P-Box: Space & Enjoyment

[Omega-TI]

With all the new TI goodies being released in the past couple of years like the P-Box TIPI, P-Box SAMS card, now the 'almost here' P-Box RAM disk, the biggest impediment to people enjoying all the goodies seems to be the space to store a P-Box.  Some of us use the P-Box as a tower on the desk to save space, but others could set it on the floor.  To that end, which floor type computer stand works best with the TI?  It seems a shame that a few inches of space can prevent someone from really enjoying their hobby to the fullest extent.

 

It just occurred to me that if we have a woodworker in our ranks, a nice elevated P-Box stand with a couple of drawers for disks, cartridges or just a some space below to hide the console power supply would be nice... maybe even a place on the back to mount a power strip.

[+jedimatt42]

For me, they deserve their own table. And I rarely go a session without taking the lid off the PEB for some reason... 

 

-M@

 

[+InsaneMultitasker]

My PEB has two nice built-in shelves  

(Heatwave is in the background chirping along)

 

[Omega-TI]

2 hours ago, InsaneMultitasker said:

My PEB has two nice built-in shelves  

(Heatwave is in the background chirping along)

Nice shelves!  What impresses me even more is that you have a full P-Box!  I have empty unused slots on mine. ☹️

 

[+retroclouds]

These are some nice pictures! I love it. 

 

@jedimatt42 where did you get the nice Geneve + TI-99/4A stickers?

[wierd_w]

A thought occurred to me today.

 

I wonder if I can convert an ATX case into a PBOX, with a custom backplane and PSU.  I have a 90s vintage full tower (as in, FULL HEIGHT, AT board ready! Mine is very similar to this linked one. Mine is actually vintage from the 90s though.) case I could perform the experiment with.  I just need an appropriately sized pefboard, slots, bodge-wire and PSU+regulator goodies.

 

Perhaps I will try that sometime soon.

 

Do you think that a suitable 3D printed bracket could be made to convert a PC case slot into one suitable for a TI card could be made?  I am thinking that since the target victim can accept full AT boards that the "Back of card" alignment system could be printed from plastic and installed on the rear-most standoff holes...  I should do more investigation!!

Edited January 2, 2020 by wierd_w

[Omega-TI]

4 hours ago, retroclouds said:

These are some nice pictures! I love it. 

 

Agreed!  Let's keep the ball rolling!

[+FALCOR4]

Standard "stack'em high" setup.  I use Jim Fetzner's extender board in the top one to check out and troubleshoot boards often.  The bottom unit is my original purchase back in the early 80's; I've collected four more of these over the years and am in the process of rebuilding them all (caps, regulators, diodes, fan).  Fun stuff!

 

[+arcadeshopper]

16 hours ago, wierd_w said:

A thought occurred to me today.

 

I wonder if I can convert an ATX case into a PBOX, with a custom backplane and PSU.  I have a 90s vintage full tower (as in, FULL HEIGHT, AT board ready! Mine is very similar to this linked one. Mine is actually vintage from the 90s though.) case I could perform the experiment with.  I just need an appropriately sized pefboard, slots, bodge-wire and PSU+regulator goodies.

 

Perhaps I will try that sometime soon.

 

Do you think that a suitable 3D printed bracket could be made to convert a PC case slot into one suitable for a TI card could be made?  I am thinking that since the target victim can accept full AT boards that the "Back of card" alignment system could be printed from plastic and installed on the rear-most standoff holes...  I should do more investigation!!

 

Whatever you do. MAKE SURE THERE'S THE CAGE AROUND THE CARDS to hold them solidly in place. I can't capitalize that enough.

 

People have been doing the "move the backplane to a desktop/tower case" trick for a while now, and some have shorted the hell out of their TI cards that way (ones without clamshells..) 

 

Greg

[+jedimatt42]

17 hours ago, retroclouds said:

These are some nice pictures! I love it. 

 

@jedimatt42 where did you get the nice Geneve + TI-99/4A stickers?

 

I made them back in early 2016 when I picked up the Geneve... They are transparent shipping labels... Avery 8663.  

 

  The data files are probably on the old gaming PC that never gets turned on since the retro games are more fun.

 

-M@

 

 

[Omega-TI]

Cool!  They have a << laser printer version >> of those labels too!

[Omega-TI]

For those of you who have TIPI's in your P-Box, and are considering getting some transparent labels, I humbly submit this graphic for your consideration...

 

[wierd_w]

15 hours ago, arcadeshopper said:

 

Whatever you do. MAKE SURE THERE'S THE CAGE AROUND THE CARDS to hold them solidly in place. I can't capitalize that enough.

 

People have been doing the "move the backplane to a desktop/tower case" trick for a while now, and some have shorted the hell out of their TI cards that way (ones without clamshells..) 

 

Greg

This is why I pointed out that the full tower case is AT compliant.

 

AT boards had more "foot room" than ATX boards, because of the need for cards that were hella long. (like VLB and pals.)  This means that there are 2 extra standoff locations at the foot-end of the case, that I can use to attach a rear-retention system.

 

There are guides in the PEB at both the front AND back of the card slots.  Clever 3D printed slot adapter bits for the PEB cards, so that they can use the AT/ATX style card slot retainer screw on the front side is only half the solution. The retention system at the foot of the card needs to exist too.  I can make such a thing and install it on those two standoff screws.