ALIENS Motion Tracker - Built in progress

I cannot say how much I'm enjoying this built. There are so many great topics on the web and especially here to research the built and the prop itself. You can click on each pic to view it larger. I'll start with some recent projects I've done. Then I'll move on to the gathering of the parts, which is not fully completed at the moment. Then I'll show a few shots from the assembling and the present state of the built.
Here's the beast to start it all, the Kango 426 drill:

Hama Slide Viewer B101 (mine is actually the model "3643")

The Vivitar Zoom Thyristor 2500 flash unit

Hama "Selbst-auslöser 5401" ("Automatic shutter release") and its box


AC Transformer from the Matchbox Powertrack 2000 series and up

Nobles great find and fixed Sphygmomanometer inner casing plus 3D printed bracket

Currently I'm waiting for a Jobolux Minilight or Jobo "Laborleuchte" ("Laboratory lamp"). It should be here within the next week. I'll upload the next parts when I've found them.

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Next up was the disassembling of the Kango which was not easy at all, but manageable. I could give some advice if somebody needs help. But I would say there is everything you need on the web. Or in your toolbox.
Make sure to make pictures of where you've removed which bolt/screw! Because you will disassemble the drill a lot of time.

I took the drill parts to my work where we have some sort of a washing machine for tools and metal parts. After a few washes within that industrial cleaner it was mostly apart from the grease. I took it one time to my dishwasher but he wasn't able to remove it...

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After spray-coating the parts I've started assembling the Tracker.

I found a vintage knob in a lot at my work and added it. Not screen accurate at all, but I really like it.

I've used the cable from the Kango drill as it seems to be the correct one. I took parts of it for both, the Viewer cable and the one on the top.


Be very carefully when drilling your Slide Viewer. He's stiff, but probably not to solid at all.

Mounted it without the female part is also possible.

Added Vivitar flash parts was a cool job to do.

And my box for the spare parts with added stickers.

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In the meanwhile I got a new re-shaped pump bracket from Noble. Finally I could add the Pump widget yesterday.

I also use a part of the removed Kango front piece as a display stand. Nice, huh?
That's it for now, the current state as seen above. Progress pictures will be available soon. Hopefully my little brown bess spraycan will be enough for the rest of the parts.

Really nice work! Let me recommend Hyperdyne Lab's electronics kit for it:

http://www.hyperdynelabs.com/products_elec_motionTracker.php

I just built one using it and it is really cool!

Have to check your built and the kit, too.
Thank you ahoudini

Digging this build, looks complicated.

It is manageable.. probably not a project for a first prop, but if you're working at a industry as a mechanic or you are into home improvement you're good to go.

'Aliens' is by far my favorite film in the franchise, and the motion tracker is definitely one of my 5 all time favorite film props. It looked so real in the film that I was shocked several years ago when I learned how it had been built. I actually thought it was some type of real device.

I also like the construction and well chosen parts used on it. So great..a classic prop from the great time of prop building.

Yeah I agree. In fact I like pretty much all the prop work in that film. The pulse rifles were an awesome and very real looking design too I thought, as well as that troop carrier vehicle Ripley wrecked in her rescue attempt of the marines.

I remember seeing that film in the theater when it came out, and the tension in the room was crazy high. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, no one talking, just watching. The film goes from an underlying dread and trepidation to high adrenaline and fear in the blink of an eye. Great directing, imo.

Loving the build step by step

TOS said:

Yeah I agree. In fact I like pretty much all the prop work in that film. The pulse rifles were an awesome and very real looking design too I thought, as well as that troop carrier vehicle Ripley wrecked in her rescue attempt of the marines.

I remember seeing that film in the theater when it came out, and the tension in the room was crazy high. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, no one talking, just watching. The film goes from an underlying dread and trepidation to high adrenaline and fear in the blink of an eye. Great directing, imo.

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Would love to have seen this in theatres. :love
Alien and Aliens were some good old GREAT 70's, 80's prop making. A stunning era of props.

vikkic86 said:

Loving the build step by step

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Me, too. Thank you.
Jobo Minilight was arrived today. I immediately started disassembling it and was ready to spray it. Unfortunately the paint was not enough. Now I have to wait until a new can came in. :/

Have to watch it again, too.
Some progress pictures with
-attached Jobo minilight (still lights up upon the Tracker)
-cross-shaped bolts on the washer
-Added left grip cable and a rod within
I've used the cable from the Matchbox-AC, especially picked the part with "Made in Great Britain" as seen in the picture now. Nice real world touch.

Also a nice touch from the former owner (underneath the Jobolight)
engraved initials or a kind of inventory nr.

That looks great so far. I cant remember, was the graphic part of the tracker added later in post production in the film..or I guess my question is, how was the effect of the device tracking achieved? It looked totally real whatever they did..

Propstore.com was able to find the hero prop. There are three videos on youtube where the propstore ceo talks about the discovering and the technic within the device
In fact they couldn't house it all at once within the hama viewer. There was a lot of more space necessary back at the time so plenty of electrics stood out of the housing. So there was this one for the close up shots and some stunt versions with the smaller hama viewer.
Check it out, its great to see.
Thank you for your kind words.

I just watched the vid, pretty cool. Amazing how much work went into producing that one prop/effect for the film, though it was a pretty important effect in the film of course. Honestly everything in that film looked realistic to me, they prop people did a great job.

Oh and that Ghost Busters trap was really cool too, I'm not a huge fan of those films but it's really neat to see one of the main props up close like that. Pretty slick work.

It is always great to learn something new about your favourite movies and to see what they've used from the real world and converted it into fictional movie props. That's magic. And got me personally to the hobby.

The GB trap is still on my list. But there are still no metal kits out there, unfortunately. I would so hardly want it

Finally some little steps ahead.
I found a wire at a box in my garage for the pump widget to the hama self timer and added a pair of Bisley sling swivels.


Added Noble sling (Thank you so much for this), the green is a highlight, top notch work.
And a Casio SL-80 panel:

as always, click on each pic to view it larger.

This is looking fantastic!!

Looking better and better!