Here's how the portable DVD player and the camera lens look with the PC hood. Pretty sweet match!

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My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751

Looking very promising.

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

I finally won a Realistic Electret Microphone. It should arrive on Tuesday, so that makes the 12th extra fun.

I'm thinking the silver circle just to the right of the microphone is actually a keyhole. My firebox (where we keep passports, etc.) has an identical keyhole. The real test though will be seeing how it looks next to the mic in person.

The next hurdle on the horizon will be the two lit buttons on the bottom. Ripley inserts Burke's Logic Card and then pushes a green button (just below the mic). She never touches the white button that is centered on the Vidcom, but it could be argued that this button is the proper way to end a Vidcom call, instead of ripping the card out of the slot. I truly wish I could get a clear shot of the text on these buttons (and elsewhere on the Vidcom), but it doesn't look hopeful.

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My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751

I LOVE that microphone! I wouldn't want to take it apart!

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"The other Gareth"

The hope is to leave it as-is, or possibly even use it for what it is! I don't think I'll need to wreck it.

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My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751

A little bit of research tells me that it was a Radio Shack mic, so probably relatively cheap in it's day...but it does look cool!!

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"The other Gareth"

there are 5 buy it now for under $20 currently up

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Rob Slater
A08/TQ2.0.42136E1

I got mine for half that, but I'm glad it isn't a super rare or expensive item in case other folks want to build one of these!



My real fear was that it was the same item Uhura's earpiece was made of on Star Trek. It never ends well when the same found item is coveted by two different groups of fans!

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My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751

like racals. ... damn you han solo. DAMN YOU!!!!

Some important pieces have arrived!

First is the button. I'll be isolating and repainting the button from this found item to be the green and white "start call" button Ripley pushes. I'm going to try to save the second button and the light for another project, but we'll see. It was free so as long as I don't screw up the first button it won't be a total loss.

Next is an awesome replica of Carter Burke's "logic card" courtesy of Spatman. This arrived today and I'm loving it.

Lastly we have the Electret Realistic Microphone. What a sci-fi looking device this is! I'm really hoping to be able to use it as the mic for the Vidcom, but we'll see if that happens.

Using these items as references, I believe the front panel of the Vidcom is 4" high. The width is a little trickier, but I'm guessing around 12". There's some wiggle room on that though, especially since we can't make out what is happening on the far right side of the panel. More buttons? An interface of some sort?? No idea.

I also want to state that I no longer think the apartment and hospital Vidcoms are the same prop (repainted). There really seem to be some differences between them, possibly including width. Compare the triangular "vents" on either side of the screen and I think you will find that they do not match.

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My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751

dude this is looking cool, i love WIP threads with this amount of detail especialy when it is for an item that didnt get massive amounts of screen time.

Well done dude

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Thanks Hyde! I'm enjoying this build far more than I really should be, but part of it is because I don't think anyone has attempted it before. I am a little worried about the actual build as there's a fair amount of blending that will be required to make this thing look like a cohesive whole instead a pile of junk, and blending isn't my strong point. But I'll cross that hurdle when I come to it!



In the meantime though, I think I need to find a smaller button. This one is too big compared to the screengrab. It also looks like the robot from Futurama!

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Hot damn! I just dug this one out of my parts bin and I think we have a match! Bonus points for being green and having "on" etched on the top. I'll just paint the sides white and that'll do. Of course I need to remove the red "off" button that is next to it, but that's not a huge deal (I hope!).

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My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751

Looking to match the font on the screen. What do folks think? I can always PhotoShop the letters a bit to make them match better, but do folks have any thoughts about these two options?

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My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751

The second one's a lot closer.

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

Thanks Steve! I may tighten up the 'D" a little as it looks narrower on the screen, but other than that I think it's a go. I can't believe how plain the graphic is. I guess the 2170's are a no-frills decade...

Did anyone ever read the quote from Cameron about how Aliens takes place in a sort of technological Dark Ages? It's a pretty amazing concept really.

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Whoops! I've been trying to put the wrong end of the card in! The narrowed end goes in, not the side with the WY logo.

I'm relieved though as this will save wear and tear on the card's printed graphics.

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My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751

I picked up (and then hacked up) an old clock radio, so the other half of the console is coming together. I still need to fabricate a lot of bits, but hopefully folks can look past the rough assembly and recognize some of the basic elements from the original. I also added a bit of rubber from a windshield wiper to the logic card slot to keep from scratching the card.

I'm going to give my Vidcom a different designation than Ripley's as it just isn't possible to make out some of the lettering on hers, and I think I may actually have a larger video screen than she did. I can rationalize this by saying her apartment in Gateway was pretty generic and her Vidcom might have been a few years old. Mine will be the new 2179 model with the larger screen and contoured edges

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Bigbisont just found the clearest shot to date of the entire Vidcom unit:



I'll need to revise my plans slightly based on this, but having a clear image of the righthand side is awesome!

It kinda looks like the same keypad as Hudson's hack pouch. You know, the keypad that's never been identified...

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By the way is that a brick sized lighter on the left in the first picture on page 1.
My parents had some of those huge lighters from the 70's

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Check it out!
Independently targeting particle beam phalanx. Vwap! Fry half a city with this puppy.
We got tactical smart missiles, phase-plasma pulse rifles, RPGs, we got sonic electronic ball breakers!
We got nukes, we got knives, sharp sticks...

yeah, it's also in the picture above that Bigbisont found. Being right next to the ashtray I'd say it's a lighter for sure. So big!

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We've never identified the model, but best guess is that it is a "tone dialer" from the 80s.

Similar to this:




Kevin

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

I'm betting this is what the "shell" was actually made out of. Even if it isn't, I love this shot!

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My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751

I love that shot! I love the way they stick big numbers on everything as well!

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A02/TQ2.0.52141E1

"Errr... Roger that's a 2-1-6..."

I think the smaller of the two television screens on the left of this image was the same screen used for the Vidcom. It is sized about right and shares the same uniquely rectangular shape. Thoughs?

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