BSG - Walkie Talkie
- Thread starter DigiGal
- Start date
DigiGal
Active Member
Started with picking up a lot of Motorola radios for cheap that included an HT440 and found another listing on eBay for an Astro Tool, this thing cost more than the radios on eBay.
- - - Updated - - -
Removed the radios circuit board, will be making my own to control the LED's
- - - Updated - - -
LED's mounted to the front panel.
- - - Updated - - -
Matting glued to edge of radio.
Matting glued to front cover with the LED's, the replacement
speaker grill will come last still need some thought on that.
- - - Updated - - -
The Astro Tool handle antenna mounted on the radio
with the secondary antenna fabricated from GAK on hand.
Here is something that could be modified and used in place of Astro Tool.
It's an oversized Switchcraft 1/4" plug, shown compared with their
standard sized 1/4" plug and the installed Astro Tool handle.
- - - Updated - - -
Removed the radios circuit board, will be making my own to control the LED's
- - - Updated - - -
LED's mounted to the front panel.
- - - Updated - - -
Matting glued to edge of radio.
Matting glued to front cover with the LED's, the replacement
speaker grill will come last still need some thought on that.
- - - Updated - - -
The Astro Tool handle antenna mounted on the radio
with the secondary antenna fabricated from GAK on hand.
Here is something that could be modified and used in place of Astro Tool.
It's an oversized Switchcraft 1/4" plug, shown compared with their
standard sized 1/4" plug and the installed Astro Tool handle.
Last edited:
DigiGal
Active Member
Up next was populating and shaping a prototyping circuit board
to fit inside the radio and mount to the original board mounts.
Used a simple analog circuit to auto cycle the LED's with a cycle variation introduced by pushing
the side talk switch in mode two. The power knob on top turns the thing on and the frequency
select switch will set the two modes.
to fit inside the radio and mount to the original board mounts.
Used a simple analog circuit to auto cycle the LED's with a cycle variation introduced by pushing
the side talk switch in mode two. The power knob on top turns the thing on and the frequency
select switch will set the two modes.
DigiGal
Active Member
As a test I used a security hex bit as a punch to give perforated round holes the hex shape in a piece of scrap metal. Worked well enough to take a whirl at replicating the hex patterned grille. I'd like to find a metal fabricator that could reproduce it exactly or even a file for a shapeways 3D print like "epilepticsquirl" used for his build a while back. However, seems like he's not active here anymore.
Here's a few test punches in scrap metal.
Here's a few test punches in scrap metal.
DigiGal
Active Member
Thanks, yes it's a replica of the same radio also used by young Adama in the Razor flashback sequences. The series used other walkie-talkies too and many of them were just rubber castings. The rubber ones were auctioned off and they apparently held onto the hero version since Razor was filmed after the series had wrapped production, unless I'm confusing it with Blood and Chrome.
I've finished my version of the grille and will post a picture of it when the paint is dry on it.
My replica of the hero isn't exact but it is functional with switches and blinky lights. The matting I used is a bit different, the actual prop had narrower ribs in the matting. Similarly my grille has bigger hex holes, 71 of them total, hand punched with the method I tested above. I'm happy with the way it's turned out, though I would have liked to have found the same ribbed matting and an exact fabrication of the grille.
I've finished my version of the grille and will post a picture of it when the paint is dry on it.
My replica of the hero isn't exact but it is functional with switches and blinky lights. The matting I used is a bit different, the actual prop had narrower ribs in the matting. Similarly my grille has bigger hex holes, 71 of them total, hand punched with the method I tested above. I'm happy with the way it's turned out, though I would have liked to have found the same ribbed matting and an exact fabrication of the grille.
Last edited:
DigiGal
Active Member
Thanks, my metal fab solution was low tech but worked well, the original grilles were CNC'd.
Here is the basic circuit I sketched up for cycling the LED's. I didn't list cap values, you'll need to experiment with these to get your desired cycle rates depending on the battery voltage you use, etc.
Here is the basic circuit I sketched up for cycling the LED's. I didn't list cap values, you'll need to experiment with these to get your desired cycle rates depending on the battery voltage you use, etc.
Last edited:
DigiGal
Active Member
I reached out to a new member after reading his introductory post: Smitty Tut's contact info is linked here. This looked like a part that he could help me with since he posted that he is a metalworker at a family owned machine shop. He replied that this was indeed something that he could easily fabricate. We exchanged a few messages for measurements and description of the original grille. He provided a CAD proof of the part after the dimensions were sorted out, it was exactly what I was looking for so I commissioned him to make the part. He sent me a photo of the completed part [below] and it is in the mail to me now. I wanted this part to be right and while my attempt could have worked it wasn't as good as I was hoping for. Now by commissioning the part with a professional the grille will be the crown to complete this project thanks to his skills in this area. He utilized CNC manufacturing, cutting the aluminum part with a 200k watt laser and the cost was very reasonable for a "one off" of this part.
I would highly recommend getting in touch with Matt "Smitty Tut" Smith for any metal fabrication you may need on a project. He is a pleasure to work with and welcomes such commissions. Bonus, if you are looking to replicate a BSG walkie-talkie like this one, he already has the details for producing the grille and should quickly be able to produce another for you from the existing CNC file.
Replica BSG Walkie-Talkie Grille fabricated by Smitty Tut
I would highly recommend getting in touch with Matt "Smitty Tut" Smith for any metal fabrication you may need on a project. He is a pleasure to work with and welcomes such commissions. Bonus, if you are looking to replicate a BSG walkie-talkie like this one, he already has the details for producing the grille and should quickly be able to produce another for you from the existing CNC file.
Replica BSG Walkie-Talkie Grille fabricated by Smitty Tut
Smitty Tut
New Member
Thank you SO MUCH for the kind words- I'm so glad I could help out!! 
