I have a handful of vintage computers that use RS-232 terminals as their primary user-interface. But these days, terminals are scarce and have actually become fairly expensive. One can always use a terminal emulator on their PC, but it's nice to have a dedicated terminal.
So I was pleasantly surprised to find the VT100 Terminal Clone boards made by Geoff Graham and Peter Hizalev. Check them out:
Both are excellent and while they are mostly the same, each has its advantages and disadvantages. Geoff's has a composite video output, for example.
I decided it would be great to have a nice little box made rather than putting 'em in a generic aluminum case. So I contacted my friends at Ideal Specialty in Tulsa, and asked them to help me create one. This is what we came up with:
 VT100ish, setup and running |
 VT100ish, front view |
 VT100ish, rear view |
The box is a Metcase M5501110 and the front panel and rear panel were done under Ideal Specialty job number K22699. So if you want to build your own, you can order using those numbers.
 VT100ish, boards mounted, ready for front and rear panels |
 VT100ish, ready for the top to go on |