marcell marosvolgyi
I while ago I bought this very nice kit
https://obsolescence.wixsite.com/obsolescence/pidp-11
https://hackaday.io/project/8069-pidp-11
and assembled it.
I quickly realized that I'd like a box behind the PiDP, and it would have to be a heavy one so that I could handle the buttons without the machine toppling over.
Another reason for a box was that it'd allow me to tuck away cables and power supply more conveniently. E.g., got around the problem mentioned on https://obsolescence.wixsite.com/obsolescence/pidp-11-connectivity-options about the usb connector being too deep.
The main reason, however, was having a fun project to work on :)
Assembling:
Adding the cover:
And here are some weights in the back:
(just some steel strips) for that 'heavy' box.
And the back cover:
matthewkleinmann
Involute
x86 FanBoy
Starhawk
Exactly! I actually wanted to make the kit with a heavier box like this, but it would make the shipping cost of the kit way too expensive. But this box will improve the 'feel' of the PDP-11 a lot.
One tip for you or others: the plastic case was designed to accommodate a project like this. The plastic case consists of the original bezel, and then it's deepened to the back to make the full case. But if you cut along the thin line in the case's sides, you have the *exact* rack bezel of the original PDP-11, and the screw mounts for the back are also still there. So you can mount it.
Thanks for doing this, it is on my personal to-do list as well!