I figured that, for something that's as simple as it appears to be, the Xaser X-view definetely isn't worth $25-30. I had two front 5.25" front panels I wasn't using anyway, so I had the idea of making a front window out of them myself - not just over one cover like the X-View, but over
two of them.
My front panels are regular plastic covers, with a thin layer of metal over that and a UV-sensitive acrylic layer over that, all sandwiched together with two screws per panel. I figured I could use a dremel to cut the metal and plastic, but leave the acrylic intact for the window. Then I'd get a 4" cold cathode for a backlight, and use transparencies for the image. I figured I could cut the window about 4"x2.5" with no problem, so I did some measurements, borrowed my friend's dremel, and cut away.
I hadn't used a dremel before, so it didn't turn out perfectly, but it's definetely not bad. I ordered a 4" white cold cathode from SVC, and since I already had a spare inverter I only needed the tube. I printed out an image and had the local copy shop do a color transparency copy, then put it in the window with paper behind it to make the image show up better. The light just showed up today, so you can see the final result here:
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~ubik/window.jpg
The webcam kinda overexposed the picture, it's not as bright and washed-out as it appears to be. The picture is of Spider Jerusalem from the comic Transmetropolitan.
So, screw the X-View, I made one even bigger by myself with only the cost of a cold cathode light.
Linear Mode
