R2server

[crazybillybob]

Thanks, Guys!
It was a bit painful to cut it out, but once it was done I was on cloud 9!!

Ever figure out the problem of running the wires in and out of the rotating dome?

I think I'm going to try the slip ring approach, It's not going to cost allot and it's easily replaced if it fails! Just gotta order some PC board.

Crazybillybob

[crazybillybob]

Here is the start of a ....Mini Mod? It's really a sub mod as it's still going into R2 but you get the Idea.

I received the two main components of the Holo projector this week. (the Holo- emitter detail is the white thing in the bottom of the pic).

A Hip Gear Screen Xbox controller (new) and a Holiday Projector (new)..You know one of those things your neighbor has out at Christmas to cast a 15' (4.57M) tall Snowflake on his house. What the heck are you going to do with that crap...They have nothing to do with Computers or Star Wars... Stay tuned over the next few days (maybe weeks!) to find out!

First thing is for sure!
They didn't last long in there nicely pack homes.....Or in one piece for that matter

I striped off all the Xbox controller pieces of the hipGear. To Get down to the LCD display goodness.

For those of you that don't know (which was me till about 2 weeks ago), these little LCD screen's electronics can accept regular Video signal...and run on 12Vdc. I've been looking @ a few other sites and I think that the wiring in this controller is a little different then ones other sites have shown, So I'll show you what I've found out so far.

Here is the connector that brings all the wire into the controller. The numbers are for the 6 solder pads in front of the connector, These are the wires that go to the Video/Audio board (the ones That I'm after!)

Here is the wires that attach to the pads (the numbers match between the top an bottom). From left to right: (1)Yellow is the Video input, (2)Brown Video Ground, (2)Black is Audio Ground, (4)White and (3)Red are your Audio line in, (5)Green is the power supply ground, (6)orange is +12Vdc. You will notice that the video and audio grounds go to the same pad.

I've only got the disassembly done on the Hip gear...next I'll wire up some temp connections so we can test the display out.

Now The Holiday Projector has 2 part that fit into one another that make it work.

The first is the light source and image they are house in this little sub frame here.

The light source in this unit is a 12Vac Halogen bulb...Not going to work on DC so I'm looking into other options (low heat and power....LED maybe?)

The Illumination sub frame slides down into the outer housing. The outer housing holds the optics, these focus and enlarge the image.

Really I just need the optics from this unit, but it's a nice housing, I don't have to mess with measuring focal lengths etc, so if it fits in the dome I'm using it too!

That wraps it up for this update, I'll have more soon so stop back in!

CrazyBillybob

[onelegout]

Woah this is going to be awesome!

[Rankenphile]

I'm excited to see this come together. Thanks for detailing it so precisely, CBB, this is one project I'm sure will be useful for many of us. Expect to see elements of this mini-mod copied many times over by quite a few of us once you get this running.

[crazybillybob]

Thanks for detailing it so precisely, CBB, this is one project I'm sure will be useful for many of us. Expect to see elements of this mini-mod copied many times over by quite a few of us once you get this running.

With all the Q's about LCD's for cases lately, and the low cost of the hip gear screens I figured that we would be seeing allot of them. So I figured ?I've got the tools and the training I'll help the guys (and gals) that don't out.... (All of you guys that work plex do the same for me!).

As for the mini-mod I didn't get allot done this weekend....I've got a rebuilt shoulder (in me not the droid ) and it's giving me allot of problems this week so I'm trying to let it rest for a bit. But I did get some testing done....The LCD on the AC adapter, and the Projector with an AC light.....= a 4' Image on the wall @ 10'....Better then I thought it would do! Now I just need to get some pics (to share with all of you) and figure out how to mount it all, then find a DC light source.

If you all start in on your Hip gear screens and have Q's let me know I'll give you all the help I can. (I do read my PM's so don't feel you have to post publicly...If I get allot of the same Q's I'll make a quick post/write up to answer them all @ once...if not it will be one on one!)

Back soon with more!

Crazybillybob

[snickells]

CBB, Are you at all concernd about your wooden gears not being able to withstand the weight of the dome construct? How will you stop them from breaking? Or..... will you just strengthen them?
Amazing work by the way, you truly are an artist.
Steve.

[crazybillybob]

Snickells,
The bearing, not the gears, will support most of the weight of the dome. The gears will only have to be strong enough to make the bearings roll, so they have to be stronger then the friction between the bearings and the raceway (the trace that bearings ride in), the friction can be reduced by applying a thin film of grease to the bearings and raceway. I used Plywood instead of solid wood because it doesn't have a shear face like solid wood does. When you break solid wood you get a nice clean break normally along the growth rings (when the wood is cut in the modern fashion, it's different with quarter sawn ..but they don't do that much any more so we'll skip it). In plywood each layer of wood is placed with the grain perpendicular to the one before it, then they are all glued in place. This is way when you break plywood the edge is uneven and frayed, it doesn't have a common shear point. The only thing that I'm worried about is wear on the faces of the gears where they meet. The plywood my wear faster because it's rubbing together. I'm going to do some testing with CA glue (super glue) applied to the face of plywood and see if this helps cut down on the wear. I hope that in all this I answered your question If not let me know where I lost you (cause I may have lost myself in there somewhere too!).

Thanks for the artist comment! It's scary how Art and Science slam head long into each other allot with me!

Crazybillybob

[crenn]

Have you thought about using a thin piece of Aluminum and covering the edges of the gear...... IF it's done just right, it shouldn't cause a problem and you should have a better wear than just plywood and glue.....

[crazybillybob]

crenn,
After cutting out that gear I'm not in a hurry to cut out a bunch of little bits of aluminum. how would I hold the alum to the face? I'm still not sure wear will be that big of a deal, I mean realy old windmills had wood gears, they wouldn't have used them if they didn't work well!?!
If wear and tear get to bad on the wood gear I can always make a plastic one! I can cut it out myself (a prospect I'm not happy with but would do) or send it to the laser cutters, easier but more expensive in the long run.

Thanks for the Idea not sure how to do it "the right way" though?? ?? and it's allot of work to do wrong.

Crazybillybob

[Rankenphile]

I've got a rebuilt shoulder (in me not the droid ) and it's giving me allot of problems this week so I'm trying to let it rest for a bit.

So, a new shoulder, eh?


...Got any mods planned for it?