BTTF Time Machine Build Questions - Ask Me Anything

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Originally Posted by Ikeaboy1

But I encourage anyone who holds this opinion to get busy, walk the walk, and tell the rest of us what the worm hole emitter is.

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Quick Google search shows that it's part of a vintage aircraft radio. Looks like a Reciever/Navigator given the markings on the bottom.

What's funny is it looks like the Bendix Trophy Line M-450. Has the perfect shape that aligns with the holes as and whatever may have been in those cylinders. Bendix bought that technology from Motorola. The M-450 may contain the shape, but has no accommodation for the switch. Perhaps this was for a pre-solid-state radio. Must not be too common as a couple of people have these things and have no idea what they are. Or what you're looking at is an internal part that is normally encased in something else.

I'd start checking with veteran radiomen. One of them probably recognizes it. This guy could probably help either identify it, or at least put you on the path: http://www.radio-nv.com/

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Originally Posted by Ikeaboy1

But I encourage anyone who holds this opinion to get busy, walk the walk, and tell the rest of us what the worm hole emitter is.

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I believe the 'official' name for that is Tachyon Field Generator. :wink:

I could be wrong (please feel free to correct), but the most of it was custom fabricated. The 'grille' piece in front of the TFG is from a Pioneer TS-1011 speaker.

Thanks Mark for all the info you provide.

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Originally Posted by DMCVegas

Quick Google search shows that it's part of a vintage aircraft radio. Looks like a Reciever/Navigator given the markings on the bottom.

What's funny is it looks like the Bendix Trophy Line M-450. Has the perfect shape that aligns with the holes as and whatever may have been in those cylinders. Bendix bought that technology from Motorola. The M-450 may contain the shape, but has no accommodation for the switch. Perhaps this was for a pre-solid-state radio. Must not be too common as a couple of people have these things and have no idea what they are. Or what you're looking at is an internal part that is normally encased in something else.

I'd start checking with veteran radiomen. One of them probably recognizes it. This guy could probably help either identify it, or at least put you on the path: http://www.radio-nv.com/

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Google is a good place to start your journey.

After about 1,000 hours of research, if you're lucky to find a rabbit hole that actually turns up the actual part, be sure to share the result publicly with all of us.

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Originally Posted by awildermode

I believe the 'official' name for that is Tachyon Field Generator. :wink:

I could be wrong (please feel free to correct), but the most of it was custom fabricated. The 'grille' piece in front of the TFG is from a Pioneer TS-1011 speaker.

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It was not a fabricated part. You are correct about the TS-1011 grille.

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Originally Posted by Ikeaboy1

Google is a good place to start your journey.

After about 1,000 hours of research, if you're lucky to find a rabbit hole that actually turns up the actual part, be sure to share the result publicly with all of us.

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Nope. That is not a path which I choose to go down. Not because if I had the information I wouldn't share it, but because I've no desire to build a BTTF replica. Ergo I've no desire to solve that mystery. It doesn't interest me to really search for more than what I've already shared.

But I have left a lead. Because as it turns out, just as Google can search for pages and archives for meta data, someone has brought William Gibson's book Pattern Recognition to life to generate the same sort of data for image searches (hint: that's not a heat sink wrapped around the device, it's a stock vibration isolator)... And with that URL, I know a bit of that guy's backstory in radio communications, and feel that he'd be one of the best chances you'd have in tracking down such equipment.

Best of luck!

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Originally Posted by Ikeaboy1

Mark is super cool and as respectful and generous with information as anyone I've encountered in the hobby. Seriously a stand-up guy.

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+10


Here's a BTTF Time Machine question I'm certain you haven't yet been asked: you built a time machine?!....out of a DeLorean?!!

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Originally Posted by Ikeaboy1

It was not a fabricated part. You are correct about the TS-1011 grille.

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Ha! Thanks for the correction. Shows you what I know.

The info here and other places has helped with my Time Machines. While some information I had to 'fake' myself, thanks to all who have contributed the information. For the record, I did not bulk purchase any parts...actually, I did not buy any parts...just replicated the parts for the Time Machine. :)

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Originally Posted by Ikeaboy1

Mark is super cool and as respectful and generous with information as anyone I've encountered in the hobby. Seriously a stand-up guy.

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Thanks, I appreciate the kind words.

As far as the wormhole emitter / tachyon field generator goes, it's made up of a combination of found and fabricated parts.

The main body is a found part, one of the few that still remains a mystery as to what it really is. Has the words "Receive Voice Tone" cast into it. The two cylindrical bores appear to be mechanical in nature and have a yellowish chem film coating to prevent corrosion. The real emitter on the A car had some slight wear marks on the bores where it looked like there was some kind of reciprocating piston inside that had worn through the anti corrosion finish.

The plastic molded grille on the front is from a pioneer speaker as already mentioned.

The black ribbed belt is a standard type of rubber matting that you'd find on top of toolboxes and inside drawers/trays.

The base is custom fabricated from 1/8" aluminum sheet to fit the cast body and has two legs welded to it, made of aluminum rectangular tubing that is cut, notched and welded.

The cross shaped plate on the back is freehand cut from 1/16" galvanized steel sheet and is held in place with button head cap screws.

Attached to the back plate are two round light bases that hold a 12V automotive bayonet style bulbs. The bulbs were painted over with a transparent blue paint.

I don't think you ever really see the emitter light up on screen since you're typically viewing it from the front side.... There are a few photos where you can see wires heading up to the emitter so presumably at some time it did light up. The same light housings are also used inside the nuclear reactor which also never really gets seen in full glory lit up on screen.

This is a potato quality video, but I'm pretty sure you can spot the illuminated WHE in this shot. Check it out on the bluray. I also think it's illuminated in the following shots of Doc driving Marty home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K54xnt4QRW4

Awesome! I never noticed the WHE lit up before in that scene... That shot It's actually one of my favorite sequences from the entire trilogy. The wipe using the lamp post between the ILM model to the full scale DeLorean is about as seamless as you can get for 1990's special effects. You can tell the stunt guys even put a little bump in the street for the real DeLorean to run over to add to the effect that it had just landed.