PLAN B analog blog

Is it just me, or is yaho sometimes the biggest pile going?  It took
me a half hour to sign on.

Anyway...

The rails are made be a company caled Vector Electric.  They are
avalilable from Mouser in various sizes, one being standard 17 inch,
one being 20.  These were custom ordered by the kids and the were 60
inches long.  Do a Mouser search on Vector T strut.  They will come
up.  They are cheap.

They use a slightly different system than the standar Euro system. 
Instead of two inserts that slide down the rails with all the
predrilled, prethreaded holes in it, you use individual nuts.  That's
what lides into the rails.  There are pro's and cons to this:

The definate Pro is you can put the nuts exactly where you need them,
so the whole A. Sys hole problem vanishes.

A con - you have to use these special saure nuts made by Vector and
they are kind of pricey.  $4 for 25 (why do they ALWAYS ship hardware
in even nembers? 

I don't know the Mouser number for these, either, but the Vector
number for the nut packs is  NT4-7PA. Do a Mouser search on this and
it will come up.  Neither are stocked - it'll take ten days once you
order them fro Mouser for them to get them and then they ship them to
you.  Vector does not ship direct and they make yu feel guilty is you
ask them, so don't bother.

The PSU's are not Doepfers.  I recommended to both of them that they
use Condor. Much better circuit protection than any other commercially
 available PSU.   Blown modules due to plugging them in backwards is a
thing of the past with these guys.  I have an anncement t make about
this, too (see another letter coming in a second)

The powerbusses were made using Veleman protoboards - soldering
connectors down the line type of deal..

The cases - those you'll have to go to your local plexui shop, give
them your design and they wil have to make a one-off.  WHile woods are
easy to work at home, plastics ar e abith.  I wouldn't recommend
anyone try this.

These cost these guys like $300-$400 each.  Not that bad given their
way-cool factor.