This hack looks so cool that I am debating
drilling little holes into my Powerbook’s case so I can make a mobile version.
Gizmodo has the
scoop on a LED clock hack for G5 towers put together by Swedish hacker Anders Lundberg. Unfortunately,
the instructions are all in Swedish, but from what I’ve been
able to figure out so far, Nästa means Next and there are pictures. Have fun!
UPDATE: Check the comments for a translation by Johannes. Thanks, Johannes!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Johannes, Sweden said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
Well, being a swedish mac geek I felt the urge and need to translate the lot of it... so here it is:
This is needed for the assemblance:
- One ordinary LED watch (4 USD)
- One Apple PowerMac G5 (A good many more USD)
- 58 bright, clear, LEDs (3mm).
- circuit board, etching fluid (used to develop the circuit board) and etching powder.
- UV Lamp (or one can, according to A.L, use a solarium lamp)
- solder and some wires...
First we gotta find out wich cable goes to wich LED. I'm afraid this circuit uses Alternating Current, 50Hz (in Sweden, in U.S it'd be 60Hz) in order to create 2 cycles for the display. That cuts the need for cables in half, and thus the diodes are "flashing" 50 times per second. This means one has to connectfeed the watch external 50hz AC instead of internal 12V DC from the G5... anyone has an idea how to solve this - mail the creator of the project!
(The positive node during cycle one is marked with black color, 2nd cycle marked grey)
Remodeling the display
After some measuring and fiddling, mr. Lundstr?igured out this solution:
Tape the black "schematic" on a 100x45mm circuit board prepared for UV treatment. Expose to UV for 8 minutes, develop and etch away the unnecessary copper. Now drill holes with an .6mm drill or a Dremel.
Solder all the diods, the negative cathode of the diod to the red marking (A.L: "Yes, I know it should be the opposite"). Next paint the board black in order to prevent it from being visible through the G5 front.
Finally, simply switch the power on, set up the clock and press the display into the mac. Enjoy!
mr. Anders Lundberg promises to get back to you all on the subject of the power supply.
Well, that was my post here... Now be sure to post any pictures of your own attempts (either your fabulous G5 now witch built-in clock or you crying cause something went terribly, terribly wrong).
And, oh, anyway: Shouldn't he have bought thos cool blue LED:s isntead of the ordinary red ones? That would be way cooler...
Reply
C.K. Sample, III said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
Holy coolest comment ever, Johannes! Thanks for the translation!
Reply
Feol Burritz said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
Translation is most excellent, comrade! Many thanks!
Reply
Johannes said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
Well, I'm the coolest. Oh, right, no.
But what's the deal with the Appleblog folks being unwilling to remove the "instructions in swedish" text parts? I mean, now that I've done the work for them ;)
You be good now mates...
Reply
Blargy said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
it would seem to me you should be Abel to convert the 12v to 9v and run that to the clock being as most of the ones i have run across have a internal 9V battery so that it dosent lose its time during the night and not wake you up if the power goes out for a bit. hay you *MAY* even be abel to run it strait off the 12 volts if your willing to risk blowing out your radio and havening to start over
Reply
yoyoyo said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I tried it and it exploded my mac. Thats ok.
I swear my friend was over and he thought it would be funny to
drop a match in the g5. KABLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMM!
It singed ALL (I mean ALL) of my hair. The battery light on fire.
Then the power supply for the mac...... BBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
"HOLY HELL"
Reply