That's what I'm "Tolkein" aboot

The project now coming along rather quickly I have ordered the final part: 512 megs of system memory. Hopefully this will arrive within the next week.

I as described in a prior post I detached some LEDs from the case of an old PC, however I made the mistake of stripping the plastic coding off with the Dremel. So what I did was take a couple of the screw holes from the front of the old PC case panel, hollow them out and fit the LEDs into the plastic. Then used hot glue to attach this to the front panel of the VCR. The Power LED to where the VCR's power LED used to be and the HDD LED where the VCR's play LED used to be (oddly enough). Here are some images:






One thing I still need is an extension cable for the 20-pin mobo molex power connector (I'm sure that has an official term) because the PSU's cable simply doesn't reach. Even with that missing I decided to position the top peice with the PSU such that the cable would reach and get the memory out of my existing computer to make sure the mobo still works after the slight amount of abuse it has been through. The resulting organization of parts isn't very pretty but I had success! I was going to test on a monitor but as it turns out there is not enough room for the VGA connector in the case so I connected my video card and hooked it up a RCA cable to a regular old TV, some images:






I also managed to attach the CD-ROM throgh a rather elegant method: the built-in screw holes on the bottom of a standard CD-ROM (and most other 5 1/4" devices I would guess). I did drill one additional hole into the bottom peice for the additional screw. So the optical drive will be attached by no less then 3 screws. I don't have any spacers between the bottom peice and the optical drive so extra noise from vibrations etc. could be a concern (the bottom peice is metal).



The next problem was attaching the HDD. I finally found a solution to this, albeit not nearly as "elegant" as the above mentioned CD-ROM: I attached the HDD to the lighting panel/covering I was going to use as a shelf on the bottom and put this on top of the CDROM. Then I screwed in some extra pieces of plastic to the side screw holes of the CDROM and leveraged the shelf to attach it in place.

The follow are images of the HDD attached to the light paneling via convenient screws:






And these are some images of how the light paneling material was attached to the HDD. That material is really hard to take a picture of because it reflects light so well. That and I'm not that good of a photographer.

"Screwing Down"

In the past month or so I have finally made some progress on this seemingly stalled project. I purchased some more parts and more-or-less attached the PSU to the VCR case.

Progress:

Since the last entry I have decided there really isn't a need for the shelf I was trying to find. The holes on the bottom of the VCR case can only help with airflow and cooling down the mobo anyway.

My first task I decided to concentrate on was attaching the mobo to the VCR chasis. I already had some brass stand-offs standard with motherboards and ATX cases so I attached some of them to the mobo with some screws and tried to get the standoffs to fall into the existing holes on the bottom of the VCR. Then it was a matter of attaching the brass stand-offs to the bottom of the VCR: sure, lets try "liquid nails" adhesive. That didn't work too well.

Then it occured to me I could simply use a nut to screw in the brass stand-off, thus securing the mobo. I went to a local harddware store, and managed to get several nuts for less than a dollar. Problem solved! The mobo can be securely attached!










Next: attaching the PSU to the top of the VCR case. This was going to be an issue. I decided to buy a rather small power supply since I needed the room and I wouldn't have too many devices or monster video cards or anything. As it turns out I have several different 3 1/2" HDD holders of various types/sizes and the PSU happens to fit in that space: half way there! Unfortunately there are only 3 holes for screws on one side of the PSU and the PSU must be facing one particular direction in the case for the power cord. So I did what any rational, sane geek would do: took the PSU apart and drilled some new holes in the side of the PSU casing.


Unfortunately only one hole lined up with a hole on the PSU so I had to drill some holes in the formally 3 1/2" drive holder as well. Finally the PSU was attached to the 3 1/2" drive holder.

Some images:



Next: attaching both to the actual VCR chasis!

I knew this would be a bit tougher. After all we're talking about 20+ year-old brittle plastic. Fortunately there was some strips of plastic and screw holes I hadn't gone overboard with the Dremel on quite yet. So a few more drill holes and experimenting later I had the PSU attached to the VCR chasis quite securely. I'm still going to leave the chasis in the semi-assembled state for a while just as a test to make sure the thing is strong enough. Don't want any surprises.

The finished PSU/chasis product:




One thing still in progress is making room for a standard 5 1/4" optical drive complete with operating drive tray. I mamaged to Dremel the main chasis opening rather effectively to allow for the tray however the front panel that goes over the front is another matter (that's all you'll see on the outside after all). Some-what related to this is actually attaching the optical drive to the chasis. I could seek a more elegant solution to this or do as my roommate suggested: break out some zip-ties and be done with it. Why don't I just use bailing wire...

Currently the CD-ROM tray sticks out the opening in the front, however the actual face place is still too low. Here are some more images:

(click to enlarge)

An invention...sort of

Update 18 September 2004: I have had this post in the pending queue for more than a month with the intention of posting it with some images and adding to it. However since it has been so long I don't know if that would happen to I am posting it as is.

Recently I was at a local flea market and purchased a "Walkman"-sized audio tape player for only $2. Why did I do this? So I could take it apart and try to use the spinning wheel to spin the mechanical tape counter and possibly create an illusion of a VHS tape wheels moving in the little window. I don't know if I can make that last one work, but I am reasonably certain I will be able to make the tape counter spin.

So far I have modded a tape player to be a tape player, albeit with the circuit board inside turned the other direction. Now I need a simple switch I can use to turn the spinning on and off.

Recently I came across the plastic/fiber glass/whatever-it-is used to cover up those tubular lights some people have in kitchens (that I can't seem to remember the name of). Perhaps it will take some effort to cut it up, perhaps not, but I think I've found my shelving material. I had a few requirements for the shelving:

• Extremely thin
  
• Stand up to extreme heat
  
• If/when it does melt, preferably non-toxic fumes result
  
• Sturdy
  

Actually I don't know if it would be non-toxic upon melting however I can safely assume since it was designed for covering up high wattage light bulbs it can stand extreme tempertures without melting. I also need to figure out how to securely fasten this theoretical shelf to the VCR casing so it won't go any where. I figure I'll make it large enough it covers as much of the inside as possible so I can attach in several places at once. Then I'll just attatch the motherboard to that and I should be all set.

For an update right now I still need the following parts for completion of the project (in rough order of importants):

1. CPU/heat sink and RAM
   
2. Video capture card (PVR 250)
   
3. Keyboard with built-in mouse
   
4. Some sort of "IR Blaster" to control channel changing
   
5. Chasis fans
   
6. sound-dapening material
   
7. DVD burner maybe...
   
8. May or may not need: "slimline" CD-ROM of some type, small/portable LCD screen
   

I've finally ordered one of these parts this week and will perhpas order one or more parts next week (I'm getting settled in a new job). The first three items are between $70 and and $150 and that can add up. Technically all I need to at least install an OS is the CPU/RAM.

On other hand for tasks I'm going to need the following (no particular order):

• Mount/secure shelf in/to VCR case
  
• Same for mobo to the the above shelf
  
• Mount PSU to VCR case
  
• Figure out locations/how many chasis fans
  
• Attach various LEDs to case
  
• Finish walkman-to-tapecounter idea complete with seperate on/off switch
  
• Dremel-down front input/output panel to flat on the back so I can attach to CD/DVD tray
  
• Lesser important: OS installation, testing, free tivo-like interface, final debugging, recording of first show...
  

"Let there be LED"

I realize I haven't updated this site in a really long time. A month to the day to more specific. But the project isn't dead! I'm still on my August 31st completion date goal, though that'll be a little challenging. I haven't ordered any of the parts mail order yet, but I did buy a new 120 gigabyte hard drive (only $70) and the OEM version of the ATI 8500DV All-in-Wonder for $100 (which I'm still deciding if I want to keep since it didn't come with a remote and came in more pieces than I thought it would).

Update: I have pretty much decided to take back the All-in-Wonder because it is an AGP and apparently too tall for the VCR. PCI cards, on the other hand, have the advantage of the use of a PCI "riser" card. Basically you put a special card into the PCI slot that has PCI slots (or possibly only one) coming out of it horizontally, parallel to the motherboard itself (if that makes sense). AGP (so far as I know) has no such comparable riser board. Therefore, I will buy the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-250 and what will hopefully be a cheap [PCI bus] video card with TV-out.

For the progress I haven't whipped out the Dremel in a couple weeks (I've been trying to get and did get a job) but prior to that I did rip apart an old AT-style PC case via Dremel and take out the LEDs for HDD activity and power and the reset button. See below.

I had already purchased an "authentic" ATX power switch from Fry's Electronics. See enclosed photos for the idea.

I have also come really close to going with a "micro ATX" motherboard over the "mini-itx" motherboards I was contemplating a month ago. This is because I have slowly realized how truly little I really need on the inside of that VCR (absolutely nothing). Therefore I will have lots of space for a more standard sized motherboard.

The main parts I need beside the usual motherboard, CPU and RAM include a fan-less power supply, some of that sound muffling material, the ultra-quiet chassis fans and a quiet heat sync for the processor, the goal, obviously, to make this thing quite quiet.

This brings me to the processor: right now I'm leaning towards the AMD 2500+ even though it famously runs rather hot. In the alternative there's the 3000+ that I would only go for if the price had come down rather noticeably. Or I could get a 2000+ and over-clock it to the equivalent of a 2500+ to save some money.

The other new idea I came up with was something for the window on top of the VCR: what will look like a VHS tape complete with wheels turning when the power button is pushed. And not only that: as the wheels are turning the mechanical tape counter is spinning. To do this I would take apart a VHS tape and some how attach it to the window of the tape holder.

Then I would need some sort of device to drive both the wheels and the tape counter. At first I thought I could use a small cheap clock for such a purpose, at least for the tape counter. I bought a clock for about $3 and proceeded to take it apart and experiment but the thing wasn't nearly strong enough for my purposes. So $3 clock died a rather quick death (but I learned a lot). So now I'm thinking more of a small audio tape player. When I was buying the clock I saw a walkman-like device for around $10. One of the things left to solve in that case is whether I want to figure out how to convert the audio tape player to run off the PC power supply or just replace the batteries in the thing every so often (or better yet just when I want to show it off to someone).

The only other real hurtle is deciding what if anything I want to use to hold the motherboard in place, separating it from the metal bottom of the VCR. I am currently planning to use some sort of plexi-glass or plexi-glass-like material as a shelf for the motherboard. Perhaps all I really need is more of an insulator and any thin piece of plastic or rubber would work.

All this brings me to another announcement:

Coming soon to a blog near you: Super VCR Mod 2: Beta's Revenge.

Not nearly as creative a title as I would like but it gets the point across. A friend of mine gave me an old Beta Max from the same era as this current VCR. And I've got some big plans for this Beta too. Some ridiculously fabulous plans that make self-opening cases with hinges and built-in LCD screens pale by comparison. Not that I want to over-hype it...(new sub-domain pending).

Dremel Schmemel

Now, I've finally broken out the Dremel and tried to see if I could burn out the motor (not yet). The first thing I knew I wanted to do to maintain the "look and feel" of the original VCR was keep that front panel with RCA and wired remote hookups. I haven't used a Dremel too much, but I did manage to detach it. Here is a shot of the newly detached front panel:



And for a shot of some impressive cutting action, here is the disfigured motherboard:



I definately had a learning experience in attempting this Dremel thing. I had to pry out several circuit interfaces, like molex connectors kinda, stuck to the motherboard and a few staples and soder points. A couple of those I missed and had some spectacular sparks flying up.

As planned I Dremeled the two old-fashioned channel dials to have a gap so they could be turned to allow access to the USB ports and then turned away other-wise to give it a legetimate VCR look.

Here's the two dials, post-Dremel:





And here is my (rather poor job) Dremeled front panel with channel windows partially cleared open:



Now I need to get into actually finishing out the case as well as planning out how I want it it work. For instance I had always thought that it would be cool to have either the eject or some other button (and there's a lot of 'em) pop up some sort of LCD screen. Not so much I suppose for practical use but it would be good in a pinch and would likely "look cool". I would also like to incorporate some hinges into the main casing so it could be easily flipped open to work on it.

Now I could dismiss these steps as too far out to really worry about progress-wise but I would need plan and design around such additional features at this stage. I was hoping this will get that much easier once I successfully purchase the motherboard/power supply from Mini Box. At least then I'll have real sizes to work with and design around.

Now featuring thumbnails

So I've been trying to think of some ways to do the various parts of this mod, including creative things to do with the channel changer windows and the window that was home to the clock. I made a diagram of a possible place where it would go.

I was thinking I would stick the USB ports in the windows of the channel changers but pulled back a little bit. Then cut a gap in the actual channel dials the approximate size of the window. This way I can turn the nob to the gap and plug in a USB device and turn it to a channel to make it look normal when there isn't any thing plugged in.

On that point I'm working on a boot up scheme of my own design to maximize possible HDD space. It involves an installation of Windows 98 with TV capture software, a CD, and a USB thumb drive. Use your imagination until I can get the prototype of the above ingredients working the way I want. I'll probably set up yet another subdomain just for that project.

In other news I managed to find a special site dedicated to mini-itx motherboards and accessories, called Mini-Box. This site sells tiny little fanless power supplies and combination packs of mobos and power supplies together at a discount. And here I was about to buy a normal ATX power supply that was real small. I also found Frozen CPU for other accessories including LCD displays. Both look good for this project.

Now I just need to learn how to dremel up somethin' crazy.

Super VCR Mod!!

First steps: 15th May 2004
Welcome to the attempt at modding an old VCR into a fully usuable PC. Since I finally have this sub-domain and all the images uploaded I can actually show you the before image that I so cleverly captured before I started. Here's what we got:



This is the way VCRs were made in the pre-1984 type era. Note the dial channel changers and RCA connectors on the front (which was a good idea but isn't done much anymore). The tape loader ejected up above the rest, you insert the cassete and push it back down. Very mechanical and 1930's sci-fi movie. Here's a another pic to give you an idea of the shear size of this montstrocity:



Try comparing a CD to your own VCR for the significance of this. And of course there's the back and top of the thing, as follows:





Now let me stop a moment and say I'm using the cheapest possible digital camera in existance. My sister got it for free from a friend (who got it for free) and gave up on it because of the seeming poor quality. But with some experimentation it appears you can pretty much make out what the image is. I just had to make the camera stationary on the ground and make as much light as possible (thus why most images will be taken outside). But I digress.

Further progress: 16th May 2004

Now on Sunday I did some further gutting of the VCR. Turns out this particular VCR is so big it has to compartments, large "motherboard" (that's what I'll call the largest of the circuit boards) and many, many circuit boards. Not to mention stainless steel, endless bundles wires, plastic wrapped around bundles of wires, and way, WAY too many drive belts and and unnecessary moving parts. Here is the initial image of the bottom of the "motherboard":



Next is a rough shot of half way gutted:



Then a little more progress: