Electrobinoculars made from Radica Game

[staermose]

Got a Radica Tank assault game in the mail yesterday. Won an ebay auction. Took it apart. Moved the internal screen forward to make room for th enw "lense" (an electrical appliance thingy). Put it back together. Cut out holes for the two greeblies and the "lense". Painted it silver (rattlecan). gave it a layer of matt white (also rattlecan). Made the chipping when the paint wast almost, but not fully, dry. Took scotch tape rolled into a ball and dapped it all over. Gives a nice natural look I think. Made futher scrathces by hitting it with a needle file. Weathered it with washes of light beige, an orange brown and flat black. Going for that Sandtrooper look. Still need to find a suitable leather strap. Game still works


The original game

And how it looks now

More pics here
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c387/staermose/macrobinoculars/

 

[KnightAsylum]

Very Nice!:thumbsup That turned out great. What did you use for the front (with the lens in it) part?
I found one of these the other day at Goodwill for 50 cents (I love when stuff like that happens) I took it apart and will be shooting some paint soon myself.

 

[Contec]

Looks great, But you need to get another colour for those buttons and controls, Take it apart and give them a little weathering.
The weathering you did on it look very realistic, I need to try the "tape rolled into a ball" technic.
/Conny

 

[Harmonic_Distortion]

Nice! Any pics (real or googled) of what the display looks like?

 

[staermose]

What did you use for the front (with the lens in it) part?

Its an white plast thing for mounting lamps hanging form the ceiling. Found it at a local hardware store. The back of it sits almost 2 inches in the cabinet to add some depth to the prop. Thats why I had to move the internal srceen closer to the viewing port.

But you need to get another colour for those buttons and controls, Take it apart and give them a little weathering.

Yes, they do look a little to bright. Its worse in the pics than it actually is. But another layer of weathering wont hurt.

Nice! Any pics (real or googled) of what the display looks like?

Not the easiest part to photograph.

 

[GDafi]

Very nice:thumbsup

 

[jkno]

A really cool custom! I like the weathering!

 

[AlHazred]

Beautiful work! Now, let's see you reprogram it to look more like Luke's display from ANH!

 

[lonepigeon]

Beautiful work! Now, let's see you reprogram it to look more like Luke's display from ANH!

When I built mine I stripped out most of the game electronics except the light up screen (changed it to a simple circuit). I printed out a display of approaching AT-ATs on a transparency and overlaid it on the screen. Now it lights up the image inside if you hold down the button.

 

[Harmonic_Distortion]

Love that HUD. The fact it works takes great work to incredible

 

[staermose]

When I built mine I stripped out most of the game electronics except the light up screen (changed it to a simple circuit). I printed out a display of approaching AT-ATs on a transparency and overlaid it on the screen. Now it lights up the image inside if you hold down the button.

Could you PLEASE tell what to do to get just the light up screen?? I would love to have it that way too. The graphics I can do, but what shall I do regarding the electronics?

 

[lonepigeon]

Could you PLEASE tell what to do to get just the light up screen?? I would love to have it that way too. The graphics I can do, but what shall I do regarding the electronics?

I did it a long time ago, but I know it was really simple - I'm no electronics wiz. The game is just an LCD screen over a light up back plate. I just tore out the LCD. Mine was a Sub Hunt game so it only had buttons on one side. I know I still used the small circuit board behind the buttons, but I remember scraping off some of the silver lines to bypass electronics I didn't need. I reduced it to just a simple circuit: light up screen - button - batteries.
It still lights up green so I just used a black and white image on the transparency - makes it look like nightvision.

 

[staermose]

To anyone else thinking about doing this. It is actually really easy. Took the display back out. Unscrewed it from its black plastic socket. The LCD screen was removed without any use of force. As was two connector strips. Once everything is screwed back in place I'll have just the green screen. I will begin to make graphics for it shortly. Just plain black artwork. I may share it here if there is any interest in it

 

[staermose]

Perhaps??

 

[staermose]

Thought to myself: "Why would sandtroppers be looking at AT-AT's"????!!!

So I made this instead

 

[obiwan2]

I've always wanted to try one of these! Thanks for sharing and for the inspiration

 

[Kadajiroth]

I used to own one of those tank games, but never knew that it could be used for a prop. Gorram it!

Great work, though. You've inspired me to make my own, if I ever find another tank game.

 

[KnightAsylum]

Thought to myself: "Why would sandtroppers be looking at AT-AT's"????!!!

So I made this instead

THANKS!!!!!thumbsup:cheers

 

[Jedi Loreen]

I just scored one if the Sub Assault games on ebay.

One of the UK members here posted the link on the Rebel Legion forums to a website for a UK store that sells Han Solo belt greeblies, so I looked to see what else they had and found this:

http://www.doopydoos.com/stormtrooper-sub-assault-electobinocular-conversion-kit-1435-p.asp

I don't know if there is a US site for these same pieces or not.

I actually saw this kit before I decided to look on ebay for one of the games. I've looked before, and either found nothing for auction, or they wanted $100 for ones still in original packaging.

I almost got outbid, but got in one last bid, literally at the last second.

I'm Rebel Scum :rolleyes, so I'm not sure if I'm going to paint it like the above example, or do something different.

 

[lonepigeon]

I don't think I'd bother with a kit since there is no "correct" way to convert the game. I'd just go to Home Depot or wherever and find parts that look similar.