SLIDERS: Egyptian Timer [REV. 5]

Myself and my good friend at LIGHTBENDERS have been developing over the past 6 months a new version of his Timer.


The EGYPTIAN Timer [REV. 1] YouTube video:


The EGYPTIAN Timer [REV .5] YouTube video:


[REV. 5] CHANGE LOG:
  • Preamble changed from "GEnSEr" to SEASON 5 "52 52 52"
  • Speaker is now MOUNTED to the underside of the TOP board
  • 7-Segment displays ALL changed from BLACK to GREY
  • Solder-Mask changed from GREEN to PURPLE
  • *** GRAYHILL SERIES 87 MATRIX Keypad NOW WORKS ***
  • Emitter LED's BOTH on unique parallel paths
  • SCARAB LED on unique path
  • SCARAB redesigned by 'Curious Goods Inc.'
  • Processor UPGRADED to a 32-bit,64-pin 512kB Micro-controller
I have also begun to track down materials for the construction of the prop itself.


MATERIALS:
  1. RED #2423 ACRYLIC (2 1/16" W x 4 3/8" L x 1/16" H) [EXACT COLOR# used by PROP MASTER]
  2. RCA RCU4GLW Remote (RCU4GLWC/RCU700)
  3. Acid etched MAGNESIUM plate (WINGED SCARAB designed by Curious Goods)
  4. GRAYHILL Series 87 (MATRIX/7-PIN version) [EXACT KEYPAD used by PROP MASTER]
  5. RED LED FLAT-TOP (Winged SCARAB LED (Blinking/NON Blinking)
  6. WHITE LEDs (EMITTER LEDs)

NEED:
  1. BRASS TUBE (3/8" or 1/2" diameter) [RIBBED]
  2. GLASS/PLASTIC/ACRYLIC Lens for EMITTERS
  3. SILK-SCREEN Printed 'HRS MINS SECS'
  4. CNC cut ACRYLIC face-plate

PICTURE [MY CURRENT BOARD]:
20181219_071925 (1).jpg



NOTE: Before I mount it into the RCU4GLW Remote, I have it hooked up with the 4 slotted AAA Battery unit to supply the 6 Volts required for the Circuit. The OTHER black device attached is the PROGRAMMING INTERFACE. The surface mounted speaker is on the underside. The WHITE dots on the bottom half are the push button domes for the RCU4GLW PIE keypad. NOT pictured here is before we completed the programming for the GRAYHILL Series 87 Keypad. The Keypad functions as a modifying device the resets behaviors, turns LED's on/off are replaces the need for the 3 toggle switches on the ORIGINAL prop used on the show. The REAL prop from the show used 3 toggle switches to turn off the LED lights while still counted down. It also changed the state of the blinking red LED above the WINGED SCARAB from blinking, to solid, to off. The RED #2423 ACRYLIC FACE-PLATE is the EXACT material/color# used on the actual prop with the information I was given from the PROP MASTER who designed the EGYPTIAN TIMER. The WINGED SCARAB is also made the EXACT same way as the actual prop. They ACID ETCHED the design. With the advancements in modern CAD, we can now easily create VECTOR art for the average user, and not restricted to expensive business software. The resulting WINGED SCARAB is PIXEL PERFECT 1:1. The WINGED SCARAB from CURIOUS GOODS is quite literally the PIXEL PERFECT BEST you can get for the EGYPTIAN TIMER prop enthusiast...

WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR IS HELP ON OBTAINING WHAT I HAVE LISTED IN THE NEED SECTION, HELP ON CONSTRUCTION, MAJORLY NEED HELP WITH FINDING THE PROPER BRASS EMITTERS AND HELP WITH THE FACE-PLATE...THE SCREEN PRINTING ON THE FACE-PLATE WITH HRS MINS SECS, AND FINALLY RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT TO USE AND HOW OT CUT ROUND HOLES FOR THE EMITTERS AN CUTTING SECTIONS OUT FOR THE 7-SEGMENT DISPLAYS, THE LED BAR GRAPHS


PICTURES OF WHAT I NEED:
aegypten_display004.JPG

aegypten_display001.JPG



SCARAB [NO PATINA]:
il_fullxfull.392897458_kf7f.jpg



ACRYLIC FACE-PLATE [RED #2423 1/16"]
s-l1600.jpg
 
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Very cool board man, are you going to be making these available?
If I can find some time I could probably machine those brass tips and
probably the acrylic inserts for them.
 
I have sorted out and COMPLETED the layout and funtions of the KEYPAD buttons. On this EGYPTIAN timer, the KEYPAD actually works and is not just for show on the REAL PROP.


KEYPAD LAYOUT [REV. 5]

[1] Set the beeper to normal
[2] Set the emitter LEDS to normal
[3] Set the red LED to normal
[4] ---
[5] Turn off the beeper
[6] Turn off the emitter LEDS
[7] Turn off the red LED
[8] ---
[9] Turn on the beeper
[10] Turn on the emitter LEDS
[11] Turn on the red LED
[12] ---


I have left [4],[8] and [12] available for future use. This will be for the TIMER to simulate the function shown of being able to have it appear off, but it is still counting down internally. this will save on battery life substantially.
 
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Im sure the led bar graph at the top are 12 not 10 althought dont think ive ever seen a replica with 12 watch some early timer screen grabs
 
Im sure the led bar graph at the top are 12 not 10 althought dont think ive ever seen a replica with 12 watch some early timer screen grabs

My version of the Egyptian Timer is the Season 5 one. When it debuted in Season 3, it did have 15 each bargraph, and each side followed a separate pattern per digit, rather than the current 10 with both bargraphs matching the 2nd digit of the Seconds box.

My prop, also the grayhill matrix keypad works, on the real prop, they did nothing. My version is meant to most accurately emulate the way it would if it were real
 
Hey,

Don't know if this info is still of any use to you Joshua but I made my Egyptian Timer emitters with 10mm brass pipe. I then used a pipe cutter to lightly score in the rings. For the emitter domes I bought some cheap 10mm clear LEDS and just cut the top third off - with the pipe and LEDS being 10mm it turned out to be a nice clean fit.

One thing that I would definitely recommend you do before gluing the cut LEDS on top of the brass emitters is to apply a coat of clear lacquer as the brass does oxidize quite fast - leaving you with unsightly patches.

Hope this helps!
Mark

a510.jpgdownload.jpegdownload (1).jpeg
 
I still have one of Lightbenders original boards for this from years ago. I've never had the chance to finish the prop so it's all in a box somewhere. I never had bought the acrylic so I should get a sheet of it. I still have to work on Original timers too but have no electronics for them. I also have the basic parts to make static (probably a few lights) Rickman's timer and Logan's timer.
 
Hey guys,

I've built this (poorly) as a static prop several times. I'm now going back and putting it together properly with the awesome electronics from Lightbenders. I've got the acrylic sheet, the Grayhill keypad, and several of the RCA remotes (in anticipation for a mis-cut). Does anyone have any tips for getting the graphics applied to the acrylic face-plate? Also any tips on cutting the face-plate, other than "cut carefully"? I'm particularly concerned about the very thin bezel area around the keypad.

Thanks!
 
Any progress on this?
I had to stop work on this during the PANDEMIC. I lost income and just could not devote time or money to it as it had to go to living... I am sure everyone will understand. I recently wanted to get back to work on this. I have been trying to build a perfect Egfyptian Timer for 25 years now! Everytime I see someone elses timer, they will either look bad and inaccurate, or look good and be inaccurate functioning. I know over the years it has become alot easier to do alot of what is needed.
Back in 1997 when I began this project..... I began first by collecting data on what was used. Ike the RCA RCU4GLW universal remote, and the Grayhill 3x4 matrix series 87 keyboard..... which was alot harder to track down what was used, but i now have many keyboards of this type in my personal parts stock, as I no a lot of places do not have it, but sites like Mouser and Digi-key electronics did.
The hard part back in 1997 was how to design a circuit board, how would i wire it up to work.... how was the original made??? how or where did the prop maker get/make the Winged Scarab ornate design on the bottom of the prop. And could I or should I make the prop like how the prop works in real life with 3 toggle switches on the back to turn on and off certain functions or should I aim to make my prop the very first.... world first prop that behaves the way the timer would in real life if the timer was real..... as in no switches at all.... make the timer work like a real one would.
So now 25 years later we can all design a circuit board on our computers and submit it to a companies website and the will send you back a professional circuit board with different color masking on it and professional quality traces that all looks like it came from a electronic device bought in a store. and now better yet, they make alot smaller and more powerful AIO Programmable IC's that can be programmed to perform whatever task you wish, if the ic can do it, you can program it.

So.... LONG STORY SHORTER, I have been working on it these past 3 weeks. In fact what I have running is something that will blow peoples minds that adore this show and timer. I don't have to hide what it is. What I am working on is creating a program for the NEW PIc i am using that is emulating the REAL timer.

Once you power on the timer, you must select the time you wish to remain on the world you are sliding too.... it will begin to count up from 0 to the time. once it reaches 10 seconds to go, it will begin to double beep ever second.... increasing double beep twice a second at 5 seconds to go.... then a steady beep at zero and flash. you can repeat this and slide again or for the good stuff.... do again and decide to open the vortex before time runs out. at which point the old programming will take over
 
So many options now to build circuits. One could use Arduinos, PICs, RPi Zero or Pico and others.
 

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