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Sulaco airlock release - recognise anything?
http://forum.alienslegacy.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4573		 Page 1 of 6
Author:  Harry Harris [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:13 am ]
Post subject:  Sulaco airlock release - recognise anything?
Now that the auction has ended I wanted to open a discussion about the Sulaco airlock release panel that was auctioned recently. It looks relatively easy to replicate and I'd quite like to have a stab at doing so some day.

The thing that's bugging me is that the red unit on the right looks really familiar. I've got a strong feeling that it's the speaker and tuning panel from a portable TV. According to the auction site the dimensions are 13" tall and 11" wide which sounds about right for a TV.

I've searched briefly for TVs from the 80s but with no luck so far. What do you folks think?

Harry

Attachments:
door opener.jpg
door opener.jpg [ 90.81 KiB | Viewed 17975 times ]
Author:  hirohawa [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:26 am ]
Post subject: 
How much did it sell for?
Author:  Harry Harris [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:32 am ]
Post subject: 
It sold for $6,500.00

Harry
Author:  michellejordi [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:29 am ]
Post subject: 
isn't that a a intercom unit that you see at the gates sometimes.
were it says ''hold'' the name of the person lights up when it is dark
if you look closely there is a bulb ore something on the right side of it.
don't what that is
Author:  Harry Harris [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 12:13 pm ]
Post subject: 
Could be. I started looking but there are thousands of different designs so it'll take a while to check them out.

The search continues! :)

Harry
Author:  Glenn [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yeah it does look like a Door intercom, going to be fun tracking down the right model of it ... :wink:
Author:  Matsuo [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:40 pm ]
Post subject: 
If no original can be found I'm sure someone with a laser cutter can do that up a treat!

M
Author:  Mike Rush [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:41 pm ]
Post subject: 
I just found this old colour portable TV in my garage. The layout of the channel buttons looks very similar indeed.

Image

(That's right youngsters, televisions used to have buttons on them :roll: )

And if I overlay that on the prop using the dimensions given:

Image

- which to me seems unlikely to be a coincidence. So I would definitely stick with the TV idea. Not saying that it has to be a Hitachi like mine, but perhaps those buttons were some kind of standard unit used in various TVs.
Author:  Glenn [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 2:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
i would still say intercom, most intercoms have 3 button along the bottom under speaker ... like in the photo and some of the older intercoms have a light at at the top (Hold)

I think this is one for our American friends as they tend to have intercoms on their buildings more than we do over here.. :wink:

Harry im guessing those dimensions are the overall size , AND not just the red box? cause if it is that a realy big red box ... :?
Author:  clanger68 [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 2:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
Image

The lights in circle 1 look similar to the push button lights on Darth Vaders belt boxes, I think they are used, or were used, on most sound mixing desks.

I have a friend who works at the BBC who is a Vader nut, he often contemplates taking a screwdriver to work to, adjust, the mixing desks at the Beeb!!

The lights in circle 2 look light dash indicator lights, many BBC props had them added in the 80's.

Such as the Scorpio Clip gun from Blake's 7.

Piccy of mine below:

Image

I've seen some similar online here:

http://www.chircoestore.com/catalog/pro ... ljar6d2v94

Image

Cheers,

Andy
Author:  necronom [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 3:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
I thought the black lines under "HOLD" were slots cut into it. That would go with the intercom theory, as they could be holes for a small microphone to pick up the sound through.

The two large buttons below that, I thought were the buttons off a fruit machine. The "Hold" buttons, for example. They are probably used in lots of things.
Author:  Sidewinder [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 4:09 pm ]
Post subject: 
Keep in mind the red 'found' panel could be upside down.

SAS
Author:  Noble [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 4:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Keep in mind the red 'found' panel could be upside down.


True.

Cool item.
Author:  Mike Rush [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 5:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
necronom wrote:
I thought the black lines under "HOLD" were slots cut into it.

So do I. I wasn't suggesting that there are buttons there, but that it is a panel with cutouts for eight buttons. Like the one in my photograph, if you imagine removing the buttons. The fact that it appears to be exactly the same size... plus the fact that we know the production was using plastic casings from TVs and VCRs...

necronom wrote:
The two large buttons below that, I thought were the buttons off a fruit machine. The "Hold" buttons, for example. They are probably used in lots of things.

They are. I've seen them on building alarm panels and petrol station consoles. Aren't they also the ones used for Imperial 'rank badges' in Star Wars?

Image
Author:  Glenn [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 6:36 pm ]
Post subject: 
The question is would the guys making this prop, just grabbed anything they found laying around or would they have gone to a lot of effort to make a prop that would be on screen for about 5 seconds?..

it could be all on part of a T.V or VCR... just upside down? those slots could be where the channel button go or in some TV wheels for tunning a TV or VCR..

I had a old TV that only had 3 buttons on the front and a panel that would flip down and under it would be buttons / wheels to tune it in.... :?

So yeah im changing my mind and now think part of the front of a TV or VCR...
Author:  Spatman [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:39 pm ]
Post subject: 
Speaking from my own experiences, we usually take our time (as much as we can within the budget and time constraints.

But invariably, the prop you spend the most time working on gets the least amount of screen time, and vice versa.
Author:  Mike Rush [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
I just remembered this image from Harry's site. It's the front of the hypersleep chamber:

Image

The large piece in the centre is a VCR front panel, but look at the small piece on the right - once again, looks like those same eight slots.

I also found these:

Image

which as far as I can make out are 18mm x 24mm. That sounds about right...

Any guesses on the big handle? Somehow to me it looks like a found item made of heavy metal, not just something they threw together. Perhaps the whole black panel is attached to this, with just the red piece added. Aircraft door release? I don't know.
Author:  Cpl Smith [ Sun Aug 03, 2008 3:27 am ]
Post subject: 
Looks like a Walkie talkie turned upside down to me....


Derek
Author:  michellejordi [ Sun Aug 03, 2008 12:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
uscm grunt wrote:
Looks like a Walkie talkie turned upside down to me....


Derek


ya perhaps. that explanes the red bulb on the right side
speak button????
Author:  PVB [ Sun Aug 03, 2008 1:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
The two small bumps each side of the eight 'switch' slots could just be the heads of screws that held the switches in the slots.

The larger one on the right side could be the lip of a battery compartment or similar lid catch.

Image
Author:  Harry Harris [ Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:00 pm ]
Post subject: 
I noticed those too. Could the larger one be a volume wheel perhaps?

Harry
Author:  Doc [ Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
Harry Harris wrote:
I noticed those too. Could the larger one be a volume wheel perhaps?

Harry


The red thing reminds me of the old Radio Shack hand held CB.
Author:  nick-a-tron [ Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
just been doing a few google searches and came up with these 2 tv's. look pretty close to me.....
Image
Image
Author:  Glenn [ Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:42 pm ]
Post subject: 
Looks close... :wink: look at those prices....just brought a 14" portable today with built in dvd player for £69 ... :lol:
Author:  Harry Harris [ Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:59 pm ]
Post subject: 
I have a friend who worked as a TV repair engineer in the 1980s, I'll get a picture to him and see if he recognizes it.

Harry
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