Oolite Bulletins

In a fit of madness I gutted one of these:

I'm in the process of fitting modern PC compenents to it...
( Spares I've got hanging about from the last round of upgrades )

All is well:
PSU, Mobo, HDD; GFX card; onboard sound; low-profile cpu cooler; etc...
( slimline CD/DVD and wireless network card next... )

Why commit such sacrilege?
-I like Acorns and this style of computer. ( Why did they do out of fashon? )
-Stripped out WinXP + VirtualRPC + Oolite = Retro Heaven.

**Help Me!!**
Among my reasons for choosing an A3000 ( apart from I've had one for years ) is the 'standard' keyboard.
It should be quite easy to find a modern USB jobbie I can butcher for the membrane + gubbins. This can then be put into the A3000 keyboard and plugged into an onboard usb header . ( Much easier than programming PIC controllers etc as many 'modders' do )

My problem?
I can't find a suitable PC keyboard to butcher.
Yes, you can get this layout with the small return key. ( Micro$oft & Logitech do them, among others )
No, I'm not bothered about the 'missing' Windoze keys. ( I'll ignore them )
Yes, you can get this layout with 'proper sized' function keys. ( A very few )
.
.
I've yet to find a suitable keyboard that meets all of the above...
Logitech do just the right style, ( but for the extra keys I'll ignore ) BUT it's a d*mn wireless jobbie!
Just adds extra complication I'm trying to avoid...

So:
Does anybody know of a USB ( not wireless ) keyboard, with the above layout, with proper-sized keys in the above positions?
( Don't care if it has any extras - I'll just ignore them. )
Cheap would be good as I'm going to destroy it!

Many Thanks.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Microsoft-Wired-K ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brand-New-In-Box- ... dZViewItem

dunno if these are any good. if you know brands/models that are what you're after it's a good idea to check ebay cos they have wads of listings for things like keyboards. i got my Eclipse from there. lush keyboard. it lights up too.

Thanks KW - the Dell one may do the job - I'll need to find a better photo to be sure...

keep us posted on this one, i'd love to know if you get it working.

ramon wrote:

keep us posted on this one, i'd love to know if you get it working.

Happy to do so...

'Hiiii-hooo, hiiii-hooo, hi-ho, hi-ho, hii-hooo'
.
.
'It aint no trick with a Dremel and a flick, hi-ho, hi-ho, hi-ho, hi-ho...'

My main stumbling block has been to find a suitable keyboard to eviscerate... Hopefully the Belkin one I have on order will donate apropriate innards.

So far:
Case cleaned + stripped ( oo-err missus! )
Mobo + onboard sound - yes. ( Abit KV7: good, if old, and small )
PSU - yes. ( Nice little flex-atx one )
CPU + Low profile cooler - yes.
Memory - got some ( awaiting an auction on fleabay for more )
GFX card - ( another auction on fleabay )
2.5in HDD - yes.
Adapters + AGP/PCI 90deg risers + slimline DVD writer from LinITX as soon as I have all the big bits, & can do some final measurements...

Most of the choices have been dictated by what I have laying about, but I may well have bought much the same kit as it's cheaper & smaller, with fewer heat issues than more up-to-date hardware.

Why not a mini-ITX or mATX with integrated GFX?
It would have been MUCH easier, but:
mini-ITX :- not powerful enough to make an Oolite / emulation computer.
integrated GFX :- Not good enough! An AthlonXP + GFX card will still run rings around the best dual-core jobbie + IGP if you want any 3D...

I'll post some piccies of my own shortly

Quick update:

Link to OLD-COMPUTERS.COM
http://www.old-computers.com/MUSEUM/pho ... c=697&st=1
as I didn't take photos of the pre-butchery stage...

Cleaned & Dremmeled remains:


and the insides: ( or lack of... )

Take a close look - much ( non-obvious ) dermmel work here.
The Old-Computers link may give some idea.

The layout:

-Mobo pretty much where the original was, though rather smaller.
A dead KV7-V for fiddling to reduce the risks to the KV7 that will
go in later.
-Nice small Flex-ATX PSU with room to fit a slimline DVD drive over
the top.
-2.5in HDD in place

Yes, most of the cabling is not in place.
Yes, fitting an AGP GFX card will be tricky... Little room for either
that or the ram once keyboard in place, so care on mobo & GFX
card selection needed.
How to get the lid on? Well any old Beeb/Master owner knows it's
best to go topless but an A3000 should be a little more discreet!
90degree AGP & PCI risers will help.

The rear 3/4 shot:

See, the lid does go on! Yes more to cram in there before it's
working. eg: GFX & wireless network cards!
Notice the cover for the old floppy-drive hole ( Dremmel again )

Why no floppy? CPU cooler will get in the way...
Why not swap mobo & PSU? Then I'll have the same problem
with the DVD drive! Also putting things in their ( roughly ) stock
positions reduces cutting to the back pannel - I'm not after a
stealth install, but I do want it to look like it could have been
made by Acorn themselves.
Why aren't the Mobo / PSU flush with the sides? Airflow. Also it
helps to reduce cutting. Besides the cables wouldn't stretch!

And the final view: ( for now )

You wouldn't know...

P.S.
I didn't butcher a mint A3000 ( though it was working fine! ) for
those who may be cursing me for an evil butcher!
It's had years of hard use from new and was very dirty.
Not a suprise, had its top off quite a bit!

PVC cleaner ( you know, for windows ) works a treat on this
kind of plastic, followed by a bit of soapy water...
I did the same with the keyboard + toothbrush. Once I'd
removed the electronic bits!

That's about it for now. More updates ( for any who may be
interested ) as I get closer to completion.

For those of an even more-retro bent:
http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/bbcitxb/

I take my hat off to you sir. What next? A BBC Micro a la the pic in the Elite manual?

My goodness, I'm feeling almost guilty now. I trashed a completely good Archimedes only last year, complete with monitor...
(I decided it was time to finally empty my junk room when I moved home)

I wonder if you have it strapped to a table in a dimly-lit laboratory in a crumbling mountain-top Gothic castle, just waiting for the *right* thunderstorm to park right overhead, so you can "bring the creation to Liiiiiiiiifffee!!!!".

Igor, fetch the electrodes and the spare livers.....

Captain Hesperus

@Captain Hesperus:

Mwh-ha-ha-haha!

Update:
It was all going so well...

Everything I ordered + bits laying about the house pressed into this creation work & fit. A minor miracle given I'm doing this the hard way with desktop components!

The last two pieces of the puzzle?
-The correct size of 90deg AGP riser
-A keyboard that would be suitable for surrendering it's vicera for the 'project'

Suitable AGP riser found... Phew, these are much harder to find than I expected. I just hope the company that makes it will sell to private customers - they usually make in bulk for industry.

Keyboard arrived today... D*mn!
I need one with USB and most important a small enter key. ( Like the A3000 one )
Despite thinking I had ordered the correct one ( based on the piccie seen on the website ) I received almost the correct one, BUT with a big return key!
Bugger, bugger, bugger...
E-mail to said company explaining why I ordered from them in the first place...

Project on hold:

Well, Easter weekend comming up, so I'll have a trot round the local computer shops in the hope I'll have a stroke of luck.

Oookaaay... another update.

Bit of a scary one this time.
( Try to think of some appropriate music )

So, keyboard sent was the wrong one - I'm still awaiting
a reply from the 'supplier'.
( I'll post a list of helpful & not-so-helpful peeps I've
delt with during this build... )
I'm now waiting for one I've bought from Cherry. Yes,
I'm going to have to butcher an expensive keyboard! So
much for an on-the-cheap case-mod!

Here goes:

A brand new Geforce 7600GT + AGP riser snuggling up!
Hoorah!!!
This is the best GFX card I could find that has a chance of
fitting the space. So much for an on-the-cheap case-mod!
The AGP riser was a total swine to locate, so much so I
came close to giving up. But a very nice company came
to my rescue.

Time to attach the motherboard:

The plan was to hold the spare motherboard in place, drill
holes through the base, then use nylon M3 nuts + bolts to
attach the lot. An extra nut between mobo and base would
suffice as a spacer.
( More of this later... )

The Beast:

Do you like the nice little low profile cooler? Another bit
that was hard to find. Weell, if you want one that does
some genuine cooling!

Another view:

Yummy!

Yet another view:

Notice the highlighted auxillary power connector? I was
sooo pleased with myself. Not only had I found a good
GFX card that would fit. I'd got one with a small PCIe
connector and found an AGP riser of just the correct
height so it wouldn't foul the keyboard!
-DAMN I'M GOOD AT THIS!!-

The lid on:

Ah! That's got a bit of a bulge to it! Maybe I didn't get
the measurements quite right! Looking inside not only was
the case bulging but the GFX had a seroius bend in it!

-I think now would be a good time to remind any readers
of Charlton Heston's big scene at the end of Plannet of the
Apes-

No, this was not a good situation...

Yet more Dremmeling:

For orientation: The bottom is the rear of the lid, the top
is, er, the top.

-Away with a Dremmel,
No room for that bit.
I think that this project,
May well turn to sh*t!-

Dremmel marks at the top are for the end of the GFX
card, and to the right for the top of the AGP riser.
I also had to remove the spacer nuts under the modo
to help make room which ment much tedious work
with the Dremmel to make space for all the lumpy bits
you get on the underside of a motherboard.
I would have just cut a big hole, but with all the parts
removed so far the case would have got a bit 'wobbly'.
I suppose I could have claimed a clever Lotus-like
stratergy of using the mobo as a 'stressed-member',
but never forget, Lotus stands for:
Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious!

I can see clearly now..:

Hmmm, that will be about as much plastic as I can
remove...
Does is all go together now?
Does it buggery!
( Not quite so 'blugy' now... )

Ok - I'm angry now. Nothing will prevent me from
seeing the fruit of my loins burst forth in all its glory!

As my brother would say: "Sh*t or bust time bro'."

Out with the Dremmel again:

'I love the smell of burning fiberglass in the morning...'

Oh-yes! I did it allright. I cut about a 1/4 of an inch off
the end of my brand-new GFX card!
Not content with that, I then set about the AGP riser
with further reckless abandon, chopping of the end of
the AGP slot & then some of the offending PCB too!

And...
It all fits! Good God in Heaven, it fits! Thank the maker!

Once the euphoria had cleared my head of the 'red mist'
that had caused me to purpetrate such wanton vandalism
my next question was: 'Do I now have an increasingly
expensive paperweight?'

-I have to admit many of my projects start with good
intentions, move through unexpected expence, and
finally end with me going crackers with a power tool
of some description-

Well, the butchered + bleeding AGP card + riser were
transferred to my older PC...
I flicked the power switch, and...

I'll tell you next time.

I eagerly await the conclusion and the bitter recriminations and blaming of others that ensue.....


Captain Hesperus

Taking pictures of it on the bed with its outer caseing removed, does give the thread as sort of "Readers' Computers" theam!

LittleBear wrote:

Taking pictures of it on the bed with its outer caseing removed, does give the thread as sort of "Readers' Computers" theam!

"Yeah baby, work that hard drive! Make love to the camera! Now, show us yer PCI slots! Lovely!"

Captain Hesperus