Nowadays, usb hubs are getting smaller and smaller (and then, they fall behind your desk because the cable is heavier than the hub an then you have to crouch behind your computer to recover it)
So I needed something better (of course, i could have simply glued it in place )
I got some old videotapes to throw away, and suddenly an idea hit me: I like the look of these old tapes, needed an usb hub that won't slide behind the desk, why not build an videotape usb hub?
And some LEDs could be added to nearly everything, and an videotape forms no exception i think..
So save an old tape off the landfills and give it a new, fancy life...
So I needed something better (of course, i could have simply glued it in place )
I got some old videotapes to throw away, and suddenly an idea hit me: I like the look of these old tapes, needed an usb hub that won't slide behind the desk, why not build an videotape usb hub?
And some LEDs could be added to nearly everything, and an videotape forms no exception i think..
So save an old tape off the landfills and give it a new, fancy life...
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Signing UpStep 1: Tools and Materials
So, let's get started!
What do we need?
Materials:
- One old video tape (preferable one of the shorter tapes for advertisments, they have bigger reels and less tape to take care of)
- One usb-hub (working, of course, and preferable with an option for a powersupply)
- The cable for the hub
- the hub's powersupply or a molex connector to power your hub directly from your computer's powersupply
- Two ultra-bright leds in a color of your choice ( and the right resistors for 5volts)
- a small switch if you want to be able to switch of the led
- some cables, one for providing power to the hub and some small cables for wiring the leds up, you will find something suitable
- heatshrinking tube or tape
Except for the molex-connector and heatshrinking tube, everything else was reused:
The wires, leds, switch and resistors came from some old devices i cannibalized for good parts. I got the hub with a broken case for free from a friend...So take some rubbish, mix it and create something new and cool :-)
Tools:
Nothing fancy, just standards:
- Soldering equipment (iron, solder, helping hands, and so on)
- Sharp knive, for example a cutter
- Hotglue gun and hotglue (buiding something without hotglue is nearly impossible, isn't it? :-) )
- Some pliers
- a small screwdriver
- a small file
What do we need?
Materials:
- One old video tape (preferable one of the shorter tapes for advertisments, they have bigger reels and less tape to take care of)
- One usb-hub (working, of course, and preferable with an option for a powersupply)
- The cable for the hub
- the hub's powersupply or a molex connector to power your hub directly from your computer's powersupply
- Two ultra-bright leds in a color of your choice ( and the right resistors for 5volts)
- a small switch if you want to be able to switch of the led
- some cables, one for providing power to the hub and some small cables for wiring the leds up, you will find something suitable
- heatshrinking tube or tape
Except for the molex-connector and heatshrinking tube, everything else was reused:
The wires, leds, switch and resistors came from some old devices i cannibalized for good parts. I got the hub with a broken case for free from a friend...So take some rubbish, mix it and create something new and cool :-)
Tools:
Nothing fancy, just standards:
- Soldering equipment (iron, solder, helping hands, and so on)
- Sharp knive, for example a cutter
- Hotglue gun and hotglue (buiding something without hotglue is nearly impossible, isn't it? :-) )
- Some pliers
- a small screwdriver
- a small file
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anyways...the description of how you transformed the video casette tape and the quality of the pictures you took made for entertaining and informative reading, a combination which i don´t often come accross...
thanks for your dedication, attention to detail and effort uploading the process description...
Great Job HarryM!!!