- January 16th, 2023, 3:47 pm#4977071
Personally, my priorities are:
- Replace the wire sheath: Done.
- Correct the wire placements based on photo reference: Done.
- Add an ALICE Frame: Installed.
- Replace the P-clip and visible screws on the cyclotron and bumper: Coming soon.
- Find and install a screw and washer for the side next to the V-Hook.
- Rig a USB powered battery pack in place of the D batteries. (Current approach failed. Investigating other options.)
- Replace the V-Hook bracket. I'm not happy with any of my options here. Stock brackets have different screw placements, I think, from the pack itself. BOK has a replacement V-Hook bracket that is functionally very nice and has compatible screw holes but looks different from the screen-used one. I want to 3D print one in steel if there are no better options.
- Replace the front of the Ion arm with a 3D printed facing that takes 2 screws.
- Replace the Clippard elbows with 3D printed brass or brass-finished steel replacements that fit to the pack and connect to real wire.
- Install wire fittings and electrical tape.
- Replace the split loom with real loom, including exposed wires.
- Replace the remaining wires with 3D printed plug adapters for the pack.
- Replace the Ion Arm Resistors.
- Replace the ribbon cable assembly with 84 replica ribbon cable and make an alternate assembly for it that retains pack functionality.
- Replace the cyclotron lenses with something that looks a screen-accurate gray when not illuminated.
- Possibly replace the Clippard valves.
- Replace the control chip with a fan-made chip that keeps power on. These are being developed now. I'm sure they'll exist by the time I do the rest of this. This is the only step that should require soldering as the control chip is soldered to the vibration motor. No other pack connections are soldered.
- Replace the barrel of the Neutrona Wand with something dirtied up and cloudy.
- Install real hardware on the Neutrona Wand.
Only these last three steps require permanent modding and most of that is to the wand, which is much easier to replace. By that point, I'll probably want to upgrade the USB battery pack.
Other possibilities:
- Get ahold of or make a thin motherboard cover that mounts between the ALICE Frame and the pack motherboard to conceal the screws. Honestly, I like the weight as-is so I'd probably be looking at a very thin vinyl sheet, maybe with adhesive veclow pointing if the edges flop. The ALICE Frame should secure it.
I don't have a huge budget to work with and I have other hobbies so this may be slow-going with stops and starts. At various stages of this, hopefully, if I don't lose motivation, the solutions I come up with may interest some of you and may produce parts you can also use.
This may all shift around as parts become available or inspiration strikes me.
UPDATED:
Sell Geek ALICE frame installation photos:
Pack before frame installation:
Sell Geek ALICE frame, as it arrived, loaded and assembled. You can compare the straps here:
Used a magnet to test that it's all steel:
Installed! Note that the horizontal bar sits too low to use those two brackets:
Side view:
- Replace the wire sheath: Done.
- Correct the wire placements based on photo reference: Done.
- Add an ALICE Frame: Installed.
- Replace the P-clip and visible screws on the cyclotron and bumper: Coming soon.
- Find and install a screw and washer for the side next to the V-Hook.
- Rig a USB powered battery pack in place of the D batteries. (Current approach failed. Investigating other options.)
- Replace the V-Hook bracket. I'm not happy with any of my options here. Stock brackets have different screw placements, I think, from the pack itself. BOK has a replacement V-Hook bracket that is functionally very nice and has compatible screw holes but looks different from the screen-used one. I want to 3D print one in steel if there are no better options.
- Replace the front of the Ion arm with a 3D printed facing that takes 2 screws.
- Replace the Clippard elbows with 3D printed brass or brass-finished steel replacements that fit to the pack and connect to real wire.
- Install wire fittings and electrical tape.
- Replace the split loom with real loom, including exposed wires.
- Replace the remaining wires with 3D printed plug adapters for the pack.
- Replace the Ion Arm Resistors.
- Replace the ribbon cable assembly with 84 replica ribbon cable and make an alternate assembly for it that retains pack functionality.
- Replace the cyclotron lenses with something that looks a screen-accurate gray when not illuminated.
- Possibly replace the Clippard valves.
- Replace the control chip with a fan-made chip that keeps power on. These are being developed now. I'm sure they'll exist by the time I do the rest of this. This is the only step that should require soldering as the control chip is soldered to the vibration motor. No other pack connections are soldered.
- Replace the barrel of the Neutrona Wand with something dirtied up and cloudy.
- Install real hardware on the Neutrona Wand.
Only these last three steps require permanent modding and most of that is to the wand, which is much easier to replace. By that point, I'll probably want to upgrade the USB battery pack.
Other possibilities:
- Get ahold of or make a thin motherboard cover that mounts between the ALICE Frame and the pack motherboard to conceal the screws. Honestly, I like the weight as-is so I'd probably be looking at a very thin vinyl sheet, maybe with adhesive veclow pointing if the edges flop. The ALICE Frame should secure it.
I don't have a huge budget to work with and I have other hobbies so this may be slow-going with stops and starts. At various stages of this, hopefully, if I don't lose motivation, the solutions I come up with may interest some of you and may produce parts you can also use.
This may all shift around as parts become available or inspiration strikes me.
UPDATED:
Sell Geek ALICE frame installation photos:
Pack before frame installation:
Sell Geek ALICE frame, as it arrived, loaded and assembled. You can compare the straps here:
Used a magnet to test that it's all steel:
Installed! Note that the horizontal bar sits too low to use those two brackets:
Side view:
Last edited by TobinsGuide on January 18th, 2023, 3:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.
gamera1968, DrMadKatz liked this