I have some more 3D prints to fit inserts into and have some headers on order to harvest the fork inserts from, just waiting for delivery of those. Once those are in I will have 2x each design available for soldering to a pcb.
I also have a third idea, I have some parts on order, once I get them I can start on another 3D model design and see if its practical.
So it has slowed a little, but once more parts are in I can get going again.
Version 2 using header fork type inserts, slightly less quality print but it still works. Bit fiddly putting the inserts in but by no means unachievable, might be a case of shipping the connector and inserts as a kit for the cart maker to put together.
I multi-meter tested the connections once fitted in the VB and got a signal, I also check each connection individually and got signals from all 60 inserts, so I think this will work, its a lot cheaper.
I’ll get some more built and send off to get soldered to a pcb for a true VB test.
The legs are long, need bending around the cart inner but if we are to make the whole thing the cart model can be modified to accommodate this sort of leg length.
Quite happy with how this came out, 3D print worked out to around £5 each and the inserts were £2.50, can get these cheaper buying a stack of headers, I just bought the amount I needed, same for the 3D print, I can combine a few into one model and reduce costs.
Still hunting for small twin leaf (twin beam) inserts.
I have a second version on the go, 3D prints being finished and see them soon. It uses fork type contacts which worked out very cheap but I’m not wholly convinced on them connecting reliably as they are a flat fork rather than having sprung leaf’s and 0.4mm is the low end of what they will contact to.
I’m going to make a prototype and see if it works and then how robust it is putting into & pulling out of the VB.
I am still searching for some small cheap twin leaf (twin beam) type contacts as those are what populate the originals.
Will post some pics once I have the fork insert prototype done, I am hoping I can ‘test’ it the same way as the pin insert one.
Yep the price for volume of the inserts (x60) drives the cost up.
I’m looking into using inserts from a long pin header, I can get some thru work to have a go with and if it does work out then the cost for the amount of inserts drops from around £8 to £0.50, so with a 3D print the connector should come in at a decent cost, if it works.
The tuning fork type inserts in the header are a basic flat stamped shape so should be able to find a cheap source for them if ‘this is the way’
I have some parts due in the next week or so and will see what I can do to make them fit and work in a connector strip.
I’m not including any labour costs, but if it take too long to put them together then maybe offer as a kit of parts to be made as needed.
In reading this I saw the screw hole depth being too short and you can see the screw pushing material out in assembly photo, I have made this hole 0.5mm deeper, -rev1 STL model here in case its of use.
BTW these clear ones look good, red would be great.
But you will know a true VB fan when wearing it as they should spot the obvious. I’m looking forward to getting mine regardless, loving the wireframe graphic, again thanks for the heads up.
Oh yeah that’s the same pose. Nice spot. Not sure if it was for sale, I am not in Bangkok anymore, heading to an island for beach and chilling, I did get the shops card, pic below. I didn’t ask if or how much, would have been too tempting to spend all my holiday fund on it, didn’t fancy going budget for the rest of the trip, I got too old for hostels, I need air con in my room 😊
A gift that was bought for us as it has an Elvis type character on the cover (we had an Elvis minister when we married in Vegas hence the reason).
It looked bad from the cover but I had to try it as it was a gift: bad, very bad, practically broken controls, awful graphics and pointless gameplay. Not that much was expected but it did manage to move the bar down for me in terms of bad games.