New High-ventilation Expansion Port Cover - A1200

[x56h34]

Hi Steve,

Does the trapdoor cover close properly and is flush with the bottom of the A1200 case, when a Blizzard 1230-IV card is installed? My original trapdoor cover seems to bulge up and bend out a bit in this configuration.

[Steve T]

Hi, I can probably make an adjusted version for 1230-IV's- is this a common problem? & what seems to cause the issue with that card?

[x56h34]

I believe that it's a common problem with bulky accelerator cards.

I think it's caused due to the thick "u-shaped" plastic on the inside portion of the trapdoor that creates contact with the card. I may be wrong but I think the memory socket it pushes against a little bit.

[Steve T]

I think I know what you mean, can make a 'low profile' version, to make that section lower, is the issue more on side than the other (the side with the socket?)

A picture of the issue would help.

[seb132]

Yes I love this design but I'd rather not have the MC... Just 68060, centred to match. Thanks. Where can I buy the part after that?

[Steve T]

Originally Posted by seb132

Yes I love this design but I'd rather not have the MC... Just 68060, centred to match. Thanks. Where can I buy the part after that?

just click this link and you're there, any probs let me know, and thanks!

https://www.shapeways.com/product/G3...am-cover-68060

[trixster]

Steve, can you design a DVI rear expansion plate which will also take two vertical USB ports?

Like this http://www.amigaplanet.gr/forum/down...=455&mode=view but with DVI
Or this http://www.amigaplanet.gr/forum/down...=456&mode=view

[Steve T]

could do something like this? its probably only going to work with the mk2 indy, as that has the board mounted connector which secures to the chassis. I've assumed 2 separate USB sockets, and If i have them installed horizontally, it can have 3 chassis clips on the USB side, that might make it feel more solid when plugging USB devices.

http://shpws.me/KlKb

edit - could also work with a 'collar' to help secure loose sockets. http://shpws.me/KlLB

[trixster]

that looks spot on

[Steve T]

So made a few changes based on feedback... http://shpws.me/Kmoe

Mainly, the edge of the fanmount nearest the SIMM had to be trimmed back for a better fit, so to save people the trouble this is already done in the new version, and the whole thing has been shifted a bit for more room and better alignment. along with new "fences", the vertical structures that run in a "U" shape around the inside, this might make it easier to remove them (ideally with side-cutters) if certain cards have conflicts with that area.

[amigasith]

Hi Steve, I got my trap door cover today - wow, this was really fast - but I am a bit disappointed to be honest While the design looks really great, just like on the pictures on Shapeways, it has a real issue: It simply won't close, since the plastic nose on the grille design cover is almost 1 mm too low - see the following picture:



On the left hand side, you can see my original trap door cover and on the right hand side, there is your design. Am I the first one with this? Then bad luck I guess Since I don't want to start filing my A1200 case, the nice cover will stay unused on my desk for the time being. At least it looks nice even when not mounted on the trap door

[Steve T]

hmm, sorry to read this, and no i've not had this complaint before, the first version of this from months back had a clip which was about 1mm too tall, causing them to hang a little, but i fixed that ages ago.... I will look carefully into it. can you try installing by bending the panel itself - contrary to how you install the original one.... please don't try filing the case! if you're really stuck then perhaps file the clip itself (perhaps 0.5 will be enough) and maybe reinforce it with something? Since the clip doesn't really have to bend at all, i think theres a chance you can make it work ok.

I got a trapdoor cover a few weeks ago and another with fan mounts this friday and I cannot snap them in. I bend the whole cover and slide it in. The plastic in the clip flexes and hold it tightly. Maybe there is a difference between different revisions of the A1200. My original cover have the text P/N364912, T1, REV: B. I measured my original cover and the one from Shapeways and there is a .2mm difference in the clip height. My original cover can move slightly when seated. Steves cannot.

Also the U shaped ridge around the edges does not interfere with my Blizzard 1260. It seems to make contact with the PCB and hold it up which is nice. The 1260 has a gold plated border around the edge of the PCB so no components there.

Here is the progress of my tries with mounting a CPU fan in the cover:
https://goo.gl/photos/YmELEWrwbnguGw2Y7

[Steve T]

I probably should have mentioned that the beak is longer on mine - i had a reason for that - and that as boost discovered, you need to flex the panel and install them that way but they hold in real well.

I'm not sure why AS clip shows such a difference in height though, i've double checked and paid a lot of attention to the clip when building mine, i got boost to measure his orginal against the print, between all measurements, 3d model, original and print, there's no more than 0.15mm deviation.

interestingly, i looked at my other 1200's original cover and the part number is different, and its a revision E, but i can't determine any dimensional difference between them.

[amigasith]

Cheers, guys - everything is fine now I just didn't dare flexing the cover to an extent where you can put it into the trapdoor contrary to how you would install the original one. But the plastic is quite strong! In addition, I also had to file the clip quite a bit - no luck without filing - and use a screwdriver to carefully push the clip a bit down when installing the cover. But now it works

The only issue I had then is that my Blizzard 1260 has a socketed oscillator... This caused the cover to bulge up quite ugly. So with a heavy heart, I had to cut a few of the grille connections so that both 8-pin and 14-pin DILs fit and now my nice new trapdoor cover fits very nicely. Although it is missing a few grille connections now, it still looks more than okay to me. But see yourself:



And here you can see that the oscillator is really too high:



Thanks for all the tips fellow miggy lovers

[Steve T]

No worries, really pleased to see it successfully installed... There's a reason its called strong and flexible plastic! Always a good idea to ask before trying something out.

Kinda ouch about the osc cutouts though, thats just the kind of customisation i'd have done for you. do you mind if I use one of those pics on my shapeways page?

Thanks!

[amigasith]

Kinda ouch about the osc cutouts though, thats just the kind of customisation i'd have done for you.

Yep, I also feel "kinda ouch" about it But it looked pretty ugly when it was bulged up, believe me. If I had suspected before that the oscillator is too high, I would have asked. But to be honest I really didn't expect this...

do you mind if I use one of those pics on my shapeways page?

No problem, mate

[amigasith]

Steve asked me to collect some info regarding my original trapdoor cover. So here it is The part number is P/N: 364913 T2 REV:E. The case is "Made in the Philippines". And here is a small sketch that I made:



It's not true to scale, but the measurements are made with a caliper, so they should be exact

[Steve T]

it seems your rev E cover is fractionally taller than others, but no problem there, all the other measurements of 3d and prints are consistent to within a few percent.

[seb132]

Ordered my special one... Thanks mate!
Halas no more free shipping, aouch! Been too slow I guess...
*** edit
... Hope the model I used has all latest improvements you did lately...