#4805836
Thanks for the info, Cole. The circuits are coming in today so I'll be able to do some testing on them before the shell itself comes in around Wednesday or so.

This is my first time using Eagle and I was going for the smallest possible board to try and keep it cheap through OSH Park. If the circuit doesn't work up to spec, I'll look at rearranging components and making it bigger to make the paths less convoluted.
#4805870
Tyrael wrote:Now that I have my hands on the circuits, I see that I'm going to have to reorder the primary Giga board due to use of the wrong size of socket for the ICs. *$%&
Sorry to hear that! Did the same exact thing on my first board layout. Found a neat trick to print out the board at 1:1 scale on a piece of paper to ensure the pins line up the way I intended before sending the files in.

If you're not looking to have these anytime soon, there are a couple other PCB print services available that are cheaper than OSH Park and have very high quality. I've used Seeedstudio the past couple times and they've done very well (other than being slower).
Tyrael liked this
#4805884
Thanks for the recommendations and consolations, lol. Another circuit I ordered isn't working (a simple cyclotron-style sequence) for some damned reason. It may be a bit before I have anything hammered out and finalized. *sigh*

Though I did get a barrel light circuit working, so there's that. Kind of hard to screw up a couple of transistors, capacitors, resistors, and 4 LEDs, I guess. :-/
#4806235
The good news is, I got the parts in from my friend in printing!

The bad news is that there seems to have been a shrinking or scaling issue, because, while everything fits together just fine, no outside component seems to fit in the meter the way they were supposed to.

As I need to redo aspects of the model anyway to make it casting-friendly, this isn't a huge issue. I wanted a first-cut prototype for exactly this reason: to hammer out problems before looking into anything I may run in the future. I'll post pics after I wake up this afternoon (can't wait to have a job that doesn't require shifts that go till 6 AM), but progress is still being made, even if it's at such a slow pace.
Cole Funstuff liked this
#4806483
As promised!

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For the hell of it, I modeled the microphones and had them printed in a couple different ways. Each is a body and head, but with two different bodies. One that's the same size as the Realistic Microphone body and one that's a bit less tall. After seeing that only the shorter one fits in my current display model, I'm redoing the display to be a bit taller to accommodate actual Realistic Microphones and any movement mechanisms people might want to install.
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I've redone the models extensively for prints ready to cast and will be sending them off to be printed this weekend. No idea when the new parts will come in, but they'll be much, much closer to ready for a run!
Cole Funstuff, Kingpin liked this
#4806498
Jimmy Miller wrote:Do you have plans to sell just the shell?
I'm hoping to, yeah. We'll see what happens in terms of timeline.

Thanks, AJ! Just you guys wait till I have my v1.1 shell in. Already got my v1.1 electronics boards coming in.

EDIT: I will probably forgo casting the Realistic Microphone, as the parts are difficult and can be very flimsy. It's pretty easy to pick up a Realistic Microphone, too.
#4807229
Still alive. Been working on the circuit boards for the Giga and another GB-related project. I find that trying to minimize the number of vias from autorouting in EAGLE is like playing Minesweeper in a 1000x1000 grid and only one square isn't a mine in the whole damned thing. And the v1.1 boards were a bust; turns out I accidentally got the measurements totally wrong on some custom library parts in EAGLE and had to redo. Blargh.

Also, the casting-friendly models have been sent to my friend. Hopefully we'll get a quick turnaround with them!
#4807234
Tyrael wrote:I find that trying to minimize the number of vias from autorouting in EAGLE is like playing Minesweeper in a 1000x1000 grid and only one square isn't a mine in the whole damned thing.
Ahg, I do my best to avoid auto-routing! Nothing makes me more depressed than clicking that button and watching a rats nest pop up that I get to sort through. :walterpeck:

If you want to PM the circuit and component list, I'd be more than happy to lend a hand in laying out a board with you. I've had around 15 different designs printed so I might be able to help in some way.
#4807496
Much appreciated Cole, but I think I found the optimal layout that minimizes vias while keeping a slim enough profile to fit in the Giga body.
Aside from vias, I've had a heck of a time with a 10-LED chaser circuit, which should be easy enough to make. First run would just have a single LED lit continuously until I nudged the bottom of the board in a certain spot, then it would chase. Not very reliable. Second run fixed that issue, but I accidentally swapped two of the LEDs in the circular sequence. Stupid mistakes, but easily enough remedied...
#4824553
You'll have to wait and see, man. Ultimaker is a Dutch(?) company so it could take months before it's in my hands. Then I need a successful print, to treat the parts in an acetone mist and sand to smooth the surfaces, get mold material, make molds...

I get that you really, really want a Giga. I really do. You have to be patient.
jackdoud liked this
#4825165
Thanks, Alex. And awesome, Jeff! I wish I had a scrubber to model parts off of.

Since several people have asked, I will probably be making the files freely available for personal use after I have an initial run finished of the meter. I only ask that people not try to do production runs without talking with me beforehand.
Cole Funstuff liked this
#4825186
Tyrael wrote:Thanks, Alex. And awesome, Jeff! I wish I had a scrubber to model parts off of.

Since several people have asked, I will probably be making the files freely available for personal use after I have an initial run finished of the meter. I only ask that people not try to do production runs without talking with me beforehand.
That would be cool. I have a friend who is currently looking into a 3D printer and to use someone elses files to make my own would be awesome. Full credit will be given to the owner of the files.
Tyrael liked this
#4825234
PJCGB98 wrote:When can we expect to see then for sale?
It's only been nine days since the last time you asked Tyrael, and his response was as follows:
Tyrael wrote:You'll have to wait and see, man. Ultimaker is a Dutch(?) company so it could take months before it's in my hands. Then I need a successful print, to treat the parts in an acetone mist and sand to smooth the surfaces, get mold material, make molds...

I get that you really, really want a Giga. I really do. You have to be patient.

We all know you're keen to get a Giga Meter started, but you have to remember that the guys making these and other prop items/kits are all doing it in their spare time as hobbies... so please bear that in mind.
jackdoud, simcarr, Tyrael liked this
#4825693
I'm definitely interested in these whenever they are ready. Its not like I don't have a whole list of props I'm working on or want to build... but I would be in.
Tyrael liked this
#4825708
GBJeff wrote:I went to shapeways.com to try to get an estimate on how much printing giga parts would be and found there's already a bunch of gb stuff there, even a few giga items.
Yeah, I saw those. The <$10 one is rather inaccurate and the only other part is a faceplate for something like $75 or $125 (saw two different prices for the same thing).

Plus, community and such.

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