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Ouch!
11-05-2006, 08:40 PM
I have been dabbling with computers for a few years but all I have done before was change a few fans and install a few case lights in my ordinary PC Box.

After seeing a few mods on this forum and in Custom PC magazine I decided to have a go myself.

I wanted to hide a PC in an old radio or something similar and I understand that this is called "Stealth Modding"

I had a CPU PSU memory and HDD laying around after various upgrades on my home machine and to keep costs down I decided these would all be pressed into service.

After a few weeks of unsuccessful bidding on ebay I saw this.......

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/OscilloscopeFrontLarge.jpg

It's an old Oscilloscope used by the british army.

I bid on it and won!
It weighs a ton and the postage from Scotland to Essex cost a fortune!

Ouch!
11-05-2006, 08:47 PM
I wanted to mod a 5.4 inch screen from a PSOne into the front panel to look like comunication from another world. Again I turned to ebay and got a second hand one cheap!

The oscilloscope arrived and the stripdown began.....

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/DSC01020.jpg

It was full of valves, wires, dust and spiders webs!

Ouch!
11-05-2006, 08:53 PM
I had plans that the computer would be for LAN-Parties and must look chunky and retro.....

I couldn't think of a name or a theme until I explained what I was doing to my best mate Paul over a curry and some beer. He instantly came up with the name....."The Interocitor".

This was a device from a 1950's Sci-Fi movie where a scientist gets sent an interocitor in kit form by some strange aliens. He assembles the Interocitor and is able to communicate with other worlds......The movie was called "This Island Earth" and luckily it was on british TV a week later. I got a few more ideas from the film.


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/DSC01021.jpg

More dust, and dead spiders.

Ouch!
11-05-2006, 08:57 PM
Almost Stripped...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/DSC01026.jpg

Alot of dirty hands and skinned knuckles!

Ouch!
11-05-2006, 08:59 PM
Phew!


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/DSC01027.jpg

simon275
11-05-2006, 09:02 PM
Thats a nice find. Shipping must have cost a fortune. I looks cool You could put the PSU HDD and Optical drive in the back and have the mobo in the front section. Kinda like a reverse case. :think:

Dont paint the side panels they look sweet.

Wow with a screen in the front this will look cool.

Cant wait!

Ouch!
11-05-2006, 09:06 PM
To cut a long story short.....hers the guts of the thing nearly finished...


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/DSC01085.jpg

It has:

ABIT NF-95 Motherboard (Micro ATX)
Galaxy Geforce 7600GT Graphics card (PCI-E)
1Gb PC 3200 Ram (Running dual channel)
AMD Athlon 64 3500+
PSOne 5.4inch screen
Laptop Slot loading DVD-RW drive
350W True Blue Antec PSU
Seagate Barracuda 200GB SATA HDD

Ouch!
11-05-2006, 09:08 PM
Bench Testing......


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/Testingsmallsize.jpg


The paint job is supposed to look as if the thing is dangerous and military!

jdbnsn
11-05-2006, 09:10 PM
That is sweet! I love the retro electronics, has a great look. Also no need to cut it short, we're all about long stories. Just keep the photos coming because this is gonna be cool.

simon275
11-05-2006, 09:12 PM
Hmm. Have you installed the screen yet? If yes do share some pictuers.

Ouch!
11-05-2006, 09:14 PM
Nearly Finished.......

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/Sideemailsize.jpg

Flashy lights and fans!
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/Topsmallsize.jpg

Loading Windows....

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/FrontSmallsize.jpg

Ouch!
11-05-2006, 09:24 PM
The voltmeter in the front panel shows HDD activity and some of the switches and knobs turn on the computer and control lights. I modded 3 of the old vacuum valves into the side window (Lit up of course) Sorry about the poor picture!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/Smallsidewindow.jpg

Also I added superbright led's inside the voltmeter and you can change it from red to blue at the flick of a switch.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/Smallredfrontpanel.jpg

Oh and I use Gort as my desktop background as he seems to fit the theme nicely.


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/Screenemailsize.jpg

So my LAN-Party machine is all ready and I am currently painting a keyboard to match......Oh, I forgot one detail....

All products have to have a barcode these days...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/Detailsmallsize.jpg




Please let me know what you think....

a.Bird
11-05-2006, 09:36 PM
I am in love. That is a very stunning case. If I saw that thing at a LAN party I would **** myself. I've never seen a fan like this before...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/Topsmallsize.jpg
Where did you get it?

Ouch!
11-05-2006, 09:40 PM
I am in love. That is a very stunning case. If I saw that thing at a LAN party I would **** myself. I've never seen a fan like this before...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/Topsmallsize.jpg
Where did you get it?


Yes, Its a new type of fan from a company in Germany called Revoltec. I think it's called 'the lightwriter' It tells you the temperature of the air its shifting then it says "Reboot your mind" then it shows an animated pattern. It's very cool and best of all it was very cheap! (Like me!)

It doesn't like having it's photo taken though! It looks much better in real life!

Ouch!

Ouch!
11-05-2006, 09:44 PM
If you see me and my Interocitor at i29 (LAN at Newbury Race Course U.K.) Please come and say Hi! I'd like to meet some fellow modders. I'll be in the Call of Duty area on the 2nd floor.

I'm a proud member of the DVDF clan. We play Call of Duty / United Offensive / Cod 2 / and BF2. You can see us at www.dvdf.net

Ouch!

Ouch!
11-05-2006, 09:54 PM
Finished modding the keyboard today. Painted the upper part to match the iterocitor. Designed a new label to cover the nasty "Microsoft" logo and replaced the green LED's with nice bright blue ones....

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/DSC01102.jpg

LED's & Label

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/DSC01105.jpg


I suppose I should do something to my mouse next.

Sorry about the awful quality of some of these pictures! New camera is on order.

luciusad2004
11-05-2006, 11:08 PM
Wow man. Amazing work. I DREAM of doing things this amazing. I really love it, One of my all time favorites.

SharkMan
11-05-2006, 11:53 PM
that is freaking awesome :D

DaveW
11-06-2006, 09:28 AM
That is a really, really, nice mod. I like the case, i like the colours, i like the design, the idea - This is now one of my all time favourite cases! Everythnig looks nice, really pro, although i wouldn't have installed the screen like that, but it looks...wow! I mean, great work. Really, great work. Send that thing off to magazines.

-Dave

YoungBlood
11-06-2006, 09:41 AM
Guys.. That fans old.. I got one, The ones from germany actually pump hot air in... as its heating up madly... But i recently bought TT(thermaltakes) version Which is MUCH MUCH better....

jdbnsn
11-06-2006, 01:28 PM
Awesome! Turned out cooler than I could have imagined and that barcode is classic! You should replace those shortcut keys on the keyboard with some old-fashioned buttons like those on the mod, and maybe some machine screws around the edges? Anyway, I love the look and you did a great job, very creative!
Jon

b4i7
11-06-2006, 02:01 PM
i was gonna ask...are the knobs and everything on the front still usable like for fan control power on etc

Ouch!
11-06-2006, 02:27 PM
i was gonna ask...are the knobs and everything on the front still usable like for fan control power on etc

Yes some of the switches switch the TV screen on and off and there's a reset and on/off switch.....The big chunky switches switch the leds on the front panel on and off and the lighting for the valves on and off also.

Ouch!

SgtM
11-06-2006, 10:35 PM
I'm diggin this one. Good job!

Ouch!
11-09-2006, 05:42 PM
Just packing it all up for i29
See you there!

Ouch! :)

DaveW
11-09-2006, 08:19 PM
As soon as i get a chance, i'm putting this on the front page of TBCS.

Just got to find the time to write a story.

-Dave

Ouch!
11-10-2006, 10:58 AM
As soon as i get a chance, i'm putting this on the front page of TBCS.

Just got to find the time to write a story.

-Dave

Many thanks!

Ouch!

Ouch!
11-12-2006, 05:47 AM
Okay, so for the last 3 days I've been here at the i29 LAN-party at Newbury Racecourse. The Interocitor has been of interest to quite a few people and I've had positive feedback from many of them. There are over 1000 people here with their machines and apart from a few ready-modded boxes, there is a disappointing lack of modded stuff. I got lots of comments that included the words "Cool" and "Wow"

I fired up my machine and it performed very well until the room temperature rose to 30 degrees C (About 8 hrs of gaming later).
Then, a loud screeching noise came from my graphics card which, to be honest, worried the life out of me. I took the card out and popped downstairs to the trade stands to see what could be done to sort the problem out.

Luckily the Zalman people were on hand to help me and I bought a nice Zalman copper cooler at a good price. Fitting it however, was another matter. The Galaxy Geforce 7600GT card must be a non standard design as the holes securing the heatsink and fan do not match the reference design.

There was nothing for it, but to ask for a refund and put the old heatsink back. I carefully smothered the thing in a decent thermal compount (arctic silver) and the trouble vanished! PHEW!

This card was bought second hand, from ebay and maybe the previous owner didn't seat the heatsink properly. But, for now, al systems go.

I used The Interocitor to great effect in the Bad Acid Clan's attempt to win the COD2 trophy. (I'm not a member but they were a player short). We got knocked out after a few professional search & destroy clans turned up, but we had a great time! Thanks to all the [BA] guys for all the help and beer!

So come on all you modders, don't stay at home. get out and show off your boxes! (See you all at i30).


Ouch!:) :) :)

DaveW
11-12-2006, 06:41 PM
Grab a look at the front page. (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com)

-Dave

b4i7
11-12-2006, 09:26 PM
nice write up dave....congrats on the front page ouch! love this mod

AKA_RA
11-12-2006, 09:57 PM
'bout time the front page got something new and exciting on it. ;)

i really like what you did with this case. im kinda bummed to see such a nice looking oscilloscope taken apart, but that thing was prolly past its prime anyways, and thus made a perfect sacrifice to the god of modding. i think its name is Paul, but i can't confirm yet.

GT40_GearHead
11-13-2006, 05:05 AM
nice job, Ouch!
i love the look of it, hardcore i love it, a manly case :D

Ouch!
11-13-2006, 05:27 AM
Wow! what an honour? The front page!

Thanks very much indeed!

Ouch!

DaveW
11-13-2006, 05:30 AM
Wow! what an honour? The front page!

Thanks very much indeed!

Hell, you deserve it.

-Dave

Ouch!
11-13-2006, 05:57 AM
Hell, you deserve it.

-Dave


Thanks Dave.....Just one problem!

My mod is called "The Interocitor"
You've posted it as "The Interdictor" You probably spell checked it!

LOL

Ouch!

DaveW
11-13-2006, 09:20 AM
Whoops! I'll see if i can fix that.

EDIT: Done.

-Dave

{BA} GoldRush
11-13-2006, 12:49 PM
well ouch what can i say, i've seen your case and it just looks great
as we spoken im going to go and try to get myself a nice army radio from WWII and gonna try and do the same cause i really loved yours

to bad we could not get the fan work (zalmans on your graphics) but still i think you should try and fix the cooler cause iff you can mod a case like that you can mod the fan as well.

remember to reverse the Fan @the bottom and put an extra in top

and thats about it your case is the best i've ever seen and i do like old army stuff so make's it perfect for me gonna try and send some details to a dutch computer magazine here and see iff they want to post some pictures and maybe a small article of you and the case

for now hope to see you in the near future maybe @I31 in summer iff all goes well

greetings From your kidnapper {BA} GoldRush AKA the wierd dutch freak

gaz_the_chav
11-13-2006, 06:03 PM
Hey ouch!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/Topsmallsize.jpg

Could you give me a link for where you got the fan from (I mean the website you actually bought it from)

thanks alot :up:

-gaz

jdbnsn
11-13-2006, 06:12 PM
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/product/DCfan/LEDfan/a2345/a2345.asp

Ouch!
11-13-2006, 07:16 PM
Hey ouch!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/Topsmallsize.jpg

Could you give me a link for where you got the fan from (I mean the website you actually bought it from)

thanks alot :up:

-gaz


I think I eventually found a supplier at www.leftclicks.co.uk

gaz_the_chav
11-13-2006, 08:17 PM
Thank alot dude. The lightFX fans will be great for my new disco themed mod!

-gaz

Ouch!
11-14-2006, 04:26 AM
well ouch what can i say, i've seen your case and it just looks great
as we spoken im going to go and try to get myself a nice army radio from WWII and gonna try and do the same cause i really loved yours

to bad we could not get the fan work (zalmans on your graphics) but still i think you should try and fix the cooler cause iff you can mod a case like that you can mod the fan as well.

remember to reverse the Fan @the bottom and put an extra in top

and thats about it your case is the best i've ever seen and i do like old army stuff so make's it perfect for me gonna try and send some details to a dutch computer magazine here and see iff they want to post some pictures and maybe a small article of you and the case

for now hope to see you in the near future maybe @I31 in summer iff all goes well

greetings From your kidnapper {BA} GoldRush AKA the wierd dutch freak

Thanks GoldRush!
Also thanks for giving me so much help and encouragement at the i29 LAN. It was a real pleasure to meet you. As for your mod.....keep scanning ebay and those ex-army equipment sales! I'm sure you'll do an excellent job.

Cheers!

Ouch!

SgtM
11-14-2006, 01:35 PM
Congrats on making the front page!

isunktheship
11-22-2006, 03:06 AM
err i was originally going to say
"here yah go! Link (http://www.xoxide.com/sharkoon-rainbow-tc-80mm.html) "
But you seem to have found it.

Great mod, where can you find a used one of those?.. and roughly how much was it if you bought it?

Thanks!

Ouch!
11-22-2006, 03:38 AM
err i was originally going to say
"here yah go! Link (http://www.xoxide.com/sharkoon-rainbow-tc-80mm.html) "
But you seem to have found it.

Great mod, where can you find a used one of those?.. and roughly how much was it if you bought it?

Thanks!

Thanks for your feedback!
Keep an eye on ebay for old oscilloscopes and you'll see you can pick them up pretty cheap.

The postage is the thing, as they weigh a ton!

My oscilloscope cost me £17 plus £15 postage!

Good luck!

Ouch!

Ouch!
11-27-2006, 09:40 AM
Okay, I have just signed up for i30!

The Interocitor will be there!

Come on you guys and bring your modded boxes to the LAN!

It's over the whole Easter weekend at Newbury Race Course and if you book before 24th December it's only £60 for a whole weekend's gaming.

see www.multiplay.co.uk and click on the i30 link.

I'd love to see more modders attending as I need some inspiration for my next project.

Also, I am trying to get them to have a small competition for modders at future events so we need to show some interest.

Ouch!:)

intergalacticman
11-27-2006, 08:27 PM
dude, this has mucho potential, if you could some how integrata front panel port and some thermometers, and fan speed dials into the front ocilloscope dials, that would be freaking nice

intergalacticman
11-27-2006, 08:31 PM
i have been wanting someone to do one of those for years, and you finally did
it looks gorgeous, but, that fan with the red words on it didnt match at all

DaveW
11-27-2006, 09:22 PM
Intergalacticman, you've made 6 posts: 2 of which are doubles, an additional one describing someone else's hard work as "kinda lame". Cut it out or you'll be the proud owner of the fastest ban ever award.

-Dave

Ouch!
11-28-2006, 05:59 AM
i have been wanting someone to do one of those for years, and you finally did
it looks gorgeous, but, that fan with the red words on it didnt match at all

You could be right about the fan not matching, but the project is supposed to be a sort of confusing mixture of technologies......It's supposed to be a modern computer masquerading as a weird sci-fi communications device from the 1950's or 1960's. The wiring is deliberately left on show and it is supposed to be unique.

Anyway, I have had really brilliant news!
The Interocitor will feature in an upcoming issue of Custom PC Magazine in their Readers Drives section....so you can find out more there!

Woo-Hoo!

Ouch! :)

Ouch!
11-28-2006, 06:34 AM
dude, this has mucho potential, if you could some how integrata front panel port and some thermometers, and fan speed dials into the front ocilloscope dials, that would be freaking nice

I have integrated a front panel port....If you look closely at the pictures there's a Headphones and Mic socket and 2 USB sockets below the voltmeter. I trimmed them with black perspex so they weren't too prominent.....obviously it worked!

Ouch! ;)

zombeh
11-28-2006, 03:44 PM
hey uhh, great job on your mod and everything, you put alot of hard-work into it, you should feel proud.

cbelmo159
11-30-2006, 04:56 PM
Where did you get that. AWSOME case idea

Ouch!
11-30-2006, 04:59 PM
Where did you get that. AWSOME case idea

I don't know....It's obvious when you think about it. Oscilloscopes have to have pelnty of room for old style components and they have to have plaenty of ventilation to let heat out, so, they lend themselves to computer case modding quite naturally really! ;)

Cheers

Ouch!

Slatter
11-30-2006, 06:06 PM
My dream Case dude. Well done and keep up the good work.

NamesAreUseless
11-30-2006, 08:30 PM
I kinda feel stupid but Ill ask any way and im too lazy to search, but whats an oscilloscope for?

DaveW
11-30-2006, 09:58 PM
It's something that allows you to see visually a waveform from an electronic source.

-Dave

cbelmo159
11-30-2006, 10:20 PM
I don't know....It's obvious when you think about it. Oscilloscopes have to have pelnty of room for old style components and they have to have plaenty of ventilation to let heat out, so, they lend themselves to computer case modding quite naturally really! ;)

Cheers

Ouch!

True it is almost perfect for a computer and obvious but i still never thought of it. and it looks awsome.

Ouch!
12-01-2006, 05:33 AM
Thanks very much to you all. You have all been very kind.

Don't forget to check out Custom PC Magazine The Interocitor will be in there soon!

Ouch!

DaveW
12-01-2006, 07:06 AM
Don't forget to check out Custom PC Magazine The Interocitor will be in there soon!

I have a subscription to that magazine. Their journalism has fallen off a little recently, but they do some great product reviews and comparisons. I especially liked that thing they ran a few months ago with 10 pages of graphs comparing nearly all case fans available, including the same fan in different sizes.

I've not been certain that some of the last guys in the mag deserved their place either, but you my friend certainly do. Congrats.

-Dave

t3hninja
12-06-2006, 11:18 PM
I like the WWII feel to it. I used to do alot of Warhammer 40k and converted an old .60 cal ammo box into a troop carrier (which I regretfully sold) that this reminded me of. I like it a lot, keep us posted

ckim06
12-13-2006, 02:56 AM
Wow, impressive! Looks like you could stop North Korea with it.

Ouch!
12-13-2006, 08:44 AM
The photographer came round yesterday and all the copy has now been submitted.....So it will be in the 'readers drives' section of Custom PC in the March issue which should be in the shops from 25th January 07.....I can't wait!

Ouch!

DaveW
12-13-2006, 08:45 AM
Congrats man, well deserved (unlike the last few readers drives!)

-Dave

Doomfest
12-25-2006, 01:20 PM
I really like this mod... it inspires me! :D But I can't mod until i get money in a few months ;P

m4gnum
01-24-2007, 09:20 AM
Looked good in the magazine, I can't believe i missed it originally on here. How did you wire up the valves?

DaveW
01-24-2007, 01:17 PM
Woot! Well done! Didn't know you were a slap-head dude. I guess now we know why your case kicks ass so much, you're compensating.

:p

Just messing ya dude. Not like i've ever been published. ;)

-Dave

GT40_GearHead
01-24-2007, 02:22 PM
what's a slap-head ???

DaveW
01-24-2007, 02:30 PM
A baldie. Someone with a big, shiny, bit on their head where hair aught to be :p

-Dave

GT40_GearHead
01-24-2007, 02:47 PM
ouuu, LOL

klingelton
01-25-2007, 07:17 AM
hey ouch, gratz on getting into http://www.custompc.co.uk This edition! when i was reading the article, i was like "im sure i've seen this pc somewhere before!" now i know where! nice job on the mod too!

F_A_F
01-26-2007, 10:45 PM
Yep, hope you enjoy all those prizes ^^

Ouch!
01-27-2007, 05:17 PM
Looked good in the magazine, I can't believe i missed it originally on here. How did you wire up the valves?

I tried loads of different ways to light up those old valves...the best way was to mount high intensity LEDs behind and let them shine through the glass!

Easy....

Ouch!

Ouch!
01-27-2007, 05:18 PM
Woot! Well done! Didn't know you were a slap-head dude. I guess now we know why your case kicks ass so much, you're compensating.

:p

Just messing ya dude. Not like i've ever been published. ;)

-Dave

Yes I'm a baldy!

Actually it's a solar panel for a sex machine!

Ouch!

DaveW
01-27-2007, 07:06 PM
Lol...+rep for the good comeback. :)

-Dave

Ouch!
01-28-2007, 09:34 AM
Custom PC Article

Page 1
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/CustomPC1.jpg

Page 2
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/CustomPC2.jpg

Page 3
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/Numanoid64/CustomPC3.jpg

Here's the draft of the article in case it's a bit fuzzy.....my scanner is crap!


[TITLE] THE INTEROCITOR MK. 14
[STANDFIRST] Keith Billinge combines an old military oscilloscope with modern PC hardware and ‘Secret Alien Technology’ to create a unique PC for LAN gaming.

I’ve had an interest in computers ever since I was at school, which for me is a little longer ago than I suspect it was for most of you reading this. I won’t say exactly how long ago it was but, to give you a clue, I was using a Commodore PET! Since that time, however, I have built several systems.

I’ve always loved computer games and I recently discovered online gaming. I’m now a member of a brilliant clan called DVDF (www.DVDF.net), which plays Call of Duty, CoD 2 and Battlefield 2, and it was through the members of the clan that I learned about LAN gaming. I duly signed up for my first LAN party, Multiplay i29, in November, which is an event in which over 1,000 people participate in multi-player gaming, all using their own PCs. I therefore decided that it was time to build my first, proper ‘modded box’ to show off at i29.

First I needed a theme, and because I play plenty of war-based games I wanted the PC to have a military look, and I also wanted it to look old. I read a lot of military history and Sci-Fi novels, and so I also wanted the computer to be a combination of these two genres. In short, I wanted it to be unique.

I didn’t have much money to spend on the project so I raided my spares box for most of the major components, including the CPU, memory and hard disk drive. As I planned to use a 350W PSU I wanted a graphics card that would be relatively energy-efficient, so I bought a Galaxy GeForce 7600 GT for £65 off eBay, which has enough oomph for my games. It also had a TV-out socket, which was essential for what would become one of the PC’s more interesting features; more on this later though.
I also bought a micro-ATX Abit NF95 motherboard, which I purchased as B-grade stock for £35 from an online retailer and a laptop-style, slot-loading DVD-RW, which I intended to fit to the top of the finished machine.

The next component to sort was the chassis, but I didn’t want to use a normal ATX case. After some time looking at different options I eventually stumbled across some old oscilloscopes, which really grabbed my interest. They were portable, chunky, and roomy enough to accommodate a decent-sized motherboard. But, better than this, they were covered in knobs switches and dials, which gave it retro look. I found the ideal ‘case’ on eBay; it was an old ex-military issue oscilloscope and I simply had to have it! The oscilloscope itself wasn’t expensive, but the postage certainly was.

After the oscilloscope had arrived and I’d had a chance to give it a thorough going over, I started to get plenty of ideas about how to progress. I eagerly set about stripping the beast but unfortunately found that it was full of dust and dead spiders!

Once I had cleaned out the detritus I had a better idea about how to go forward. First, I used a sheet of aluminium to form the rear of the case and then retrofitted and old motherboard tray from a discarded case. Then, remembering all my old metalwork classes from school, I sawed, cut, riveted, filed and soldered the thing together. All the main parts are hand made and the only tools I used were a drill, jigsaw and Dremel-style rotary tool.

Next, I installed a front audio panel, also recovered from an old case, and added black Perspex trimming to it. I then bought some LEDs and wired them to the front panel switches at the front, which gave a pleasing effect. I wanted to keep the front panel as original as I could and only use the existing switches to activate lights and fans, although I did wire-up the large voltmeter to show the hard disk drive activity. I also added some old valves to the main compartment, which provided an eerie, alien glow through the small side-panel window.

The next big job was to mod the oscilloscope screen, which was crying out to be customised to show a fuzzy picture of the Windows desktop. In order to achieve this effect I bought a 5.4in PS One LCD screen, which I then ‘hot glued’ into the opening behind the oscilloscope screen. To power the screen I used the 12V car adaptor that came with the screen to step-down the voltage from 12V (as supplied by a Molex power plug) to the required 7.5V. All this was achieved with some simple soldering. The finishing touch was to connect the PS One screen’s TV lead to the TV-out connector on the GeForce 7600 GT graphics card.

The paint scheme for the case was simple, as I wanted it to be matt black with some accent pieces to make it look dangerous and menacing. I was originally planning to ‘distress’ the case by scratching the paint and adding a few extra dents but it was difficult to do this without it looking fake and contrived; a few more trips to LAN parties will probably do the trick, anyway! So instead of artificially weathering the case I decided to customise the look using labels showing bar codes and warnings symbols that I made using photo paper and stuck on with impact adhesive. I then stencilled a warning notice on top of the case and carefully scraped it away to make it look old and damaged. I also modded a cheap keyboard by incorporating some bright blue LED lights and spray-painting it with yellow stripes. Finally, I used some stick-on lettering from an art shop to add the PC’s name to the side of the case.

Thinking of the name was actually quite tricky. For inspiration, I decided to go for a beer with my friend Paul Webb who is a Sci-Fi model builder and he immediately suggested that the PC be called ‘The Interocitor’ after the 1954 film ‘This Island Earth’. In the film a scientist receives a kit of parts for an unknown machine, which, after the parts are assembled, allowed him to contact evil aliens. The name fitted perfectly, and I liked the idea that my PC was a modern gaming machine masquerading as some sort of military/alien hybrid communications device. I decided to call it ‘The Interocitor Mk 14’

The PC was really well received at i29 and I’d like to thank all those people who came to talk to me and had positive things to say about The Interocitor Mk. 14. I was delighted to see such appreciation from the ‘experts’ in computer gaming and this has given me plenty of enthusiasm and ideas for my next project.

[BOX] Meet Thy Maker

Name: Keith Billinge aka [DVDF]Ouch!
Sex: Male
Age: 42
Occupation: Police Officer
Location: Essex
Main uses for PC: LAN Parties
Likes: Military history, skiing holidays and FPS games
Dislikes: Strategy games, beach holidays and cauliflower

[BOX] System Specs

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3500+
CPU Cooling: Stock AMD cooler
Motherboard: Abit NF95 (micro-ATX)
Memory: 1GB PC3200 Kingston Value RAM
Graphics: Galaxy GeForce 7600 GT
Hard disk(s): S-ATA Seagate 200GB
CD/DVD: 2.5in slot-loading DVD-RW
Audio: On-board 7.1 sound
Speakers: None
Case: Hartley Electromotives CT316 oscilloscope
Input: Cheap Microsoft Keyboard, Logitech MX518 gaming mouse
Extras: 5.4in PSOne LCD, Secret Alien Technology (SAT)

Bucko
01-28-2007, 10:01 AM
On the topic of This Island Earth, have you seen Mystery Science Theatre 3000: The Movie?
It is This Island Earth, but with a whole lot of funny extra voices added.
I picked up a copy on VHS (couldn't find a DVD anywhere) after seeing the tail end of it on TV.
I was absolutly cracking up the whole way through! It's brilliant!
So I knew exactly what an Interocitor was when I read this thread.

Great looking case you have there too!

.Maleficus.
01-28-2007, 10:26 AM
Woah.


That is damn fine work. Incredible job man. Congrats on the mag appearance and front page too!

Ouch!
01-28-2007, 12:04 PM
Not happy with some of the features of the Interocitor Mk 14. I am currently planning Interocitor Mk15.......OOOOooow! My wallet!!!

It will have an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU and larger side window. The PSU will probably have to be near the front of the case to improve access and cooling to the Mobo. More valves and old stuff will feature. I'm still in the planning stage but have already picked up a second oscilloscope.

I may have to sell Mk14 to finance Mk15. I'll ask 'she who must be obeyed!'

Ouch!

Ouch!
03-06-2007, 09:13 AM
Now featured on the Custom PC website. Go to the URL below and click on "This months winner"

http://www.custompc.co.uk:80/readersdrives/gallery/

Cheers

Ouch!

Ouch!
04-01-2007, 01:23 AM
The LAN at Newbury (i30) is nearly upon us again (Easter Weekend).
I have made a couple of modifications to the Interocitor.

It now has 2Gb of memory, to help with Battlefield 2 gaming!

It also now has a Radeon X1950Pro 256Mb Graphics card!

Woo-Hoo!

Canadian Eh?
04-13-2007, 01:48 PM
Gotta Love BF2!

p.s. Hope the SAT gives you a one-up!

Ouch!
05-14-2007, 09:24 AM
Well, just to let you know that the Interocitor performed really well at i30 and the cooling issues did not come back....I suspect it was down to a dodgy cooler on my graphics card which was sourced second hand from ebay.

You really never know what you're gonna get on ebay but that's the gamble you take.

The new Sapphire X1950pro was a a real bargain and performed well!
The lan did feature a few modded machines but again I was a bit disappointed as there were only a few.

I am still planning an Interocitor Mk15. But I have to wait till the summer and my unheated garage/workshop warms up enough to start work!

So if anyone wants to make an offer for Interocitor Mk14. Let me know, I need funds for my next project.

Cheers

Ouch!

Graph
08-19-2011, 12:39 AM
You poor, poor oscilloscope.

If only I could have saved you. :no:

I remember when I first saw this in search results for interocitor, oh 2 years ago, and just today I happened to google the same term.

Registered just so I can go on record and speak for the other members of tech culture who do not identify primarily as "Gamers": looks like crap and a waste of beautiful electronics.

Even purely from a case-modding standpoint there's so much wasted potential (and potentiometers to boot).

/Necro

OvRiDe
08-19-2011, 02:34 AM
I'm glad you took time out of your busy antiques restoration schedule to join and berate a 4+ year old project. I am not sure if the oscilloscope even worked when he bought it. Most of the time people planning to build a project don't spend the extra on a working unit but rather find a non functioning one they can buy on the cheap. I would also imagine there are plenty left in the world so they haven't gone extinct quite yet. You seem to be the self proclaimed voice of the "Tech culture that aren't Gamers", but several of your constituents (actual Electrical Engineers that are of an age to have used similar equipment in field) have made quite favorable comments towards it. Either way I would have to say your opinion of the project seems to be in the minority since this has been featured on several websites, and at least 1 magazine.

So thanks for stopping by.. feel free to stick around if you decide to be constructive, otherwise it might be time for you to just move along.

Graph
08-19-2011, 01:27 PM
I'm glad you took time out of your busy antiques restoration schedule to join and berate a 4+ year old project. I am not sure if the oscilloscope even worked when he bought it. Most of the time people planning to build a project don't spend the extra on a working unit but rather find a non functioning one they can buy on the cheap. I would also imagine there are plenty left in the world so they haven't gone extinct quite yet. You seem to be the self proclaimed voice of the "Tech culture that aren't Gamers", but several of your constituents (actual Electrical Engineers that are of an age to have used similar equipment in field) have made quite favorable comments towards it. Either way I would have to say your opinion of the project seems to be in the minority since this has been featured on several websites, and at least 1 magazine.

So thanks for stopping by.. feel free to stick around if you decide to be constructive, otherwise it might be time for you to just move along.

It was on a whim more than a crusade. That was the trolling part. Registering and necro-ing. But everything else is sincere.

I probably wouldn't have acted on it if it wasn't something that had bugged me for a while, after all.

I mean, I see this crap all the time and it's annoying because the only reason people adulate stuff like this is because they don't know any better. The people who do projects like this, while tenacious, industrious and meticulous (admirable qualities to be sure!), are also utterly myopic. How special is a collection of cheap, ubiquitous x86 parts next to a piece of technology that represents a bygone era and what was special about it?

Can anyone even explain why they think it looks cool? I can thoroughly explain why it doesn't. But beauty's just in the eye of the beholder, right?

Regardless, I was just sniping, being an internet meanie, etc. So I might go into more detail about the rest at a more appropriate place/time.

jiggiwiddit
12-22-2011, 05:21 PM
Ha ha haaaaaaa.

You're more than welcome to have a go at mine as well then ya dafty. :lick:

mybadomen
02-28-2012, 11:49 AM
Very Nice!