2nd time is a charm right?

[Oneslowz28]

Ok here's the beginning of my new mod. The last one never came to be because I broke my collar bone and then got real busy at work.

I ordered almost all of the parts tonight.
Mobo ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI MCP ATX
PSU POWMAX PSAS-BK ATX12V 500W
Vid card XFX PVT84JUDD3 GeForce 8600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3
Processor Amd Athlon 64 X2 4200+
Hard drive WD 250 gig
Ram Corsare XMS2 2x1gb
Case APEVIA X-Plorer ATXB8KLW-BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
wire sleeving uv green
Leds From lsdiodes
UV molex connectors
El Wire
Cold cathodes
UV green 18 gauge wire
Fans 3 80mm 1 120 mm

I picked up some Led holders from Radio shack today.


My plans with the case are as follows:

Single X box controller hook up
Add a soft Green glow behind Drive doors
Stealth in my Microsoft Keyboard/mouse wireless receiver
Paint inside of case
Air brush outside of case
Integrate El wire some where
Stealth drives
Have the best wire management ever
RCA fan hookups
Motorized front door. (Maybe the CD rom actuator like paul built?)
Paint mouse and keyboard to match case paint.


I got started on the X box controller hook up tonight and got it finished in about 10 min. I'm going to start on the RCA fan hook up box either later tonight or tomorrow some time. I do have a bass tournament to fish tomorrow afternoon so I wont get much done after PM tomorrow. But there's not much I can do until I get the case and the other stuff here anyway's. I will be posting pics of the x box controller port in just a few min.

So shoot me some Ideas on other things to do guys. I will pick 3 of your suggestions and try to integrate them into the project.

Heres a pic of the case. http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/11-144-102-03.jpg

[SgtM]

Sounds like a cool project. When you say xbox controller hook up, do you mean you gutted the xbox just for the controller port?

[Oneslowz28]

Sounds like a cool project. When you say xbox controller hook up, do you mean you gutted the xbox just for the controller port?

I bought a bad xbox on ebay a few months ago for a xbox mod I was doing. I just grabbed one of the ports from it. My reason behind doing this is that I love gaming with an x box controller and its basicaly a usb device so I put 2 and 2 together and found out it does work. All you have to do is search and download the drivers for the controller online.



Part 1

X Box Controller Port.

Ok I did this earlier tonight. I pulled a controller port from a bad x box and after looking at the wires I realised it was just a USB device. So I grabed an old usb cable and cut one of the ends off and stripped the wires. Then I striped the wires on the controller port. After some soldering and heat shrink It was finished. I then had to download the x box controller drivers. A quick search will find you these. After 15 min from start to finish it works.

Always a good idea to start out with all the right tools and componets that you will need.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s187/CJGanttphotography/Computer%20mods/molds001r.jpg


Stripped the USB and port wires.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s187/CJGanttphotography/Computer%20mods/molds006r.jpg

Notice the small ferrite ring. This helps prevent cross talk in the wires. Cut the heat shrink holding it on and then unwrap the wires. Save the rig for later. Now slide a small peice of heatshrink on the wires to clean the look up a bit.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s187/CJGanttphotography/Computer%20mods/molds005r.jpg

Once you have the heat shrink on use a heat source (lighter for me) to shrink it down. Now rewrap the wires around the ferrite circle. 3 wraps is what the xbox port had so I wraped it 3 times.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s187/CJGanttphotography/Computer%20mods/molds007r.jpg

Now slide a 3" peice of heat shrink and a 6" peice of small heat shrink down the usb cable. Then tin the wires on both cables with solder. Now slide small heat shrink on each of the small wires. Solder those wires together and then heat shrink them
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s187/CJGanttphotography/Computer%20mods/molds013r.jpg

Now slide the small heatshrink you put on the usb cable over all the wires and but it up aganst the ferrite ring. Use some heat to shrink it and then slide the large peice of the heat shrink over the ferrite ring and shrink it.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s187/CJGanttphotography/Computer%20mods/molds015r.jpg

And your finished. All you have to do is download the drivers.

Next part will be the RCA fan hookups.

[SgtM]

Cool.. similar to my controller mod, just the other way around. I added the USB cable directly to the controller (check my sig). +rep

[Oneslowz28]

I thought about doing that but decided to add the port to the computer. Now all I need is a spare front usb port that I can snag the mobo connectors off. Anyone have a spare they would be willing to sell?

[.Maleficus.]

I thought about doing that but decided to add the port to the computer. Now all I need is a spare front usb port that I can snag the mobo connectors off. Anyone have a spare they would be willing to sell?
Sorry, selling through the forums is not allowed anymore. There were too many problems. The only way you can get an item through here is posting an eBay auction in the Hot Hardware Deals section (so you'd have better luck just buying one from Newegg or an online store).

[Oneslowz28]

Ok today I had a bass fishing tourny but after we got on the water it was cancled because of heavy thunderstorms. So I am about to start working on the custom fan filters and the RCA fan hookups. Man I forgot that it was labor day this weekend when I ordered my stuff last night. looks like it will be a while before my stuff comes in. Newegg should take 5 days and Xoxide should be 5 or so. I dont know about LSdiodes tho as I have never ordered from them befor

[.Maleficus.]

It may have just been bad luck or out of stock LEDs, but my order through LSDiodes took almost 2 weeks (with no holidays). Prices are rock-bottom however :up:.

[SgtM]

It may have just been bad luck or out of stock LEDs, but my order through LSDiodes took almost 2 weeks (with no holidays). Prices are rock-bottom however :up:.

2 weeks? WOW! When I ordered from them, I had my stuff in 3 or 4 days. GREAT company BTW.

[Ap1thy]

Hah i feel ya bout the 2nd time being a charm thing, my first attempt at a mod ended in nothing due to lack of funds/availibilty of tools. Good luck with this one

[Oneslowz28]

Hah i feel ya bout the 2nd time being a charm thing, my first attempt at a mod ended in nothing due to lack of funds/availibilty of tools. Good luck with this one

Funds arent a problem. I have ordered everything I need componet wise. I have every tool a modder would ever need sans a lathe. (Was a mechnic in college and now own my on construction company) I have every body work supply you could need. (I restore cars as a hobbie.) I have all the electronic tools, all the hobbie tools I need.

Lets see a list of my tool supply:
Band saw
Scroll saw
table saw
radial arm saw
chop saw
4 or 5 Dremels
router table and router
3 or 4 cordless drills
2 corded drills
Cordless impact wrench
air tools
every size sae and standard wrench and socket 6 or 7 sets each
hack saws
copping saw
tube cutters
glass cutting tool
more screw drivers than I can count
2 torx sets
da sander
air angle grinder
cut off wheel
sawzall
rotozip
buffer
sanding boards
3 awata spray guns
1 badger air brush
80 gallon air compressor
air brush compressor
air nibblers
air file
air punch
air rivit gun
mig/tig welder
arc welder
drill press
shop press
the list goes on and on.

Altho I wont be using much of that on this project I will mod a case in the near future that most of it will be used on. I just have to get a new desk top up and running.

[Air Cooling Fan]

Just did that xbox controller mod myself. It works so easily. Great. Thanks for the tips on that from all I looked it up with.

[Oneslowz28]

Just did that xbox controller mod myself. It works so easily. Great. Thanks for the tips on that from all I looked it up with.

I havent got anything done today yet. I am waiting on ups to deliver all my stuff. Anyone have any Ideas for the case?

[elbarto241]

make a better fan grill than that aspire stock one is where i would start.

[Oneslowz28]

I had an awsome Idea today. I want to use a lenier actuator to open the front door. I had planed on making the home made one like Paul did in doom 3. Well heres my twist (I hope) I want to make it open by waving my hand infront of it. Just like the sink faucets that turn on when you put your hand under them. Anyone have any Ideas on how to make this work? Im fixing to do some google searches on the topic.

[alexanderH]

I've no idea how to achieve that with my current knowledge. But it sounds awesome! So I will ask around and try to do some searching myself. If I come up with anything I'll let you know. They key is going to be finding a motion sensor that will open the actuator on movement and close it on another movement. Because the hand washing sensors open, and then close after x amount of time.And I doubt you want that.

[Oneslowz28]

If I could just get the open circut on the sensor then I would have no problem mounting a momentary switch inside the door by one of the drives to close it. The only problem I can see so far is finding a motion sensor that is tiny and can be well hidden.
+ rep for helping .

[alexanderH]

If I could just get the open circut on the sensor
That would work
then I would have no problem mounting a momentary switch inside the door by one of the drives to close it.
Very True
The only problem I can see so far is finding a motion sensor that is tiny and can be well hidden.
As for finding a small enough sensor, I would recommend checking out local hardware stores for low-voltage motion sensors. As far as I have seen they are all relatively large, however With information from the internet, from the sounds of things you should be able to remove the sensor itself, and the circuit which it triggers, and move the circuit further into the computer. This might allow you to have only a small section at the front for the sensor, and even with some skill you may be able to stealth it in with some dark plexi if you are going to be doing a dark colour tower. Wikipedia has some good info on the different kinds and how they work. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_detector


Hope that helps!

[Remy]

I had an awsome Idea today. I want to use a lenier actuator to open the front door. I had planed on making the home made one like Paul did in doom 3. Well heres my twist (I hope) I want to make it open by waving my hand infront of it. Just like the sink faucets that turn on when you put your hand under them. Anyone have any Ideas on how to make this work? Im fixing to do some google searches on the topic.

I have a linear actuator that I am going to use on my mod. My thought would be to use 2 sensors in different locations. One to open the actuator, the other to close it.


Because the hand washing sensors open, and then close after x amount of time.And I doubt you want that.

The actuator I have takes a constant power source to extend; after it fully extends it automatically stops. To close the actuator you have to reverse the power.

I would assume that because the sensor has stopped sending signals, the actuator would only stop opening and would not close.


The only problem I can see so far is finding a motion sensor that is tiny and can be well hidden.
+ rep for helping .

I came across this on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/motion-sensor-LED-lighting_W0QQitemZ120153580329QQcmdZViewItem#ebayp hotohosting

The thing that caught me about it was the adjustable time that you could leave the LEDs on for. Using that adjustable time, you could send power to the actuator for xx amount of time.

Just mod the $#!^ out of it first. It's ugly.

-- Jeremy

[Oneslowz28]

I just found this. Its a tiny motion sensor.
link to sensor (http://www.electronickits.com/kit/complete/surv/ck209.htm)


http://www.electronickits.com/kit/complete/surv/k76.jpg

Now I need to find a kit that will stop it at a certian point

[alexanderH]

after taking a short look at the sight I am confused as to why they don't really have anything to control or determine the use of the motion sensor. Nothing really to time it.
What you might need to do is get a timer switch, which is turned on by the sensor and allows power to flow to your actuator, and then is shut off by the timer switch.

[Oneslowz28]

Well it looks like the motion activated door is out as I just got an email from that site. I sent them one asking about the sensitivity of the sensor and they said that any movement what so ever within 5 feet of the sensor will trigger it. I asked them if there was a way to desensitise it and they said no. So unless I can find one where I can have it only open when something moves directly infront of it within a few inches then this part of the mod is out.

New Idea that would be to hard to complete. Biometric scanner to open the door. Like a thumbprint scanner or something. Anyone have any input on this?

[xRyokenx]

For the motion sensor door, instead of the motion sensor you could get something like they have to keep garage doors from closing on people, get a laser and an eye type thing going on, that'd probably work... that reminds me of that laser button they were talking about a while ago... you could always have some cool looking switch or a button or something that looks like a thumbprint scanner...