subxinu
Active Member
Notice: I know practically nothing about electronics. lol 
I started out building a custom Voyager PADD for an Away Team Med Kit I'm building (I will post another build thread when it's done) and the PADD needed to be a bit smaller than the screen accurate 4"x6" size to fit inside the Med Kit (I "eye balled" the dimensions so it's slightly smaller than it should be). I mocked-up the PADD design in Adobe Illustrator at 3.75"x5.5" and used print-outs to cutout the styrene pieces. Since this was a fairly ordinary process and was only meant to be a "paint drying project", I didn't take any pictures. This "build thread" starts with building the electronic internal components.
So... as I was building it, I got a hair up somewhere and decided I wanted some lights in it; originally I was just going to make it light up "flashlight" style but, while at work, I started looking closer at the little disposable thermometers we use. The thermometer had a nice "touch on, touch off" function I thought I could just cannibalize the button (did I mention that I don't know much about electronics? lol). Upon pulling out the internals of the thermometer I quickly found out how impossible this was going to be; I decided to just experiment with it for awhile using a larger power supply (6v instead of the 1.5v needed for normal function) and using an LED to "probe around" the board for "hot spots." I found a few spots that could power an LED and even a spot that would flash and LED! Now I had something that would not only function as a button but also add a little pizzaz to the lighting function. :love
Various items used to build this PADD; Xmas lights (discounted at Walmart for less than $2), disposable thermometer (free!), CA (pack of 4: $1), copper plate (scrap), styrene (scrap), polypropylene container lids (out of the kitchen), and transparent printout (full sheet: $2). This project's cost was probably well under $5 but the time invested was ridiculous! Again, very little electronics experience.
Xmas light dissected for the LED
Disposable thermometer internal board wired for lights. The thermometer's speaker plastic housing was cut down and flipped around and attached to the bottom.
Scratch built push button switch using styrene and copper plate
Internals installed with custom battery box designed to use four 1.5v button cell batteries to output 6v.
Parts ready for assembly
Voyager PADD; front view of the PADD
Voyager PADD; back view of the PADD. I liked the way the larger screws looked so i went with it ...I guess it gives it a little more "machine look."
Voyager PADD; view from bottom
View with the room lights off
Video of the PADD in action! Notice the "chirp" during on/off and the three double chirps about 20 sec after it's turned on; it's the "normal function" of the thermometer that, I think, adds a nice touch to the PADD.
Last note: I finished this build last night and promptly placed it on the shelf for display; I pulled the PADD down to create the above video and the PADD would not power on completely. The batteries were dead; it seems I have a power "leak" somewhere. I have a feeling I know where it is as I had to supplement more "juice" to the display LEDs and a second cathode supply is wired directly to the battery array. Oh well, I'm still happy with this being my first fully scratch Hero build.
- Karl
I started out building a custom Voyager PADD for an Away Team Med Kit I'm building (I will post another build thread when it's done) and the PADD needed to be a bit smaller than the screen accurate 4"x6" size to fit inside the Med Kit (I "eye balled" the dimensions so it's slightly smaller than it should be). I mocked-up the PADD design in Adobe Illustrator at 3.75"x5.5" and used print-outs to cutout the styrene pieces. Since this was a fairly ordinary process and was only meant to be a "paint drying project", I didn't take any pictures. This "build thread" starts with building the electronic internal components.
So... as I was building it, I got a hair up somewhere and decided I wanted some lights in it; originally I was just going to make it light up "flashlight" style but, while at work, I started looking closer at the little disposable thermometers we use. The thermometer had a nice "touch on, touch off" function I thought I could just cannibalize the button (did I mention that I don't know much about electronics? lol). Upon pulling out the internals of the thermometer I quickly found out how impossible this was going to be; I decided to just experiment with it for awhile using a larger power supply (6v instead of the 1.5v needed for normal function) and using an LED to "probe around" the board for "hot spots." I found a few spots that could power an LED and even a spot that would flash and LED! Now I had something that would not only function as a button but also add a little pizzaz to the lighting function. :love
Various items used to build this PADD; Xmas lights (discounted at Walmart for less than $2), disposable thermometer (free!), CA (pack of 4: $1), copper plate (scrap), styrene (scrap), polypropylene container lids (out of the kitchen), and transparent printout (full sheet: $2). This project's cost was probably well under $5 but the time invested was ridiculous! Again, very little electronics experience.
Xmas light dissected for the LED
Disposable thermometer internal board wired for lights. The thermometer's speaker plastic housing was cut down and flipped around and attached to the bottom.
Scratch built push button switch using styrene and copper plate
Internals installed with custom battery box designed to use four 1.5v button cell batteries to output 6v.
Parts ready for assembly
Voyager PADD; front view of the PADD
Voyager PADD; back view of the PADD. I liked the way the larger screws looked so i went with it ...I guess it gives it a little more "machine look."
Voyager PADD; view from bottom
View with the room lights off
Video of the PADD in action! Notice the "chirp" during on/off and the three double chirps about 20 sec after it's turned on; it's the "normal function" of the thermometer that, I think, adds a nice touch to the PADD.
Last note: I finished this build last night and promptly placed it on the shelf for display; I pulled the PADD down to create the above video and the PADD would not power on completely. The batteries were dead; it seems I have a power "leak" somewhere. I have a feeling I know where it is as I had to supplement more "juice" to the display LEDs and a second cathode supply is wired directly to the battery array. Oh well, I'm still happy with this being my first fully scratch Hero build.
- Karl
