Hi guys,
This is by way of an introductory post for my build thread of the motion tracker from Alien.
Just to be clear, we're talking about this:
And not this:
And definiteley not this:
Anyway, I've had a weird relationship with this prop since my first attempt at building one in around 2003. It's boxy, it's kinda ugly, and it ain't no USCM slick gear.
But there's something about it that fascinates me. Itlooks like what it is -something cobbled together on a dirty freighter by a crazy homicidal android.
Back then (2003) the only part that had been identified was the Panasonic Ranger TV made for the the main unit. Every other detail I got wrong.
Then in 2006, Gigatron, aka Fred, started this thread on the RPF: http://www.therpf.com/f9/alien-1979-motion-tracker-questions-3492/
And a bunch of new bits were found (more later)
Another few years, and Richie got to take photos of the original (I'm sure you've all seen 'em, if not: http://www.therpf.com/f45/alien-i-h...emergency-helmet-hand-anyone-need-pics-62829/
Then I got one of Shawn's awesome Nostromo pistol and finally got inspired to face the formidable task of building another, far more accurate tracker.
Now the legendary Bob Burns tracker we've all seen on the DVD (originally Laser Disk) shoot, and in Richie's photos, is actually slightly different from the one's seen in the movie.
Obviously a few bits like the tube that runs from the hamster feeder (see later...) and some of the knobs and switches, have actually fallen off, but the BB TRacker has some sort of grill on the bottom right of the front panel, that is absent on both the movie tackers. I'm thinking this grill gor added some time affter production (like a certain Weaver knob??)
BB Tracker:
Movie Trackers:
The tracker seen most prominently in the movie is the one with the probe thing bottom right, with the top hole where the attenuator was exposed. The other tracker has both attenuator holes exposed.
The point of this nerdliness is to pont out that I will be replicating the version seen on screen as much as possible :-D
My Buddy Stephen 210 managed to get a cast of the one of the mysterious doodads, that cover the motion tracker, so I made my first step into replication by adding a few of those fellas onto my TV:
Okay, the parts. I'll try to make this not boring, but it probably will be...
Nailed
The Panasonic Ranger 505 portable TV. Can be had relativeley easily on Ebay. I think this was badged slightly differently in Europe, maybe someone can confirm....
The radar dish - This is a blck plastic 7" gully cover, made by a company in the UK called Stadium. They can be quite tricky to get a hold of, the 6" ones are much more common. Stadium still exist, but are extremeley unhelpful when it comes to getting hold of their products. Ho hum.
The metal tube connected reminds me of a hamster's water bottle feeder...
The large knob (ahem...) - it's a 45mm diameter Vernier dial. They come up on Ebay occasionally.
Slider Switches - these are pretty spot on: OKW Slide Knobs | Slide Control Knobs
The key - Strictly speaking, this is a case of close enough. It's definateley from a 1970's Vauxhall car, the exact one - don't know. I picked mine up off ebay.
Richie's pic of the original:
Mine
Vents - I've been searching for these parts for years, then a couple of weeks ago, while searching Ebay for something else, I struck very lucky. They are actually vintage plastic speaker griils. I scored four, which is the amount needed for the tracker. The left hand edge is used on the back of the tracker.
Cut to size:
Richie's pic:
Close but no banana (yet)
Sensor - It looks like a metal CRT cover, probably from an old oscilloscope. I have one fairly similar, but the right piece is still out there
Ice Cube tray - Haven't found the right one yet! The screen used doesn't have the dimples that every plastic tray I've seen has - did they fill them?
I'll be modifying a six-row tray to look more like the screen-used.
Richie's pic:
Nutplates -Are those aircraft nutplates? Certainly looks like it, but I haven't found any that size. I've scratch-built, molded and cast my own plates in resin.
Screen unit - Stephen has some good evidence to suggest that this is from the viewfinder of an old video camera (probably pro) viewfinder. I'll be scratch-building
Richie's pic:
What the hell is that??
Richie's pics of the speedo-looking-type-thing
I dunno...some sort of aircraft instrument? Anyone?
More grills, more headaches
Some kind of....thing
Mystery disks
Are those phone leads? If so, I'm thinking they must be threaded over something?
What have I let myself in for? :roll:
This is by way of an introductory post for my build thread of the motion tracker from Alien.
Just to be clear, we're talking about this:
And not this:
And definiteley not this:
Anyway, I've had a weird relationship with this prop since my first attempt at building one in around 2003. It's boxy, it's kinda ugly, and it ain't no USCM slick gear.
But there's something about it that fascinates me. Itlooks like what it is -something cobbled together on a dirty freighter by a crazy homicidal android.
Back then (2003) the only part that had been identified was the Panasonic Ranger TV made for the the main unit. Every other detail I got wrong.
Then in 2006, Gigatron, aka Fred, started this thread on the RPF: http://www.therpf.com/f9/alien-1979-motion-tracker-questions-3492/
And a bunch of new bits were found (more later)
Another few years, and Richie got to take photos of the original (I'm sure you've all seen 'em, if not: http://www.therpf.com/f45/alien-i-h...emergency-helmet-hand-anyone-need-pics-62829/
Then I got one of Shawn's awesome Nostromo pistol and finally got inspired to face the formidable task of building another, far more accurate tracker.
Now the legendary Bob Burns tracker we've all seen on the DVD (originally Laser Disk) shoot, and in Richie's photos, is actually slightly different from the one's seen in the movie.
Obviously a few bits like the tube that runs from the hamster feeder (see later...) and some of the knobs and switches, have actually fallen off, but the BB TRacker has some sort of grill on the bottom right of the front panel, that is absent on both the movie tackers. I'm thinking this grill gor added some time affter production (like a certain Weaver knob??)
BB Tracker:
Movie Trackers:
The tracker seen most prominently in the movie is the one with the probe thing bottom right, with the top hole where the attenuator was exposed. The other tracker has both attenuator holes exposed.
The point of this nerdliness is to pont out that I will be replicating the version seen on screen as much as possible :-D
My Buddy Stephen 210 managed to get a cast of the one of the mysterious doodads, that cover the motion tracker, so I made my first step into replication by adding a few of those fellas onto my TV:
Okay, the parts. I'll try to make this not boring, but it probably will be...
Nailed
The Panasonic Ranger 505 portable TV. Can be had relativeley easily on Ebay. I think this was badged slightly differently in Europe, maybe someone can confirm....
The radar dish - This is a blck plastic 7" gully cover, made by a company in the UK called Stadium. They can be quite tricky to get a hold of, the 6" ones are much more common. Stadium still exist, but are extremeley unhelpful when it comes to getting hold of their products. Ho hum.
The metal tube connected reminds me of a hamster's water bottle feeder...
The large knob (ahem...) - it's a 45mm diameter Vernier dial. They come up on Ebay occasionally.
Slider Switches - these are pretty spot on: OKW Slide Knobs | Slide Control Knobs
The key - Strictly speaking, this is a case of close enough. It's definateley from a 1970's Vauxhall car, the exact one - don't know. I picked mine up off ebay.
Richie's pic of the original:
Mine
Vents - I've been searching for these parts for years, then a couple of weeks ago, while searching Ebay for something else, I struck very lucky. They are actually vintage plastic speaker griils. I scored four, which is the amount needed for the tracker. The left hand edge is used on the back of the tracker.
Cut to size:
Richie's pic:
Close but no banana (yet)
Sensor - It looks like a metal CRT cover, probably from an old oscilloscope. I have one fairly similar, but the right piece is still out there
Ice Cube tray - Haven't found the right one yet! The screen used doesn't have the dimples that every plastic tray I've seen has - did they fill them?
I'll be modifying a six-row tray to look more like the screen-used.
Richie's pic:
Nutplates -Are those aircraft nutplates? Certainly looks like it, but I haven't found any that size. I've scratch-built, molded and cast my own plates in resin.
Screen unit - Stephen has some good evidence to suggest that this is from the viewfinder of an old video camera (probably pro) viewfinder. I'll be scratch-building
Richie's pic:
What the hell is that??
Richie's pics of the speedo-looking-type-thing
I dunno...some sort of aircraft instrument? Anyone?
More grills, more headaches
Some kind of....thing
Mystery disks
Are those phone leads? If so, I'm thinking they must be threaded over something?
What have I let myself in for? :roll:
Last edited:
