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Display Case
#1
Hi, so I finally got my display mounted in a box, I like how it turned out and the box is perfect, thanks to Neongt on the forum for pointing it out.

I would love to have a case like this for others but cutting them out is a lot of work, this took me a day. The end result is great though and the case is perfect size for the display, I love the size of the boarder around it and it's thick enough to stand firmly but not to thick to look cumbersome. It definitely gives it a much more professional look. So I was thinking it would be nice to have a template box where I could place this box in and run the dremal around the holes, then I would be able to cut a box even better than this in 10-15 minutes. 

I would use some kind of strong epoxy to add the standoffs to mount the display in the box. It would also come with the photocell mounted through the box, this is what adjusts the display based on the brightness of the room. The only thing you would have to do is glue your buzzer/speaker in the box. There loud enough you don't need a hole. Of course if you wanted full volume you could mount it to the back of the box on the outside.

The box being made would have another hole for the other USB jack on the arduino as I plan to be using this in the future. I won't be adding a hole to access the DC power jack though, if for whatever reason you wanted to power the display independently you would need to drill a small hole where ever and run a cable inside the box. 

Is a display case like this worth $35? I know its a bit expensive but without getting a warehouse full of them its the best I can do. In the end the box won't be perfect because it's still done by hand but it'll be better than what most can do free hand. 

I've looked around a bit on getting such a thing made, it would cost between $300-$400 and supposedly last a while... I'm not a rich guy and not sure if people actually want such a thing so I'm going to create a listing for the case as a pre-order, once I receive 12 orders I'll have the template made and get everyone there box. If someone does order it they can cancel anytime before shipping i and get a full refund. The shipment would be under 500 grams so I can ship anywhere in the world via Air mail for about $20 and to the US and Canada for around $12.

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#2
If anyone is interested here's the link for the listing.

https://www.robo-tank.ca/en/Displays/7-D...48c61.html
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#3
Looks great Rob! It's a far more finished cabinet for the screen than my poor man's version I made and posted under the following forum:

Robo-Tank DIY Aquarium Controller Forum › Robo-Tank › DIY Hardware Questions [Image: arrow_down.png] 

[Image: nav_bit.png] Housing for unit and screen.


I will say that for 96 cents at WalMart, my Back to School Special on this pencil case is a good starter case. Only took me about ten minutes to cut with a hobby knife and Dremel. It's a soft plastic that is dark tinted so the light sensor has no trouble "seeing" the ambient light. Also, I was lucky that I never had an issue with the Screen dimming. I am using the Elecfreaks 7" and the Led_A resistor was in the proper place.  I have my Auto-Dim level set to 5 (Rob, I noticed that the settings limits allows an entry to go to 25... Is this an oversight? ver 1.5) and when the tank is dark, the screen goes 100% black. I have positioned the latch on the pencil case towards the top so that when it rests on my tank's canopy, it has a slight leaning back tilt and is very stable.

I hope there is enough interest in your new case so that we all can benefit from a large quantity purchase. It really gives R-T a polished and professional look!
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#4
Thanks Steve, I definitely like what you've done, it certainly works and looks good to. I realize this is expensive so I understand its not for everyone, just figured it would be a nice option to have.

EDIT: forgot the dimming part. That wasn't an oversight, that was being lazy. I had it setup so it only went to 5 but added a larger range so the dim could be adjusted more accurately. I figured I would be changing the page soon so I didn't bother updating the image. Next update it'll be proper. ;)
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#5
(04-15-2016, 07:57 PM)Rob F Wrote: Thanks Steve, I definitely like what you've done, it certainly works and looks good to. I realize this is expensive so I understand its not for everyone, just figured it would be a nice option to have.

EDIT: forgot the dimming part. That wasn't an oversight, that was being lazy. I had it setup so it only went to 5 but added a larger range so the dim could be adjusted more accurately. I figured I would be changing the page soon so I didn't bother updating the image. Next update it'll be proper. ;)

Got it! So the dimming range is 0 to 25 with 0 be no dimming. Only the label needs updating to follow the actual range.
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#6
Yeah 0 is no dimming, I'm changing it all so its easier to understand.
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#7
I really do like the look of that box and how it frames the screen instead of the screen coming threw. did you leave a hole for power for the screen and boards? I see the dimming diode mounted  in there also looks nice. I was thinking about the little siren output maybe mounting it on the side and drilling a few tiny holes to let more sound out. Or finding one from a smoke alarm the kind you wire in to the house current or even 9v style the alarm siren in both is incredibly loud.

so anyone have input on this pleas comment
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#8
Yeah I agree not seeing anything but the display makes it look good, it's also quite stable when pressing on it. If a weight was put in it wouldn't move when using it. The power goes though the RJ45 that's plugged in the pictures, the other jack isn't required, only useful if you program the updates away from your computer, then you have a way to power it up as the USB doesn't have enough current for the display. These buzzers are quite loud, turned up I can hear it in my bedroom with the box sealed up. You won't be able to run that big of a speaker unless you added a small amp. If you try something bigger make sure its compatible with a digital signal. I don't know how that works.
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#9
Nice looking box Rob, it will realy clean up the display. I have been working on a 3D printed display box but it's still in the design stage. I also have been looking for a simple bezel to clean up the cuts in the box but I have not been able to find anything that would work and look good. That is another 3D printed possibility.

rott
there are amps and speakers available on eBay that would work. It might end up being more work than it's worth unless you need a really loud alert. Another possibility would be to switch a relay and then you could turn on anything you like. Just a thought.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Assembled-PAM840...XQlUNRKiok
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1PC-1-7-inch-4Oh...SwdvpWC7BM
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#10
we do not need any kind of amps or speakers added to this project. my post was not to imply that
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#11
No problem I agree, I thought you had a specific need for something like that. I had recently ordered that little amp for another project so it came to mind when I read your post.
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#12
Hi Chris, I thought about 3D printed cases but those aren't so cheap either as it takes a lot of plastic and machine working time. I have a case that was 3D printed for something else, I don't really like because its not smooth, you can see each layer. Still looking forward to seeing how yours turns out.

Those are nice links you posted, looks like its an easy option to add if someone wanted loud.
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Current time: 03-28-2024, 09:04 AM