That Would be a Cool Mod - Thread

[TheGreatSatan]

That Would be a Cool Mod - Thread

I like going on eBay and visiting Home Depot and Lowe's and seeing things that I think would be cool if turned into a computer. Here's your chance.

Share your ideas. You never know it might actually get built.

My first one is this cool 1950's radio that looks like a space helmet!

[d_stilgar]

I've always wanted to do a mod using the shaker hood bubble from this model as an air intake.

[TheGreatSatan]

Yeah those are cool

[TheGreatSatan]

Look what I just had to buy! This will be a cool mod!

[Drum Thumper]

Look what I just had to buy! This will be a cool mod!

That would look cool coupled with the breadbox twins we had posted here a while back...

[Konrad]

How about one of these?

Of course they do cost about $3000 each, I think.

[TheGreatSatan]

That's kind of HUGE

[Konrad]

The rechargable 12V/30A battery and 12V solar panel should power a PC for a long time, especially when it's sunny

[mDust]

The rechargable 12V/30A battery and 12V solar panel should power a PC for a long time, especially when it's sunny

Entire solar panels typically 'trickle charge' batteries with only a handful of amps when it's sunny and do little at all if it's anything but sunny. I don't think a single panel would run anything other than a laptop or a very low powered desktop. It would greatly extend the life of the battery with every day use, or be self-sustaining if allowed to recharge for a sunny day between uses. Forget about a gaming-rig mod though!

This would be an interesting project. Would the solar-array/battery supplement a PSU or replace it altogether?

[Konrad]

This would be an interesting project.

Well, actually it wasn't meant to be serious. I've just been seeing these crazy things all over the place, nice to see City Hall cares enough to spend $3000 each for shiny new trash cans. I jokingly thought "who would use a bloody big high-tech trash can for a PC mod?" - now I know.

I've been eyeing those juicy big solar panels for a while now ... entertaining evil thoughts about ambushing one while they're all asleep ...

I agree, they'd be insufficient for powering anything bigger than a notebook. I've found some technical data (service manuals) for the BB3, they use a common float charger circuit I've actually built before.

Lots of room inside that chassis, though, no problems with cable routing and heatsink placement. But I'm not so sure that a 20-ton hydraulic press really belongs inside a PC.