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).