Build Thread: Electronic Voice Phenomenon box from Haunt

[robertbaruch]

So this is my first replica build. I like occult-type props, and I really like the EVP receiver device machine thing from Haunt (2013). I took I bunch of SD screen shots. I pretty easily found that the panel used in the box is from a US Signal Corps Frequency Meter BC-221-AK (yes, that's my comment on IMDB). So I got one off eBay. The EVP instruction book is also from the frequency meter.

Hopefully from that I can get some measurements off the screencaps and start looking for other bits.



The actual frequency meter:

 

[robertbaruch]

This thing is built like a tank. Everything is super tight and well-mounted. Appropriate, I guess, for a piece of military equipment.

There are hex set screws holding the knobs onto their shafts. So I tried 3/32".... too big. 5/64"... too small! Okay, metric? 2.5mm too big... 2mm too small? What?

So I found the service manual online, and found that these things included a Bristol wrench for the set screws, which are these 6-splined wrenches. Mine didn't have one included. Regular hex wrenches cannot be used with Bristol set screws, even though the set screws look like hexes! Apparently lots of military radio equipment used Bristol set screws. I have learned something new, and now I'm anxiously awaiting my ebay purchase of a set of Bristol wrenches.

 

[robertbaruch]

With the Bristol wrenches in my possession, I was able to take the equipment to pieces in preparation for putting together the front panel.



Now that I had the exact dimensions of the front panel, I could look at some blurry SD screenshots, measure the pixel sizes of various features, and relate that to the pixel size of the panel. The panel is 9.75" (248 mm) across, and the image of the panel was 672 pixels, so everything in that screenshot should be 68.9 ppi (2.7 pixels per mm).

I determined that the case was a box about 7 3/4" (197 mm) tall, 13.6" (345 mm) wide, and 8 1/4" (210 mm) deep and the decorative strap is about 1 1/4" (31.8 mm).

This shot gave me the width of the box relative to the panel width:



From the width of the box, I got the height of the box from this awful low-contrast screenshot. Also the top part is 4" (102 mm) and the bottom is 3 3/4" (95 mm), and the edges and corners appear to be rounded.



Also from the width, I could get the depth and the width of the decorative strap from here:



The box itself appears to be an old portable record player box. It has a grille on front and back. I haven't found any such box on eBay yet!

 

[robertbaruch]

Close up of speaker. It looks like an old drive-in theater speaker, except this one measures about 3 7/8" / 98mm high by 2" / 51mm wide, thickness about 3/4" / 19mm. I haven't come across any images matching this exactly, but they all have a round speaker grille, slats across, and an indentation at the bottom which is where the volume knob usually goes. The ones I've seen are much bigger than this.

 

[robertbaruch]

A bit of info I found here about the prop in an interview with Haunt director Mac Carter:

I can tell you that it began life as a portable hair dryer. My genius production designer, Giles Masters, cobbled it together from bits and bobs after a quick weekend scouring Salt Lake City antiques shops.... It really became the signature prop of the film.

Portable hairdryer?! I see nothing in there that screams hairdryer...

 

[robertbaruch]

3D printing the speaker grille. Version 1 is a bit too small. Needs more sanding, more primer, and aluminum paint.