of 1/16". Next time I will try it with 1/16". Thanks for the tip Bobby.

I note that the tongue has a central spine which is exactly 1/16" thick, with branches sticking out around another 1/16" or so. It all holds in pretty well.

I did the routing before I bought T-molding, so was guessing a little based on desktop research (googling).

Anyways, it all looks good now.

[Gilrock]

I did a bartop with 3/32" once and the T-molding never held well.  I tried gluing it in but it ended up being a big pain.  Fast forward a couple years later I forgot about those issues and I cut another 3/32" slot on a full size cab and immediately discovered the T-molding not holding well.  I bit the bullet and filled in the entire slot with Minwax 2-part epoxy wood filler and went out and bought a 1/16" T-slot cutter.  I've learned to cut a scrap piece and test it first after all my trouble.

[Zebidee]

I did a bartop with 3/32" once and the T-molding never held well.  I tried gluing it in but it ended up being a big pain.  Fast forward a couple years later I forgot about those issues and I cut another 3/32" slot on a full size cab and immediately discovered the T-molding not holding well.  I bit the bullet and filled in the entire slot with Minwax 2-part epoxy wood filler and went out and bought a 1/16" T-slot cutter.  I've learned to cut a scrap piece and test it first after all my trouble.

Useful experience

Mostly the 3/32 held well - the big problem areas were unavoidable, like where the plywood had hidden gaps/holes that opened up parts of the slots.

The front curves were a another problem area, as the tension along the T-molding does nothing to hold it in there. Also, where the T-molding takes a sharp corner, would tend to have issues.

I thought about using putty, but it would have taken too long to dry properly, more work to re-rout the slot (I've finished painting already!), and I was impatient. As it happens, plumbers tape seemed to do the job.

I used a fair bit of plumbing tape, pushed into the slots, to help fill up the gaps and give the tongue something to grab onto.

Also, on the sharp corners, I cut small "V"s out of the tongue to avoid distortions when compressing the tongue.

After doing the second side, I pulled out the first side and did it again! Much better now. By the time I was finished redoing the first side, the T-molding was almost 1cm too long, I had to cut it back again. Which tells you how much slack I managed to remove.

Next time I'll use 1/16" - I will be banging harder, but it would be worth it.

[bobbyb13]

Looking good!
Gil is spot on with test piece technique also.
I route a slot, turn the test piece over and make sure the tool just drops into the slot again, and then I know it is centered really well.
I use a dead blow mallet, a pair of side cutters for trimming spline where necessary and a fresh razor blade for end cuts.
Other handy tip is to go through the slot immediately before trying to bang the t-mold in and make sure that you have cleared every last bit of dust and wood chip out.
I use a hand saw that happens to have a blade just shy of 1/16" and pulling that through the slot all around is really effective at clearing debris.

[Gilrock]

I know most people can't do this suggestion.  Routing the slot before you assemble the board is a lot easier.  I've used the T-slot cutter bit in a CNC and then did the middle test Bobby just described to make sure I had the height right.  With the CNC it was easy to send gcode commands to change the height.  Then once its correct I leave it running near the middle of the table and then feed the board into it.

[Zebidee]

This is good stuff guys! I wish I'd been able to find a thread like this before starting. Your experience is valued.

Installing T-molding seems straightforward, and most of this stuff is just good common sense, but all these little details matter.

I use a dead blow mallet, a pair of side cutters for trimming spline where necessary and a fresh razor blade for end cuts.

Aha! "Spline" is the word I was looking for. Yes, indeed I did it just like that, mallet, side-cutters and fresh craft knife blade.

EDIT: Another tip: If just using mallet alone, it it can feel a bit bumpy. So, use a small offcut piece of wood with a flat edge, and hammer that along the edge afterwards to help make it flat.

Other handy tip is to go through the slot immediately before trying to bang the t-mold in and make sure that you have cleared every last bit of dust and wood chip out.
I use a hand saw that happens to have a blade just shy of 1/16" and pulling that through the slot all around is really effective at clearing debris.

Yeah, last minute check essential, there is always some bit of crap you miss. I used the end of a metal ruler.

I know most people can't do this suggestion.  Routing the slot before you assemble the board is a lot easier.

Absolutely agree! I wouldn't even attempt to do the T-mold routing after assembly.

Having a CNC is nice 

In other news...

Did some touch-up paint for the extra board at the back/butt, where the new wheels and feet are mounted, now her collars and cuffs match!

I will be a little busy with GreenAntz units the next few days, but will find some time to reassemble the door and control panel soon.

Then I will work on the speaker mounting panel (black metal above monitor). Drill a couple of new holes in the middle for a volume control and an on/off switch. And paint it (black, of course).

You can have any colour you want, so long as it is black. And magenta   

[Zebidee]

Some updates. Lot of good progress over the past two weeks or so.

I will make a few posts, so please be patient and hang in there.

First, the front door. Painting complete.

Once the paint was fully dry, I reassembled the hinge.





You may recall that I used a bunch of metal washers (four for each bolt) to get the hinge into the correct position.

This time I decided to use a piece of scrap wood (same thickness as four washers) instead.


 

[Zebidee]

Before mounting the door, I was going to fit a slightly larger CRT. Previously there was a 20", new CRT is 21".

I component-modded this TV one evening, two or three weeks ago. I was very impressed with the picture quality, so wanted to use it. The modding went exactly like this thread I wrote up late last year.

This new TV, like the old one, will be powered by a GreenAntz transcoder.

First thing to do was to make some new holes for the T-nuts. The new holes are approximately 1.25cm away from the old ones (1/2 inch).

You can see here why I prefer to support the CRT with two wooden brackets, top and bottom. Because they are separated, I can slide them up and down to match the CRT.

Hopefully you can also see here why I prefer to make the brackets with an angled inside edge about two inches long. This gives me the flexibility to accommodate tubes of different sizes. Having said all that, this 21" tube is about as big as I could ever fit into this cab.

You might notice that I have already fitted a 12v 3" fan in the back. I got this out of the way first because, after I've fitted the CRT and the speakers, I won't be able to get in there to install the fan.


 


After taking these photos and mounting the CRT, I realised that the top of the screen was now too high, it was going to sneak up under the speaker panel. So I had to lower both brackets by around 1.5-2cm. This was pretty easy though, I just had to unscrew them and slide them down.

You can see the remote control board for the TV mounted on the right side. It is convenient for now, but may go somewhere else once I get a bezel on.

You can see here how I put the screw in the T-nut the wrong way (deliberately). While I'm sorting the cab out the CRT may come out for various reasons, so I prefer to leave it like this until I'm done working on the cab. When done, I'll switch the screws back and bolt it all down.


 


NEXT: DISASTER!!!

[Zebidee]

Reassembling the door and control panel took me a two or three days, because nothing fitted back as well as it did originally.

Part of the problem was the paint thickness. Where the CP used to just barely slide past the paint on the inside of the CP area, the panel was now scraping paint and making a mess.

The only practical solution was to get my big-ass file and carefully grind about 0.75mm off the right side/front. I had to be careful to not damage the paintwork, but I got it done. Then I also had to repaint the parts scraped by the CP.

Once that was all done, it was time to re-fit the CRT. This is when disaster struck   

The TV chassis had been sitting on my electronics workbench for a couple of weeks while I was sorting the paint and other things out. So I grabbed the CRT and chassis, mounted it all into the cab and fired it up, but ...

It wasn't working right. The TV wasn't switching into YUV mode (which I need), and in fact the TV/AV button on the remote was not working at all. Some buttons on the remote did not seem to work, or worked only intermittently. I went into the menu, then I saw this (below/left):


 


The menu did not look right, and furthermore there were these garbage characters along the bottom line.

I did manage to get into the service menu and was looking to see if there was a reset or something (there isn't). Then I was at the screen you see (above/right), and changed the value of "64PIN SET" from "0" to "1" (default value, according to manual), and about 2 seconds later the TV just turned itself off.

That was it. The TV wasn't coming on anymore. Off on holidays.

I spent a day looking through my other CRT TVs to see if there was one suitable for this 21" tube, which I liked and had already mounted. After going through about eight TVs, but there was no easy match.

My first theory was that the 64-pin jungle chip, which controls the remote among other things, was either dead or corrupted. This is not a good thing, as changing a 64-pin chip is never easy.

The problem with that theory is that the jungle chip doesn't actually store any data. So how can it get corrupted? The more I thought about this, the more I thought there must be something else going on.

So I had another really good look at the chassis, and finally noticed this little 8-pin IC sitting quietly in a corner (circled in yellow, below). I had no idea what it was, initially I thought it might be a video amp as it was near the cable that takes RGB up to the neckboard. So I looked at the numbers, "HK24C08", and googled it.

Turns out HK24C08 is an EEPROM chip! It must service the jungle! I confirmed this by finding the traces to jungle chip serial data lines.

Unfortunately no way to properly test the IC. Corrupted data != shorts.

So, I took a huge gulp, girded my loins, and removed the chip. I replaced it with an identical chip I pulled off a currently not-working but nearly identical TV chassis. I fired up the TV again aaaaaaannnnnndd.........

It worked!!!!!

That is probably the most ballsy repair I've ever done. Pure hunch/theory.

I had to spend half a morning rejigging a lot of values via service menu, but now it is working and looking 100% again


 


Naturally, you are all asking "HOW DID THE CHIP GET CORRUPTED?". Well, it can just happen randomly. However, my theory is that is is because of chickens that occasionally infiltrate my shed/workshop area, like commandos on a mission, looking for somewhere to lay their golden bounties (eggs).

On at least two occasions I had to chase chickens off my electronics work table, where the chassis was, while I was getting the paint done (outside, of course)

If anyone wants some chickens, come get them (free).

NEXT: The Phoenix rises

[Zebidee]

With the door, control panel and CRT (repaired) and properly fitted, time for some gratuitous cab shots!


 


I have impressed even myself with how good the silver bolt heads and piano hinges look! Combined with the black and magenta colours, they really stand out.

Fitting the door and control panel properly took a lot of time and patience. However, it has paid off. Now they both open easily and freely (mostly). This will make accessing and servicing the cab much easier.

More gratuitous pics:


 


Because the CP just "flops" out, wiring the joys and buttons will be a cinch. Also, fault-finding will be easy, no tools required for access.

The door and CP do not touch, even when flopped out like shown.

I did get some small dimples in the CP paint, where it rests against the carriage bolts when open. I've decided not to worry as they are barely visible. In any case, nothing practical I can do to stop it from happening again.

Time for some control panel close-ups.








You might notice that I've chosen to put the dust covers/washers under the control panel. This is a much better look than on top. It also means that the dust covers won't scratch the paintwork.

To install the dust covers under the CP, I had to install some washers (about 1.5-2.0mm thick, the same ones I removed from the door hinge) to shim the joystick downwards slightly, allowing room for the cover to move freely. I've gotta say I am very impressed with the look. Also, there is absolutely no chance anyone could get a finger caught in it. Very slick, if I say so myself.

The blue credit button will eventually be lit with an LED.

Some final pics, a screenshot and the power button. Note that the power button (which is difficult to photograph properly when lit against a black background) will eventually change to be blue. In fact, the new buttons arrived while I was writing this.

In some of the other pics above, you might notice there is a small hole above the power button. This is where I'll mount a volume control (eventually).


 

 


EDIT:  I may have forgotten to say that the sound is awesome. More on that later.

NEXT: Lot of things to do still
- control panel wiring
- installing power input
- setting up PC
- volume control
- fan(s)
- marquee
- bezel
- everything else I haven't thought of yet

[bobbyb13]

Gotta love a hinged CP.
I was thinking a limiting chain but then remembered that panel is metal- so not as easy to implement.

Coming along nicely.
I like the not-standard color concept!

[yamatetsu]

NEXT: Lot of things to do still
- everything else I haven't thought of yet

Bezel.

[Zebidee]

I did get some small dimples in the CP paint, where it rests against the carriage bolts when open. I've decided not to worry as they are barely visible. In any case, nothing practical I can do to stop it from happening again.

Here is what I meant by dimples.





This photo, with the right light, picks up all little imperfections. Here I can even see the paint scrunched a bit around the carriage head bolts too, but it is less than it looks and again it isn't worth worrying about. I've decided that I can live with the dimples as they are not so bad, and almost impossible to see without getting up close. I only noticed them when reviewing pictures for these posts.

Gotta love a hinged CP.
I was thinking a limiting chain but then remembered that panel is metal- so not as easy to implement.

Coming along nicely.
I like the not-standard color concept!

Thanks! I want it to look fun and attractive to both my wife and kids. Then I can use it to replace the streetfighter-type cab I currently have in the house. Everyone will be happier.

We run a guesthouse, so we often have families coming through.

Limiting chain is a good idea. However I think I'd have to weld on a ring/hook or something, and I can't weld without ruining the rest of the finish.

For next time, I can think of two other elegant solutions.

#1  Let the CP hinge poke out a few millimetres more, so that it will sit OVER the bolts heads when open

#2  Pre-drill holes where the dimples would appear, and put rivets (or more bolts) in. Then the bolt heads would rest against each other when open.

If careful, I could even implement #2, the holes/rivets option with this CP. Not convinced it would look good though, with all the extra metal studs I might confuse it with a modern teenager's face. Will think about it a bit over next few days.

Bezel.

Thanks. Added to list. I thought of this too while getting ready for bed.

I was impressed with Bobby's bezel work. However, I've never used fibreglass before and really know nothing about how to do it, or where to get the stuff I'd need.

Have you got any good tips Bobby, on how to do some simple fibreglass work? I guess I should go back and re-read your posts.

I could ask around and, if I'm really lucky, find a surfboard shop or something. Yeah right, here in rural Thailand, only nine hours drive to the ocean   

Think I'll just make one up with cardboard first and see what happens.

[Zebidee]

I moved on to the LED marquee light today.

My idea was to use some IKEA LED bench lights, that we bought ages ago but never used. We have three, and one of the LED strips was just the right size for the cab.

I got it out and tested. To my dismay, very bright. I could not imagine playing a game with this bright light blinding me, even with marquee art in place. I wish I could take a picture to show, but it would just swamp the camera CCDs in the iphone.

However, I found a neat solution, based on some educated guesswork. Here are some pics. It is hard to convey that they are the right level of brightness, but you can see it isn't swamping the pics.


 


First, I observed the specs. 24v, 5.3W, 66 LEDs. With this information, I can calculate the current (~220 milliamps) and overall resistance (~ 110 ohms).

I estimated that each of the 66 LEDs has a matching resistor of ~6K ohms (far right)


   


First thing to note is that I didn't use the IKEA 24v power supply for the LEDs. I saved it for the remaining, unused LED strips. This cab already has a 24v PSU for the audio amp, and it has plenty of capacity left over for LEDs. So I will need to hack a connection.

I also want it less bright, so I need to limit the current. I did this by putting a 470 ohm resistor (3W rated) on the 24v input. This limits the current to about 1/4 of what is was before. Maybe 1/5 (depending on how your measurement assumptions).

Total power is now a snack under 1W (vs 5.3 before). Note that the resistor is 3W rated.

In the pic below, please note the resistor on the left is doing nothing at all - you can see I completely bypassed it with a wire. I was only interested in using it to physically help plug into the female connector.

The resistor on the right is the 470R 3W I added (470 + 110 already there = 580). This is doing the work, limiting current. Total power passing it is only ~1W, and it is handing it well. Finger on, it is slightly warm.

The pic below is for testing and demonstration purposes only. I will soon tidy it all up by cutting some wires, removing the unneeded resistor, adding some heatshrink etc.


 

[bobbyb13]

I like the marquee light adjustment!
I'm beginning to get less scared of electronics recently so this is fun to think through.

Oh man, the fiberglass thing-
It is a rabbit hole.
You would want to warm up to it by just laminating some flat things before you work your way into stuff with compound curves and hard edges.
Cloth weave bias and weight alone will give you headaches until you have it sorted, never mind mixing ratios and temp and humidity effects.

Maybe I should work on a legit glassing tutorial?
Would be fun to do if I can make the time.
For a simple polymerization reaction the whole thing goes pretty deep.
But I can take a shot at it (or at least answer questions?!) if ya really want!

[Zebidee]

I like the marquee light adjustment!
I'm beginning to get less scared of electronics recently so this is fun to think through.

Thanks

I learned almost nothing about electronics at school.

Instead, much of my electronics knowledge has been from applied learning, mostly gained while doing arcade stuff. Guess I've learned a lot, but even so that barely scratches the surface.

I also taken the time over past decade or so to learn stuff from youtube, going through online courses, reading books(!) and stuff like that.

All of which means there is hope for you Bobby, because if I can learn then anybody can.

Didn't you say your old man was a TV repair guy? It is in the genes

Oh man, the fiberglass thing-
It is a rabbit hole.
You would want to warm up to it by just laminating some flat things before you work your way into stuff with compound curves and hard edges.
Cloth weave bias and weight alone will give you headaches until you have it sorted, never mind mixing ratios and temp and humidity effects.

I'd be willing to give it a go, though I'll probably start by getting the cardboard bezel right first. Then I can start practicing with the fiberglass, eventually progressing to destroying a few cardboard bezel templates along the way!

Maybe I should work on a legit glassing tutorial?
Would be fun to do if I can make the time.
For a simple polymerization reaction the whole thing goes pretty deep.
But I can take a shot at it (or at least answer questions?!) if ya really want!

I think there would be a fair bit of interest in it.

First steps might be listing the basic materials, cloths, tools, solvents etc. needed to get started. We then go get it!

Then do something simple, like a flat piece. Working up to a bezel is a good target as very useful for people here.

Original arcade bezels were often made of fibreglass.

If I can learn electronics, maybe there is hope for me to learn fibreglass too!

[Zebidee]

So, I've been tidying up the LED connection with the 470R 3W resistor in place.

I've also found some old white ceiling paint, and slapped that around inside the marquee lightbox. Not a pretty paint job (the old paint is nearly dead), but it doesn't need to be.

About to install the LED strip. I've prepped some marquee art already. Hopefully will get it printed tomorrow.

I've been thinking more about those dimples I mentioned above. I think I'll drill holes and install some M5 or M6 black hex head screws. These will cover the dimples, be barely visible yet look appropriate, and their heads will sit against the carriage bolt heads when CP is open (thus preventing any further paint damage).

I can't think of a neater solution.

Here are those dimples again:





DB25 connectors arrived yesterday. I will use these to connect the CP controls to the IPAC.

Am thinking better try drilling those holes for the dimples first, before doing the wiring.

Thoughts?

[Zebidee]

Installed the (tamed) LED strip into the lightbox for marquee.

Getting these shots with iphone was hard - even with the LEDs dimmed.

Before installing the LEDs I roughly painted inside of lightbox white. This helps diffuse & spread the light, meaning brighter & more even illumination of marquee.


 

[bobbyb13]

Unless YOU will lose sleep over them, just leave the dimples.
Trying to get rid of/mask then will take more effort than it is worth and opens the potential for drama!

[Zebidee]

Unless YOU will lose sleep over them, just leave the dimples.
Trying to get rid of/mask then will take more effort than it is worth and opens the potential for drama!

You might be right, but I may be silly enough to have a go anyway.

To avoid thinking too much about it, I've been trying to get my head around Attract-Mode as a front end. It is very powerful but not very intuitive (not to me anyway). I am trying to convert my old MameWAH based front-end system to AM.

I've gotten MAME working with it, and I've managed to get my music playlists working too. Now I have a headache!

[Zebidee]

Although I haven't been posting, I've been busy.

Have spent past couple of days making homebrewed cables.

First, I want a detachable front control panel, so decided to wire it all up to DB25 headers. Used old CAT5e flexible network cable for the job. Needed three pieces of network cable (8 wires each) for each side, plus a separate ground wire.

Network cable is OK, but the insulation is not designed for soldering so keep that in mind if you use it. Use lower temperature, don't let the iron "dwell" on the wires for very long.

Second cable featured here is a MOLEX extension cable (1.4m long!) to take 12v up to the fan and power button LED. It must be long enough to reach from PC at bottom to the top of the cab. Must also be long enough so the PC can be pulled out for servicing.

This MOLEX cable has a short 5v extension to a 3-pin header, which will power a 5v relay (attached in photo). The relay will auto-switch on 220v power to the rest of the cab (TV, LED marquee, sound system).

More on that auto-switching later.

The third and fourth cables are for the power switch: one for on/off signal (grey-green/black) and an extension for the power button LED to get 12v (connects to the 3-pin alt header on fan, which is in turn powered by the long MOLEX cable).

These cables all need to be long enough to pull stuff out for servicing, but not too long. They also need to be easily detachable, so parts can be easily pulled off as needed.

Make sense? Good

I also changed the fan. The one I put in originally has bright blue LEDs in it, and I decided that would be distracting. So I replaced it with an old PC case fan, no LEDs (tested first, runs nice and quiet). Note that I fitted bug mesh behind the fan (tropical climate, bugs and geckos are a big issue).

Unfortunately, to change the fan I had to detach and remove the CRT. To remove the CRT I also had to remove the glass, the speaker panel, and unscrew two batten timbers. What fun!

Pics:

 

[Zebidee]

Getting the audio amplifier the cab needed an little extra work, as there was no easy way to screw it down to something.

My plan is to mount both amp and IPAC onto a separate board, making it easier to access and remove for servicing (as required).

So cut out a bit of 5mm plywood from some scrap, and sprayed it with black from a mostly used rattlecan. Probably should've gone with the magenta, but nevermind.






To screw the amp down, removed the bottom faceplate and flipped it around 180 degrees. This gave a small part that sticks out at the front nearly 1cm. I used that free space to drill a couple of holes for screws.

The other end was trickier - I selected a spot at the bottom that was well away from any electrical components. Not that there is any real concern, the amp components are all on the other side. The bottom is all ground plane only, just a few vias from components above accessing ground.

Spent a bit of time going through my tiny screw collection to find four suitable. Using neoprene grommets to add 2-3mm spacing and act as shock absorbers.





The  faceplate is just aluminium so (very) easy to drill. Got it all mounted. IPAC included for demonstration purposes. This accessories plate is now ready for installation (screw onto inside of cabinet), just need to get the control panel wired in. 





Here is a profile pic of the amp mounted. There is plenty of space between screw heads and the PCB base, at least 1mm. Note how the bottom faceplate is offset slightly (because I turned it around 180).

Raising the knobs like this makes it easier to adjust volume/bass/treble, more room for your fingers.

[Zebidee]

This morning I finished rigging the AC power coming into the cab.

I put it all onto a separate piece of scrap 5mm plywood. This way I don't have to crawl around inside the cab to wire everything. Now it is done, I can simply screw it onto the back of the cab, next to the PC-style AC inlet plug ("IEC connector"). I put an extra PC-style AC in plug there to the left, facing front, so you can see how it looks.

The AC plug includes a 10A fuse and a rocker switch for on/off.

AC Power is supplied to the PC and relay from the left 4xterminal gang.

When the PC is switched on, 5v will be supplied to trigger the relay. Then AC will pass through the relay to the 4x terminal gang at the right, for the CRT TV and 24v PSU (not shown).

I didn't draw a schematic for this, it is all in my head. If you are interested, let me know and I can draw/write something down.

I haven't installed or tested anything yet either, so wish me luck


 

[bobbyb13]

Looks like it should work to me!
Your wire colors are funny.

Foreigners...
 

[Zebidee]

Looks like it should work to me!
Your wire colors are funny.

Foreigners...
 

Glad to see someone is actually awake!

I used international convention for the wire colours, and recycled most from old Australian wiring. red/brown for live, blue for active and green/yellow for earth.

For DC I try touse yellow for 12v, red for 5v, , black for ground, like most PCs. The fan came with red on the 12v wire 

Anyways, I made a small mistake. Forgot to carry the neutral (blue) wire up to the switch, so that the built-in LED can light up.

I added it, and photoshopped the pic above to show where it goes.

[bobbyb13]

THere was a track I couldn't follow but I didn't notice that part!

We silly Americans (who foolishly buck reality in the rest of the universe apparently) still use black, white and green for main AC wiring!
 

[Zebidee]

Oh yeah. I recall reading that here and there. Just makes things confusing!

When it comes to wiring colours, never assume 

Just finished hacking the 3" fan (on cab top/behind)!   

It wasn't overly noisy, but I could hear it slightly so it annoyed me slightly.

So figured out, after a little experimentation and good-old maths, that a 120R*, in series on the 12v input, would cut the voltage in from 12.1v to 8.1v, making the fan slower but still moving air ok, and effectively silent.

It is a 3-pin fan and therefore has some speed control available via software, but who wants to bother with such boring matters (or making the long signal lines)? Also,  I follow a modularity principle (you should be able to replace components, like the PC, and it all just works). I want to "set-and-forget".

What I need is constant airflow that draws heat out from the top (where it collects naturally). Slow is fine.

My single 3" fan came off a dead PC case. Pics later.

EDIT: * resistor used was 3W rated, but 1W or maybe even 1/2 watt would be OK. 1/4 watt is asking for trouble

[Zebidee]

As promised, pic of fan mod.

The 120 ohm (3W) resistor is that lump on the red wire, under the heat shrink. It barely even gets warm





I took measurements with my multimeter before (12.1v, 45mA) and after (8.1v, 33mA).

Here is the math. Note that while voltage dropped by 1/3 and current by 1/4, total power dropped by over 1/2 to just over 1/4 watt.

Also note that the "resistance" drops a bit as voltage and current drop. This is expected, as fans are basically a pair of inductor coils designed to create alternating magnetic fields and spin the fan. Inductors resist (impede) more as current increases.

I used the Digikey Ohms Law calculator:


 

[Zebidee]

Significant progress since last report.

I finished up with the AC wiring. Everything setup and working nicely. Had it all nice and neat and tidy!

Then I decided to put everything else in and test. Now there is another disorganised mess of cables n stuff on the inside floor (VGA/component/audio signal/power/speakers, IPAC, GreenAntz).


 


There are no powerboards/smartstrips anywhere. You plug in a standard PC power cable, even this grotty one (pictured) will do. Power to the entire cab is controlled by the PC power with a single button (that blue lit one), via a 5v relay. All the AC intake/switching is stashed away up the back.

I will soon cut out the cable mess in front by:

- using a shorter and less chunky VGA cable
- running component cable directly out of TV (saving about 1 - 1.5m of extra cable/connections)
- mounting the Greenantz/audio/IPAC against the inside wall.

Have also been doing some work on the controls wiring.

Here the flip-out control panel design shows its value, easy servicing:





Best thing, it all worked first time! Here is a closeup if you like.





Did the whole thing just sitting in a chair at front, which I'm sure all of us over 50 years old can appreciate!

Finally, here is a pic of how the CRT chassis is mounted (to the right inside).





It is just screwed onto the inside, using some PCB legs. Mounted the CRT mains switch there with some scrap wood, so you can turn it off separately from the computer (if needed for some reason).

That cream retro-looking light switch, at top right, is for the marquee LED, so you can turn it on/off separately as desired. I recycled it from something.

The long PCB hanging below is for the TV front menu panel. Mostly useless now, just screwed it in somewhere to stop it dangling about, will sort it out better later

The IPAC/audio amp plate will be screwed in somewhere on the sides eventually too, probably under those TV/light switches. This will leave the floor free (for relevant storage, backup keyboard/mouse etc.)

[Zebidee]

Finished all the IPAC wiring, closed it up and played a few games!

Still lots of little things to do like pause & admin buttons, tidying up wires, touching up paint in a few spots.

The control panel paint finish is continuing to give me headaches. After playing for a bit my hand has already significantly scuffed the paint at the front corner/edge. This is a problem of my own making, as I have already applied too many coats, so the paint has "skinned" and can move around with pressure. I hoped with time it would harden and settle, but seems not   

For time being I'm going to ignore it and move on. I could sand the bloody hell out of it and re-paint (again). Better option is probably to just apply a vinyl overlay. 

Also need to setup a proper computer to use with it - currently I just have my main test PC in there. Easy enough to swap though, nothing custom, just plugs in.

Pic for attention

[bobbyb13]

Good to see you have it working!

While sorting the PC you could always...

Pull the CP, remove your controls and put the thing in the oven on low for a while!
Or on the dash of the car with the windows shut on a sunny day?

A little tropical sun goes a long way in hardening paint.