It's been a while so here's an update. I've been busy as hell these last few weeks, but managed to find time to work a bit more on the cab....
First off I cut holes and routed out for the 2 x 120mm PC case fans that I wanted to mount on the cab's bottom back panel. Word of advice to other first time builders: Don't do what I did and just 'assumed' it would be easy to cut and rout the holes out after the cab was built. Bad idea. I had real problems fitting the router inside the cab, and only just had enough room to make the cuts. Trouble was, at the start I didn't really know which fans I would be using, but on my next project (don't tell the wife
) I'll figure all the little things like this out before I cut a single piece of wood!
The two fans I chose (
link) are quiet as a mouse. I am running them at 7V, using the special voltage divider cables that came with them. Running at 12V was a little too loud, but 7V is lovely
One of the fans blows right onto the processor, and the other keeps the internal HD running at a nice temperature. Processor is running at a cool 30 degrees, and the PC is virtually silent when the cab is switched on, so I'm very happy.
As you can see, not much space for my router in there (checkout the lovely accurate edges too, lol). You can see I also cut holes for the kettle plug connector, and the RJ45 network plug...
Yay, they fit lovely!
I bought some 99p black plastic fan guards for the outside too. Bargain!
Moving on, I next had to do my FIRST EVER bit of soldering! I bought an
Intellipanel (which is fantastic btw), mounted it to the inside of the cab, cut the plug off the end, and wired it up to a kettle-plug connector. It ain't pretty, but it works! In hindsight I think all I was missing was some slightly larger heatshrink; I had to cut a small slit in the ends of the stuff I had so it would fit round the larger mains cables...
I also wanted to have the cab turn on through a pushbutton on the top of the cab, so as I was getting a bit cocky and fresh with the soldering iron, I wired up a pushbutton to the POWER-SW lead that connects to the motherboard. Bingo - the cab's power is now all controlled through a single button.
Next, on to the control panel. I found a good deal on ebay for 4 x 50-pin SCSI extension cables, so I cut one in half (one half connects to the IPAC-4 [P1,P2,P3] and the other half will connect to the controls inside the control panel. THANK GOD the cables inside were colour coded!
It took me a while to wire up the IPAC-4 to the cable, and I still have another cable to go (which will connect to P4 on the IPAC along with all connectors on the OPTIPAC I have. I'll be mounting both the IPAC and OPTIPAC inside the cab very soon...
I finally got the CP lid fully built, with the angled bit on the front that houses the 2 x TT2 spinners. I've actually got the plexi cut for the CP top too (with a nice bevelled bit around the trackball hole), but its at a friends right now who is using it as a template for the artwork. Today I finally test-mounted all the controls and I'm very pleased the spinners don't get in the way of the joysticks or buttons. The angle of them feels comfortable, but time will tell whether they will be fine for extended play. I stood there for a good 10 minutes though and felt no discomfort, so that's promising at least...
The mini-racers ROCK!
I'm SO GLAD I mounted them at a slight angle, it really does make all the difference. I've also got enough room to reach all the buttons, and even work the joystick, so its smiles all around!
Other bits and bobs... I've cut holes in the top panel for the power-on pushbutton, volume control, and monitor controls (for the Hantarex Polo/3), and mounted all the stuff with velcro which works great. I'll be re-cutting the rotating monitor wheel the way DaOld Man did it (good stuff mate) so it rotates smoothly (I really made a pigs ear of it with my jigsaw). Marquee artwork almost finalised, so will get that printed very soon. CP artwork being designed as we speak by a good friend of mine - will post pics soon.