"Enterprise" comm AA mod

[feek61]

I have started a project today that I've been planning for a while. It's a Enterprise series AA comm mod. What I'm planning on doing is to replace the grid with an aluminum replacement and also the face-plate of the com itself (and changing out the green LED for blue). I'm not sure if anyone else has done one of this so any info would be greatly appreciated. Here is what I've done so far:

This is the dis-assembled AA:

Here is the new mid-plate and new grid:

 

[Serenity]

I've been tempted to do this for a while too. Did you order the replacement parts or were they custom made?

 

[feek61]

I ordered the aluminum grid but made the midplate (as I'm sure you can tell, lol)


Will

 

[JoeRalat]

Nice.. I know that rodd.com has a nice kit for $150

 

[renaissance_man]

I ordered the aluminum grid but made the midplate (as I'm sure you can tell, lol)


Will

Where did you order your antenae from? Does it have the internal detail of the original?

 

[feek61]

Yes, it has the same interior detail as the original. Sorry for the bad photo. RM, I have PM'ed you.

 

[feek61]

Nice.. I know that rodd.com has a nice kit for $150

The Rod kit has a resin grid which puts me off on it . . . athough I have one, lol. I'll be doing the Rod as soon as I get the electronics and will be using the aluminum grid on that one as well.


Will

 

[NakedMoleRat]

Well, the screen used communicators had a resin lid, so a Rod.com is a dead on replica to the screen used pieces.

The Rod kit has a resin grid which puts me off on it . . . athough I have one, lol. I'll be doing the Rod as soon as I get the electronics and will be using the aluminum grid on that one as well.


Will

 

[feek61]

Some of the screen-used were resin and some aluminum. I prefer the aluminum. Here are a few hero models with aluminum lids.

 

[feek61]

I made a little more progress today. I went ahead and cut-out the speaker and added some TOS comm material I had just to give the thing some detail.
This is what it looked like originally:

And the mod before I added the plastic strips:

I added the hinge to the grid but I'm still looking for the correct spring. If anyone can help locating a correct spring that would be great:

I had to grind off some of the molded in plastic details from the back of the shell and also I added a filler where the original plastic hinge was:

Still have to install the electronics but wanted to see what it looked like put together:

So far so good. I happy with the way it's looking. Going out for the evening but hopefully after my hang-over I'll get some more work done on it tomorrow.

Happy New Year all,
Will

 

[feek61]

I'm looking for a spring like this:

Any help would be great.

 

[Deric]

http://www.mcmaster.com/ would probably be your best bet. Just type in torsion spring in the search.

I'm looking for a spring like this:

Any help would be great.

 

[feek61]

Perfect, got them ordered. Thanks a million!



Will

 

[Thermalized Plastics]

Perfect, got them ordered. Thanks a million!



Will

All you need is the correct sizes hair clip. Take the spring from that!


thermal:lol

 

[feek61]

All you need is the correct sizes hair clip. Take the spring from that!


thermal:lol

Now you tell me, lol.

Well, I didn't get to finish this before vaction was over; oh well. I made the control knob out of stainless steel and it turned out nice and I made the greeblies on the side panel but due to an error I made them too big, lol. All of the inards are installed but about half of the wires came off (I don't know how these things function because if the wind blows the wires fall off) so I have to re-solder them. All-in-all it came out nice and I'm very happy with it . . . God only knows when I'll finish it now that the real world is starting again

Here she is along side of an unaltered AA:

 

[phez]

Man that cam out nice. :love

 

[silverskyes402]

Looks really good, great job!!!!

 

[NakedMoleRat]

You have taken a pigs ear and made a silk purse there my friend! NICE job!

 

[feek61]

Thanks for the compliments. Here is a video of it. From left to right thats a Rodd.com, Modified AA and a Unmodified AA.



Even the the LED dosen't show up on the mod it does have a blue LED in it that looks good in person.

Will

 

[Contec]

Darn....I thought the Rodd.com Com would look better. I better stick with my modified AA.
On the pictures i have seen of hero com's it looks like those black "buttons" are made from model kit Gas tank lids.