Homemade Lite-Brite
I stumbled on this Instructables article a few months ago for how to make a Giant Lite-Brite. Once I saw this I remember playing with the normal old school Lite-Brite as a kid. I got to thinking that my 2 year old would love this. So the planing began.
I found a wood crate at work measuring roughly 3′ x 4′ which is a perfect size. Now I have to start planing my materials.
Amount of Acrylic needed
Light Switch
Plug
How to stabilize the acrylic sheets (Well kind of, I know how to stabilize them on the edges. Need to figure out how to do it in the middle.)
Rubber backing needed to cover the holes
Lights (2 or 3 sets) (Black light for florescent)
Fans (2 in the bottom only or 2 top 2 bottom or 3 in bottom and vents up top)
Acrylic Vendor
Size of Acrylic Rods (1/2″OD, 3/4″OD or 1″ OD)
Spacing for holes (Depends on the size of rod)
Wire Terminals (Sold out online at a few stores)
Wire size (Probably 12 AWG)
Cable Management (Probably going to use P-Clips)
Moulding (this will hold in the top layer of acrylic and make it look clean)
Here are some pictures of what I have done so far in SketchUp.
Front
The blue box in the top right is the wire box for the switch.
Inside bottom
You can see the 2 92mm fans that will pull air into the box. Will probably move to 3 fans in the bottom and have vents in the top.
Bottom
The fans have grills over them so my daughter doesn’t get her finger in there.
Switch Side
Single Pole Double switch at the top and the IEC plug
Channeling
These channels are 1/4″ wide which is enough to get the plexi in. The 2 front pieces will have the holes it it and be spaced 1″ apart. Then 1″ back will be a solid clear piece of plexi as the backstop.
Still loads more work to come.
[Review] Tt eSports MEKA G Unit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Introduction
The MEKA G Unit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is one of the newest products out of the Tt eSports by Thermaltake lab. This keyboard has all of the features a gamer would want from a gaming keyboard without all the fluff that some other keyboards have. Now let’s take a look at what this device has to offer.
Specifications
- Interface: USB
- Operational system: Windows® 7/Vista/XP
- Number of Multimedia keys: 7
- 2.0 USB port: 2
- Mic-In &SP Out jacks
- Switch lifecycle: 50 Millions
- Switch brand: Cherry Black switch
- Cable length: 1.5m military grade cable
- Detachable palm rest
- Body dimension (LxWxH): 430x160x40mm
Features
- Detachable USB Cable
- Backlit keys. 3 individual white illumination sections for 4 levels and pause-breaking lighting design.
- USB hub & Audio jacks
- Macro Capability
- Normal/Game Mode switchable. Win key disabled in Game mode to avoid any accidental pressing.
- ISS (Instant Switch System) advanced macro key shifting fiction allows Gamer to reach all 60 macro keys within one profile.
- Up to 20 macro keys (12 fixed & 8 unfixed) per profile and total up to 60 macro keys with 3 profiles.
- 7 media hotkeys to provide gamers the instant control of audio sound.
- Up to 1000Hz polling rate which equates to 8x quicker than regular gaming keyboard.
Packaging
Packaging looks great. The box itself is very eye catching and points out lots of the features.
The back displays those features on the keyboard so that you can have a better idea of what it offers. Several of the main features are displayed in 15 different languages on the back which is great for the international market.
What’s inside?
Once we get into the box you will see the CD/manual case and a snapshot of what the GUI setup looks like. It points out all of the things you can change like macro key assignments, backlight key lighting and profile settings. Having 3 profiles is really great for gamers because you can have different hotkey setups for your favorite games. Or for generic gaming you can switch to Gaming mode to disable/enable different functions like disabling the windows key. (No one likes seeing the start menu pop up when you’re trying to crouch.
Under the details flap you will find the keyboard wrapped in a protective plastic wrap. It is also tucked into a cardboard insert to ensure it does not slide around. This is great to see because no one wants their product scratched up in shipping. Under the keyboard is the USB cable, wrist rest and carrying bag.
A Closer Look
Once we pull everything out you can notice the Tt eSports logo on everything. It looks very tasteful to me. Some companies slap their logo every 2 inches on their product but luckily, Tt does not. I can say that I am a huge fan of the carry bag. This really puts Tt ahead of others because they include something to protect your investment with instead of throwing it in your backpack.
Here you can see how everything fits in to its place. There is a separation at the bottom of the bag that you can’t see. This keeps the keyboard from rubbing against the wrist rest. And at the top left of the bag you can see the small compartment for the USB cable.
The USB cable for this device is pretty awesome. I have owned well over 10 different keyboards in my time and I have never seen one that was sleeved. This shows me that Tt is really paying attention to the small details for this device. It even comes with a Velcro strap attached for easy bundling.
From left to right on the back of the keyboard you will see the cable management U-Channel. Next to that you will see the mini USB input which is where the data/power cable for the keyboard plugs into. In the middle there are 2 USB 2.0 ports. These are great for USB sticks or even your mouse. It’s a great addition because I hate bending down to put a USB drive or USB HDD in to my tower. And finally on the far right you have your audio and mic inputs. Also a great addition if you don’t have a long cable on your headphones or if you don’t want to run the cable over with your office chair.
Here you can see the 12 macro keys. The spacing from the main keys is great. You can easily reach over to spam your med macro key while still moving. I never really used macro keys before for MMO gaming but I found it very easy to learn and make it second nature. You can also see some of the backlit keys. CTRL, Shift, W A S D and the spacebar on this side of the keyboard. The Caps Lock key is illumined when active. This is great for gamers but for daily drivers that just like the feel of a mechanical keyboard this really isn’t helpful. A nice improvement would be if all the keys were backlit and maybe the key gaming keys were a different color. That way it would satisfy both crowds.
On the other side of the keyboard you can see that the arrow keys and 4 8 6 2 keys are backlit. The Num Lock and Scroll lock are illuminated when active. On the top right of the keyboard you can see the 7 media keys and the brightness level key. They are easily accessible and work with a single touch. Nothing to complain about here.
Conclusion
Pros:
- Fast response time when gaming
- Sleek look
- Normal/Gaming mode
- Multiple profiles for macro keys
- Onboard USB and audio ports
Cons:
- $129.99 MSRP
- Loud when typing
- Limited amount of keys are backlit
Even though this is the first mechanical keyboard that I have ever used it was very impressed. I am used to the consumer grade keyboards which sometimes make gaming difficult but after using the mechanical keyboard my gaming experience changed dramatically. Overall I give it a 4/5 because of 3 things. Number one being that it the keys are not fully backlit. The second thing being that it is really loud to type on. So loud that you can hear it in the next room. And the third thing being the price. For me spending around $75 for a peripheral is OK but at $130, I think it will scare away some of the mid level or even younger gamers.
This product was provided free of charge for the purpose of this review.
Supplies, Rivets and Sleeving
Sorry I haven’t updated in a few weeks. Its not that I have been busy its just I haven’t done much work. I am still waiting on the rest of the plexi to arrive. Been 2 weeks and I’m still waiting. Anyways… here is what I have done.
I got my Orange tubing in.
I also ordered a Rivet Nut Setter. Basically its a bigger pop rivet gun.
So with that I got the threaded rivets and drilled my old holes.
Used the tool, which I actually had to read the directions for, and voila! A steel threaded hole. These will hold up much better than the aluminum.
2 more 2TB Green HDDs
A 120mm fan for the mobo side of the case.
Sleeving… I ordered the FlexO from FrozenCPU because it was “cheaper”. The quality wasn’t great but I could afford it. I decided to do a sleeving comparison for my fellow modders and when I ordered the other brands I got my hands on some MDPC-X sleeving. No wonder everyone uses it. The color is amazing and its only $0.22 PER FOOT!! That’s 1/3 the price of the FlexO. The only problem is that it takes 2 weeks to get 
Germany to USA. USA to me. I wish Nils would ship to APO/DPO but he doesn’t so I have to deal with that.
Here is a comparison between the FlexO and MDPC-X
You can see on the HDD I bought some Orange vinyl film. Its pretty transparent so I have to put 2 layers down to get the color I want.
Since I had some of the MDPC-X I started sleeving the ATX power. I might add a few more black wires to the mix.
And that’s it. I just put in an order to get the rest of the sleeving that I need form MDPC-X and I’ll use up what I have left here.
Cheers till next time.
[Review] Raidmax Aeolus
AEOLUS
More than cool
“Aeolus defines itself as “the ruler of the winds.” This Raidmax gaming case delivers a fresh visual design as well as exceptional functional use. This properly cooled system keeps a constant stream of air moving throughout the entire case at all times which is vital for proper function and longevity of electronic components. The 430mm depth of chassis supports longer VGA cards and removable HDD cage allows more room for a larger sized power supply. Tool-free and cable management allow for easy assembly at all times. Rule your PC world with Aeolus.”
Packaging
The box looks just like any case box. I got the impression that Raidmax wanted to show off the color accents on the case by the color choices of the box. On the back side of the box there are some key features about the case. Also on the side of the box there is a “Basic Specification” section that gives you some hard numbers about the case.
The case packaging was pretty standard. 2 closed-cell foamed end pieces held the case in place inside the box. The case was wrapped in a thick plastic bag to keep dust off the case and to keep it from getting scratched.
A Closer Look
I really like the look of this case. It has a slight “futuristic” look to it without looking or feeling cheap. Older Raidmax cases were very flimsy and cheap feeling. Well that was not the case here. The quality build of this case is something you would expect from a $100+ case.
The case comes with a very limited amount of mounting hardware.
After taking the side panel off you can see how the fans, PCI slot covers and the 5.25″ bay locks all match. By removing the front rear HDD cage there is 315mm f space for your PSU. Having the HDD cages mounted to the bottom of the case gives you 430mm of space for those huge video cards.
The 5.25″ bay have a tool-less mounting system works well and is not flimsy.
Moving to the bottom of the case, you can see the PSU vent has a filter. It is well made and not very flimsy. To the right are the 2 HDD cages. The bays to the left are removable by taking out the screws located under the case. The HDD slides are rather flimsy but once installed the are sturdy. You can mount a 3.5″ or 2.5″ HDD to the slides.
My biggest problem with these HDD bays is that they are not stackable. There is no way to get a PSU in and have both HDD cages installed. Also the left HDD cage covers up the PSU cable management hole. I stacked them and you can see it would work out well. Even when I installed a system my GTX 560Ti had more than enough room to fit with the HDD cages stacked.
Inside the top of the case there are two 120mm fans held in with 4 pressure clips. These enable quick and easy mounting. During shipping one of the fans came loose and damaged 2 of these clips so now the fan is not completely secure. You can also see the very large CPU cutout in the motherboard tray which is not removable.
The front of the case has one 120mm clear LED fan in it with the option of mounting a second 120mm fan in the bottom mesh area. The bottom fan would blow directly onto the HDD cages where the fan in the middle would blow directly onto where your video card(s) would be.
The rear of the case has a single 120mm fan with holes to mount a 80mm fan. Below the fan are 7 expansion slots that are covered by some eye catching blue mesh cover. These covers match the fans and tool-less mounting system.
The front I/O panel is what you would expect from an case. It has 2x USB 2.0, 1x ESATA, headphone and mic jack, power and reset buttons. The top of the case has a flat area to put things like a USB or ESATA external HDD or to charge your small USB accessories.
The 5.25″ bay covers have a “One-Click” locking system that I have not seen before. They are built very well and have dense dust filters which will keep a lot of dust from coming in through the front of the case.
I was not a fan of the doors on this case. Only the back panel had a grove that acted like a handle. The window side had nothing which made it difficult to take off. The windowed side panel can have a 120mm fan mounted to it which is not included with the case.
Installation
System Specs:
- OCZ ZX Series 1000W PSU
- Gigabyte 880GA
- AMD AthlonII X4 640
- 4GB DDR3-1600
- 80GB WD HDD
- EVGA GTX 560Ti
- Lite-On SATA Dual Layer DVD+R Lightscribe Drive
Installing the system was fairly easy. As I said before, I had to remove the rear HDD cage because my modular PSU would not fit. Cable management is limited. All of the holes are in the right spots but the space behind the motherboard tray is very tight. Also there is no CPU power hole so the cable must run across the board.
Here you can see that stacking the HDD cages would be a huge improvement. There is roughly 2 inches between where my GPU ends and the HDD cage starts.
Conclusion
In the past Raidmax has been a “cheaper” build case but the Aeolus is anything but that. Despite a few design flaws, this case is a step in the right direction for Raidmax. You can pick this case up for $69.99 at Newegg at the time of this review. With a few changes I think this case could be an awesome case.
Pros:
- Sturdy design and construction
- Matching fans, PCI covers and 5.25″ bay hardware
- Tool-less 5.25″ bay locks
- Large CPU cutout
- Good placement of the cable management cutouts
Cons:
- No USB 3.0
- Flimsy HDD slides
- Non-stackable HDD bays
- Small amount of space behind the motherboard tray for cable management
- Fan clips are not high qulity
- Side panel door does not have a handle
After considering the pros and cons of this case, I give it a 6 out of 10. I really do like this case but some changes need to be made to it.
After looking at Raidmax’s website I see there is a new “VL Version” is out. The newer model replaces the USB 2.0 with USB 3.0, adds space behind the motherboard tray for greater cable management, adds handles to both side panel doors and adds a mounting device to enable you to stack the HDD cages. With these changes I would give this case an 9/10.
This product was provide free of charge by its manufacturer for the purpose of this review.
Final Pictures at Night
Here are the final pictures at night. Click on any image to see it in full res.
Since I don’t have a yard and its kinda illegal here to take pictures outside… I’m going to go on my roof and take some in the next few days.
Cheers till then.
Final Pictures in Daylight
Here are the daylight pictures. Click any picture to view it at full res.
The next and final update will be the night pictures.
Cheers till then.
Installing LEDs
I finally got the LEDs in last week but I was having trouble installing them. I had to find the right combo of wires to get them to work.
Here are the LEDs. 19″ strip of Green SMD LEDs
Installed on the bottom and top of the case.
The wires were a mess so I sleeved them.
Then tucked them away.
And they work!
Next 2 updates will be the final pictures. First the day pictures then the night pictures.
Cheers till then.
Lighting
As I said in my last update, I’ve never worked with SMD LED strips or used LEDs for this kind of lighting.
I drilled some holes in a scrap piece of clear plexi to see how the lighting looks. At the top is a few 5mm LEDs and the bottom is the SMD LED strip.
It looks ok. I don’t like the spaces between the light on the side of the plexi.
Now here is the same piece of pelxi but with the SMD LED strip taped to the side of the plexi.
MUCH better looking IMO.
Here it is in the case. Its a bit hard to see it because I didn’t cut it to size yet but I’m testing here.
From the front
Deff not very good.
Since most coolant is crap I will be doing distilled water and some silver coils for now. The EK blocks are nice because they have a 3mm hole for an LED so I bought some Orange ones 2 days ago. They should be here next week. Anyways by doing this I won’t need the coolant reaction, the LEDs should look great.
Well sorry for the bulk updates but I’ve been working really hard and didn’t have time to publish them. I’m gonna work on the lighting some more tonight. Hopefully tomorrow I get some more materials in.
Cheers till next time.
Installing the Rad/Res
First thing is first. I’m not using the stock bolts for the rads. I like the ones I bought but they don’t fit the threads of the rads.
So I drilled
and tapped them to accommodate an 8-32 bolt
When I tried a test fit I was like OH CRAP!! THEY DON’T FIT! My initial measurement was off by about 3/8″ to accommodate the rads. So I cut spots in the bottom of the case for them to go.
Here you can see how far it sticks out the bottom. Which isn’t much.
Here is the front one on.
How it will look with the second one. Can’t install it until the new plexi arrives. Should have been shipped yesterday or today.
And here it is with the center piece installed. I forgot to take a close up but at the bottom of the left rad you can see the barbs are on. I had to cut about another 3/4″ to be able to fit the barbs on. No biggie.
Top view.
It took me quite awhile to figure out where the heck I was going to put the Reservoirs’.
This was my first thought.
And my second.
But in the end my buddy came up and told me they would look sick if I put them back to back on the same stand. I said OK lets try it.
I cut the clear piece of plexi to be exactly as wide as the res clamps.
Drilled and mounted the res clamps. I had to drill a hole the drill a larger hole on the opposite side but only 1/2 through the plexi. The screws they give you are extremely short.
and attached the reservoirs’
Here they are in the case.
This is not actually the final position. They will be about 1 1/2″ to the left of where you see them… well to the back of the case but to the left of the pic.
From the front you can see they only block about 1/4 of the 2 front fans. That’s fine since everything is WC’d. The 2 fans in the front are just to keep air moving.
With the side panel on.
You can’t really see them… Lets fix that.
I cut 2 more hexagons out so that you could see them better. I won’t cut anymore because then it will lose its look.
Things are finally coming together. My next update is all about experimenting with lighting. I’ve never used SMD LED strips before nor just using normal 5mm LEDs but some of the effects look pretty good.
Cheers till then.
EK Waterblocks Goodies
My EK Waterblocks order finally got here! Thanks EK for this massive sponsorship.
Here it all is 
2x DCP 4.0 Pumps
1x RAM Dominator
Tons of 10/13 Straight and 45 degree Compression fittings. Straight and 45 degree
