startrek captains chair (self contained unit)

[facesmiths]

ok I am attempting to build a star trek game (MAME of course) but do it as a self contained unit with projector on top to sort of simulate the bridge experience.
so here goes. (by the way I hate it when people post unfinished projects and don't have updates for long periods of time since I am a totally impatient bastage so I will try not to keep people in suspense and finish this one in a timely manner. Also please note I figured this project and the spinner project though for the same item and same ends would warrant differing threads as the spinner is usable for far more than star trek and I was really trying not to goose up the placement of the encoder wheel so I just let it be and designed a way to move it from with out the mouse. if these threads should be merged let me know and I will do so (or you can do so and I will update in the merged thread). so here is the basic body of my unit and the coin box (there has to be a coin box! I mean what is an arcade experience with out plopping in a quarter to play???)  will really be the only thing in the bottom of the unit.

[facesmiths]

the back as I put it so that I could get to the mother board (it will be mounted behind the back rest part of the chair)

[facesmiths]

my mother board ghetto rig (again on the back of the back rest of my chair) and yes ther ewill be a vent in the flip down door that is directly behind the mother board so that it opens giving me direct access to the unit (mother board hard drive and power supply) I will work out some way of having direct access to the optical drive too at some time in the future as well as USB port but no floppy as I don't think I really will need that)

[facesmiths]

just incase any one was wondering I mounted it the same way you would on the metal plate in the case and it works fine so far. If for any reason it proves to be not a sound idea I post the results of use on here. untill then it seems to be plenty stable.

[facesmiths]

this is a close up of how I mounted the stuff other than the mother board (though if the way I mounted the mother board proves unstable I will probably use this and just put some sort of barrier like hard plastic on the metal bits to keep them from crossing any traces or components, to avoid shorting them out.)

[patrickl]

Hey, cool idea. 

Won't a projector just over your head make too much noise though?

[facesmiths]

back of my sound system and you might notice it is an Altec Lansing for those MP3 players like ipod or some sort of similar version since it has that funky connector for the slot on the bottom of those units. I did notice it was pretty easy to determine what to solder to if I would have wanted to (or had to  as I did not since there is an AUX input for sound on this model.) All you have to do is touch the ports inside (it is all DC so no chance of serious electrocution) on the points the stuff coming from the MP3 players port run into the main board and listen for the hum that comes from touching say the RCA's that are going into a live port on your stereo. if you get the hum then you are in business (also helps to look at the wires as they still are color coded red white black right left ground (black is ground for both right and left for those that do not know.) I was lucky on this as it was given to me by some one who has no computer knowledge let alone even knows what an MP3 is and would not want to know.(probably a gift from some one they did not want to offend) and I don't own nor will I be owning an MP3 player in the near future that will be hooked up to anything resembling a base unit. I mean I have computers and laptops for that right? if I get one it will be hooked up to my pirate radio station heh heh (relax it is under the 1 watt min that the FCC requires so totally legal.) so anyway the real reason for luck is it is, small, really good quality sound, AND has a nice IR remote.

[facesmiths]

ok that was weird for some reason it put two pics on there. I guess because you (@patrickl) posted while I was typing and I added the pic back since it seemed it dumped it (the attachment box was empty) so I will have to remember that in the future. the projector I am using is pretty quite so no it should be fine (and a decent sound system is going to drown it out I am sure heh heh) the projector I am using is an Infocus IN26+. and when I have blown the blub I will be trying to replace it with a specialized aluminum tree with 5 LUXEON Rebles. should provide anywhere from 2000 to 2500 lumens since they are rated between 450 and 540 each. if done right I will be reducing the heat by nearly 100 fold the wattage usage by 10 to 100 fold and increasing the bulb life from 3000 hours to 100,000 (crossing fingers) also the projector is going to be in a box with forced airflow vents on it.


so here is the front of the sound block and the green star thing is showing the unpainted fresh hole and the IR port for the sound system (YAY I love laziness and remotes are the ultimate in laziness. Now I need a remote keyboard and trackball (the keyboard for the maintenance of the PC will be on the inside of the door on the back along with track ball unless I get crazy and add one to the right armrest to allow playing centiped:-D)

[facesmiths]

ok this one shows where the speakers will be placed and the projectors placement all in one:D (I was able to edit off the extra pic on the earlier post by the way)

[facesmiths]

and one last one that is a 3/4 shot for better view of placement on things thus far (you might be able to see the holes I drilled for the vent intake of the power supply. I will baffle it later to be sure the power supply is getting fresh air and not stale from inside the back of the seat)

[patrickl]

ok that was weird for some reason it put two pics on there. I guess because you (@patrickl) posted while I was typing and I added the pic back since it seemed it dumped it (the attachment box was empty)

I had some weird problems while trying to post my reply.

[facesmiths]

yeah I tested and try as you might you can not get it to give two attachments on purpose. heh heh. would have cut down on the post count on this thread. I could have hosted the images but the whole reason for them being here in my mind is that if my site goes down these images will still be here so people will still know what I was talking about, or at least there will not be a  broken link given

[patrickl]

yeah I tested and try as you might you can not get it to give two attachments on purpose. heh heh. would have cut down on the post count on this thread. I could have hosted the images but the whole reason for them being here in my mind is that if my site goes down these images will still be here so people will still know what I was talking about, or at least there will not be a  broken link given

You should be able to add as many attachments as you like. Just click on more attachments and add more.

Are you going to install the joysticks and buttons in the (ends of the) armrests? Or will they be on an extra tray?

I'm also wondering about the upholstery. I've always wanted to make my own chair, but I have no experience on putting padding and fabric on the bare frame.

Really looking forward to seeing this one finished.

[facesmiths]

I think for now all I am going ot put on it is carpet on the back and I have a piece of black foam rubber and black canvas that will go on the seat of it for sure.

the spinner and buttons will go on the arm rests but I am goin gto change the design of the buttons so that the warp is actually not a finger that presses it but the heal or side of the palm, so that you rock your hand back to get super thrust and get out of the way with it.

[miles2912]

I might try to incorporate an existing design into your project.  Maybe mount a gaming chair http://www.ultimategamechair.com/ to the project.  Would also save on mounting speakers.  I think that you are going to find that making a chair comfortable with 2 straight pieces of wood and some foam is going to be hard.

Most arcade sit down games use less than comfortable chairs because they really don't want you sitting there that long.  A home game is a different story.  Besides if you are going thru the trouble of mounting a projector, you might want to watch a movie or play a console game on it.

[ark_ader]

I'd go for a Lazy Boy.   

[DaOld Man]

Very neat project, but where, pray tell, will ya find the bloomin dilitheum crystals on a planet like this?

By the way, when you get a break, read my rip off of star trek:

Star Slick

[stan2323]

Nice.  I like the idea. 

Stan

[facesmiths]

Very neat project, but where, pray tell, will ya find the bloomin dilitheum crystals on a planet like this?

By the way, when you get a break, read my rip off of star trek:

Star Slick

funny about the story considering what my retort was to be about your dilithium crystal joke:D

who needs dilithium crystals when we have Singularities

[facesmiths]

although if you must have official dilithium crystals you can track down the guy who bought these.

[DaOld Man]

LOL..
That dilithium crystal would be neat on your chair, but for that price I would have to say no.
Unless.... you could make a rip off out of plastic or glass, and light it with leds.

[rockworm]

who needs dilithium crystals when we have Singularities

Not until wednesday, and then the world will come to an end :-P
Though even if the world doesn't end you can't travel through a singularity, that's the very nature of a singularity. But if you got your hands on a Einstein-Rosen bridge it would be another story, though I doubt they will produce such in the LHC. Even if they did you'd still have to find yourself some exotic matter to keep it open, though I think that would be as easy as finding dilithium :-P

[facesmiths]

actually the singularity as fuel was the idea not as a doorway heh heh. of course if we were to be able to contain one I suppose it would not be hard to manipulate the gravitational flux and travel on the event horizon (yes movie reference too)

as for making fake crystals I think I would use a chunk of Quartz as that is all they used in the movie but I would have to light it up with KRYPTONITE

[Games001]

For the record, the Romulans use a phased quantum singularity to power the warp engines of their Warbird ships.. so it does work as a fuel source.

It also powers the cloaking systems, which opens alot of ideas for detailing the chair.

"Powered by an artificial quantum singularity, the D'deridex class is substantially larger than a Starfleet Galaxy class starship, despite most of the Warbird being hollow, and believed to have greater firepower but a lower top speed and less maneuverable."