Mehridian Sanders Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Do you keep your Tape Drive on the Right or Left side of your TI? I am designing a new desk that will be a retro battlestation of sorts. It's gonna hold the TI-99/4a with the following peripherals: Tape Drive Speech Synth Joystick Mod As well as the Atari 2600 and the Atari 1040STFM Later this station will incorporate a soldering station and enough room to squeeze a 20 Mhtz Oscilloscope in it. so in the design the tape deck is facing but .. due to cable length I would think that it might have to go on the right but .. when I get home I will move the bits around. also what else should I try shoehorning in there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 When I used one, it was on the right, since that's where the port is 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 I've learned to NEVER, EVER design a desk for specific computer or piece of equipment. As soon as you get it done, there is another piece of equipment that shows up and makes the desk worthless! Been there, done that! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+jedimatt42 Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 Joystick is on the left too... so +1 for tape on right. I have 14 computers setup on 3 desks. 1 monitor, wall mounted. I find that the perfect desk design is a table. The soldering station and oh-so-silly-scope get another perfect desk to themselves. Also a table. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrhodes Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 Large desk, so for me, behind, tucked under the monitor shelve. Just enough room to open it and change tapes. Hardly used now that i have tipi. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehridian Sanders Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 Well before I read all these messages, last night I just sat down and tried to get a good base from which to start. Here's the proto-mockup. Just for shape and overall size. No hinged doors yet. Hmm maybe sliding doors, like in those nice wooden secretarys.There's gonna be hinges and doors to allow for access to the cables. The top vents will have fans pulling the heat out. Bottom vents will have a filter to staunch the dust being pulled in. Also the TI will be further on the left to allow room for the data tape. Given what i've seen for the TIPI SS project .. hinges door for access to the sidecar port will be coming. Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehridian Sanders Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 I've learned to NEVER, EVER design a desk for specific computer or piece of equipment. As soon as you get it done, there is another piece of equipment that shows up and makes the desk worthless! Been there, done that!Yes .. I.. know. But but but... Aww heck. Yes it probably will be a waste. But what if it could be made modular .. hmmmmmmmmSent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrhodes Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 (edited) Part of me is impressed by your efforts, the other part just keeps sighing repeatedly. Get a mp3 player and play any wav files back to the ti from there. Saves a ton of desk space. Edited June 2, 2020 by jrhodes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehridian Sanders Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 Part of me is impressed by your efforts, the other part just keeps sighing repeatedly. Get a mp3 player and play any wav files back to the ti from there. Saves a ton of desk space.You're right. I think it is for the aesthetics. Helps me pull away from my current online game addictionSent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tater1337 Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 23 hours ago, Mehridian Sanders said: Well before I read all these messages, last night I just sat down and tried to get a good base from which to start. Here's the proto-mockup. Just for shape and overall size. No hinged doors yet. Hmm maybe sliding doors, like in those nice wooden secretarys. There's gonna be hinges and doors to allow for access to the cables. The top vents will have fans pulling the heat out. Bottom vents will have a filter to staunch the dust being pulled in. Also the TI will be further on the left to allow room for the data tape. Given what i've seen for the TIPI SS project .. hinges door for access to the sidecar port will be coming. Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk but but but dual casette? (still working on mine) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehridian Sanders Posted June 3, 2020 Author Share Posted June 3, 2020 (edited) @tater1337.... oooo thou art truly evil... I approve of this! Edited June 3, 2020 by Mehridian Sanders Clarity 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehridian Sanders Posted June 3, 2020 Author Share Posted June 3, 2020 (edited) Now the "MuahahaHA" Moment. a door opens on the right of the tape recorder... a Wico Joystick Folds out ... Mechanical arms propel the joystick front and center to the user. Small aluminium bars shoot upwards from the underside of the desk, into the joystick, filling the screw sockets and locking the joystick into place. Edited June 3, 2020 by Mehridian Sanders 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehridian Sanders Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 @Omega-TI @Tursi @Ksarul @wierd_w For the Joystick Ports.... I want to put as little stress as possible on the ports .. on all of them really, but for this post I wanted to ask your choice preference and orientation. When looking at a dual joystick connection (pardon the crudity) 1. _____ _____ \ __ / \ __ / 2. ___ ___ /___\ /___\ 3. _____ \ __ / _____ \ __ / 4. ___ /___\ ___ /___\ Which orientation seems Correct to you (Let the battling of OCD begin!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed in SoDak Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 In my cassette-only days, my preference was to have it close so I could run the player and see the counter. Pushed out of the way once I was done with it, which might be loading one program or sometimes sampling the whole tape. I might leave the cable on the TI and unplug it from the player to get it off the desk till needed. Don't forget the AC power cord to the player unless you're just using batteries. In your planning, if you intend to keep using tapes, a place for those might be nice to have as well. Carts too, for that matter. Right after upgrading to a PEB and floppy drives, I moved all my tape files to disk. After that the cassette player, cables and tapes were stowed away till needed to make a one-off tape for a friend or other occasional uses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehridian Sanders Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 ..I have a PEB with the 32k, and a working 5.25" drive.You have just made me question my storage choices. LolSent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrhodes Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 (edited) 10 hours ago, Mehridian Sanders said: @Omega-TI @Tursi @Ksarul @wierd_w For the Joystick Ports.... I want to put as little stress as possible on the ports .. on all of them really, but for this post I wanted to ask your choice preference and orientation. When looking at a dual joystick connection (pardon the crudity) 1. _____ _____ \ __ / \ __ / 2. ___ ___ /___\ /___\ 3. _____ \ __ / _____ \ __ / 4. ___ /___\ ___ /___\ Which orientation seems Correct to you (Let the battling of OCD begin!) 5. ___ ___ /___\ \___/ 6. ___ /___\ ___ \___/ Could also be choices. Edited June 6, 2020 by jrhodes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 5 and 6 are artistically pleasing, but were I to use the ports, there would be a steady stream of creative phrases... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wierd_w Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 To be brutally honest, I rather like 6), and can see an argument for it, even though it would be irritating as hell-- It prevents you from plugging your cord into the wrong port when you are half awake and or distracted. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehridian Sanders Posted June 8, 2020 Author Share Posted June 8, 2020 (edited) It looks like 6 shall be the choice then. It does look good. Thanks for the input! Edited June 8, 2020 by Mehridian Sanders 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOME AUTOMATION Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 On 6/6/2020 at 3:41 AM, wierd_w said: It prevents you from plugging your cord into the wrong port when you are half awake and or distracted. This may work as a solution, for you. But what about my needs, when I come over to play! It has been found that I have ...superior aptitude, when taking the "getting the square peg into the round hole" test! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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