Once more about the desktop-A1200-in-the-tower issue!

[dxrdx]

Hello everybody!

I just bought a A1200+BPPC+BVision from a friend of mine,
but most unfortunately the machine isn't a tower model.

Now I'm asking YOU dear Amigist, who has put your baby
in the tower, how did you do it, and which PC case
did you use in your project!

Why am I asking this ? Because there must be 8298570957
different PC cases out there, I'd like to have a little
pointers which PC cases are most suitable
for this purpouse.

Most of all,I'd like to know which case brands/models are
known to work best with A1200!

(And as a student, I don't want to end up putting up a
PC store which sales different kinds of slightly drilled
and hacksawed cases for people )

ADDED: A Bonus Question: What is the best keyboard adapter
for the Amiga, custom hacks included ?

I've heard that some adapters are pretty lousy,
especially when typing fast.

Regards;
Mikko

[Amigaz]

Why not buy a tower kit from Elbox?
Saves you alot of trouble and pain   :-)

www.elbox.com

[dxrdx]

The answer is simple: price - and secondly, I'm a DIY-guy :-).

However, I checked out the Elbox pages out of curiosity,
and they do not seem to be selling any more those
A1200-boxes .


Mikko

[Linchpin]

Hey there!

I recently did mine, its not easy i tell you.

I messed up 3 cases to find a good one, in the end i went for a full tower (its huuuge!) to avoid the need for a 90° PCMCIA adaptor for the NIC.

When i was doing mine, i didnt really focus on what the back looked like, tbh - i didnt care as that wasnt going to be seen anyway. So... I cut out a great big hole in the back, cut out little bits here and there inside, moved the power supply to a different place and then cut out and glued a section of the original a1200 case ( the bottom bit ) to one side of the tower.

Hey Presto! No need to mess about trying to mount the a1200 mobo on mounts that are not there, etc! It just sits niceley in the original a1200 case bottom, with no need to drill mount holes or worry about shorting the a1200 mobo on the bottom of the case.

I can take some photos if you like, but its not pretty, but it works.

Obviously from the front you cant tell at all, and the a1200 is very stable in its new home. Now where is that PPC.... :-)

[Brian]

Get a full/big tower, preferrably one with 1-2" of space on the side of the 5.25" units.

There are not many places to mount the motherboard but there are a few. What you can try to do is cut out a section on the back of the tower just big enough for the ports but not for the 2 outer screws for the monitorport and mouseport. Drill holes and the screws can go trough the holes to secure the motherboard against the back. This will hold it quite firm onto the back of the tower, and then you can use the 3 holes on the front of the motherboard (2 at the front and 1 close to the CPUslot/Mouseport) to mount it firmly to the tower (use spacers).

The turboboard shouldn't move around to much in the CPUslot so to secure it you could just use rubberbands (I know, sound amateurish but it works well and is flexible for any turboboard and simm configuration).

A AT->Amiga or ATX->Amiga power converter is pritty easy to create self, the leds are more or less strightforward and 2.5"->3.5" IDE cables are also quite easy to make yousrelf so the only real problem left is the keyboard. I sugest you buy an EZ-key solution or simular (allow to connect external Amiga or PC keyboard to the A1200).

If you're thinking about expanding the system later on you could try to prepare the motherboardmounting for a Mediator PCI bussboard or simular so that the PCI/Zorro slots are level with the backplates, but that is of cause optional.

[dxrdx]

Hi LinchpiN !

Yeah, it isn't easy, I know, but I think it's worth
the reward.

About the pictures: Sure ! Let's put up a gallery - let the best box win :-) !

By the way; who's the manufacturer of your case ?

I'd like to know which of those countless PC cases are most suitable for a tower work.

And how about the ATX power, did you just hotwire it and
start it from the main switch or do you have something more elegant for the power button ?


Mikko

[dxrdx]

Hi Brian !

> The turboboard shouldn't move around to much in the CPUslot > so to secure it you could just use rubberbands (I know,
> sound amateurish but it works well and is flexible for any
> turboboard and simm configuration).

Thanks for the advice, I'll have to deal with the BPPC+BVision somehow! A friend of mine has a Bliz 1260 which doesn't take two sided simms, but he managed to get the two sides simms to work by using a plenty of tape around the card , so those rubberbands aren't out of the question either !

The same question goes to you, who's the manufacturer of your case ?

Mikko

[CU_AMiGA]

@LinchpiN

Yeah. I was wondering how your tower project thingy was going. Have you posted any images of it on here yet?

[Brian]

I have to admit that my tower is a hybrid. A TowerHawk1200ex more or less made for the amiga (had to cut in the case to fit the turboboard amongst other things) but missing crusial parts that I've manufactured myself later on.

Anyway, I've been involved in a few other tower/desctop projects and my above notes stand true so far. :-D

[Linchpin]

Hi CU

Amiga is all running now, in the tower (although it dosent get a lot of use!)

Ill post pics soon !

[swift240]

I got a Jupiter Tower case from Maplin for £40.00 I drilled out the rivets from the back took the back off completely and made my own.

www.maplin.co.uk

Model no. JT94C £39.99 with 300 watt ATX PSU inside and power leads and screws.

This way you can please your self as to how you do it.


Mike....

 :-D  :-D  :-D

[dxrdx]

Hi swift240!

Thanks for the tip, and what comes to the pleasure things, I'll be pleasing myself with much more natural ways. Thank you.

Regards;
Mikko