Sunday, September 23, 2012

September Purchase (4) - KR Hibiki DX Ongekiko Kaentsuzumi / Ongekibo Rekka (Drum / Sticks) Belt Set

This has to be my lucky day... I went to CSC for jalan-jalan and not expecting to get anything... so when I reach 2nd level, I casually walked around and saw this Malay-owner shop and remembered I bought 2 "Handy-version" of the Hibiki Tuning Fork not long ago... So decided to go in and have a walk.. Saw the usual "Handy-version" Tuning forks still ont he shelves... Then something caught my eyes... To my surprise, I saw 1 KR Hibiki DX Ongekiko Kaentsuzumi / Ongekibo Rekka (Drum / Sticks) Belt Set displaying on the shelf! Immediately I took it off and inspect... $30! ... Check if is 2nd hand...Nope, the original clear-tape is still there!!! Wow!!! Decided to pay for it, but the owner is not there, and another kind fellow (think is the owner's friend who might have a booth outside the shop) help to settle the payment... After I returned from OG PP empty-handed, I went back to the same shop and ask the shop owner if he had anymore of this, and he manage to brought out 2 more sets from his stock! In the end, bought 2 sets of this belts with $60 only, so much lesser than that 1 I saw selling in eBay... Sweet...

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Failed Restoration II : KO Gatack Zecter w/ Belt

Transplanted the TheBee Zecter's circuit board into this KO Gatack Zecter a few days ago... changed the LED and also put in some micro-switches for the "actions"... sound and light works fine but the main thing that kills it is the mechanism could not swing the horns properly... The video was shot before I tried to act smart and tried to make the swinging better, so now the motion has to be almost completely be done only by moving both horns... sigh... lousy alignment done.... anyway, hope my current Zecters purchases will be smooth... although things don't look good... Hope for the best...



Circuit board of TheBee Zecter transplanted into KO Gatack's body...


KO Gatack Zecter with the belt...


Following 2 pics show the micro-switches used... ugly but effective...


The dreaded mechanism and also 1 small micro-switch used for the cast-off-music...

Monday, September 10, 2012

September Purchase (3) - "Handy Version" KR Hibiki Henshin Tuning Fork - Onsa Onkaku



Bought these today in CSC, from the Malay shop in 2nd floor, cost me $10 each.... Initially thought they are the DX version in simple packaging, as the back of card mention about sound produced, so I thought it had some electronics... and somewhere in my heart I also knew I probably am wrong... but I still could not resist and bought 2 of them... yeap, 1 for me and the other for my little nephew... So when I tested out at home, I was quite disappointed... but to my surprise, my little nephew seems to like to play with it! There is a small old bicycle bell's "ting" sound when keeping/activating the fork (sometimes have sound but sometimes no sound)... Hmmm.... if only I bought 2 more of the Meitou Onsaken, then maybe I can transfer the circuit board into these, since the (tuning) sound seems/hears similar...

Oh, btw, have decided to try to put in the TheBee Zecter circuit board into the KO Gatack Zecter's body... hopefully can work... but the horn swinging mechanism still needs to work out...

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Failed Restoration: KO Kabuto Zector Henshin Belt

Failed miserably to attempt to transplant the DX TheBee Zecter's circuit (PCB) into the KO Kabuto Zecter's body... One of the reasons is that the KO Kabuto Zecter is slightly smaller, so the PCB can't fit in, despite trying of ways to fiddle... Another reason is that TheBee Zecter's PCB has the push switches lined in a circular path, making it difficult to use them directly. The Henshin, Cast-off Music, Cast-off and Rider Sting sounds also have some requirements, ie. activating and holding the previous stage's push switch before you can press the next stage's push-switch... Etc etc.... Tried a long time... A lot of times tried to tell myself not to give up but in the end... Anyway, die also must have some dignity... So decided that while this KO Kabuto Zecter will be soundless, it will still have at least the snap-out head function when the horn is pulled... So bought a toy sliding phone and use the mechanism... Again, lots of hard work, mainly due to the alignment for locking.... Finally done...

Picture below shows the snap-out mechanism.... Luckily got the Selleys Plastic Glue that allows me to glue this type of oily plastic...


Was too devastated to think how to arrange the mechanism parts, and results in the press switch for releasing the latch part to be shown on top when wearing the belt... Sigh... but don't really care already, as long as the damn thing works.. and luckily it did... Though it did not seem to be able to extend out long, restricted by how the parts came in the 1st place (ie. blame factory-manufacturer...)... Also pasted some shiny stickers to mimic the "lights"...


Now for the belt... Used a child safety cupboard door lock for the belt to "latch" onto the buckle. Oh, belt is the TaoBao bought one, shinee... opps, sorry, shiny... Not really finished the belt yet, still got to think of a way to make the latching parts not be loose and un-clip out when I breathe in a little too heavy... Also need to paint the semi-circles to silver...  


While not forgetting to paint the back part black..



Actually is quite fun to play with this piece, as now it is only lacking the sound and "1", "2", "3" buttons. Still ok, still ok... Will wait for 65Daigou reply before considering whether to buy the legit one or not... Yah, don't think will be doing the KO Gatack Zecter Belt already...


Edit: Added 2 pictures after the painting and tightening of belt latching parts...

"Henshin!"


"Cast off!" / "1,2,3... Rider-kick!"

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

September Purchase (2) - KR Hibiki Disc Animals, DX Tatsulot, DX Ixa Calibur, Plex IxaRiser

My haul today...

KR Hibiki Disc Animals
Gotten the following Disc Animals (#04 Yellow Crab - Kihadagani, #05 Black Snake - Nibiirohebi, #06 Orange Lion - Kiakashishi, #07 Blue Eagle - Asagiwashi) today at the Robinsons Expo Sales... Was looking for some other KR DX stuff, but whatever it has, I already bought... so left these Disc Animals, which I remember the DX Armed Saber can use it to "swipe" for some sound.. and since they are quite cheap, I bought 4 of them ($10 for 4 pieces)... My little nephew selected 3 of them (#04, #05, #06) and he had lots of fun playing them... Turn out to be quite easy to transform too... Just that the CD mode for Black Snake is a little loose... Reminds me of the cassette transformers (especially Laserbeak and Steeljaw)... 



DX Tatsulot
Bought this piece from a Taiwan Yahoo website through the 65Daigou agent... Could not resist the low price, and total cost about $34.60 (after using voucher to offset agent fee and also includes shipping)... Tested the Tatsulot just now for workability, and realised it is not as boring as I initially thought... Hope my little nephew likes it... Think I will give this to him later, together with the Zanbat Sword...



DX Ixa Calibur
Also bought this piece from the same Taiwan Yahoo website through the 65Daigou agent... Again could not resist the low price with the total cost about $37... Did not test the electronics yet, but already not quite like the short blade... I mean, I expect it to be short, but not THIS short... anyway, was wondering can I mod it to have extendable LONGER blade... Seems my stuff of KR Ixa gear is almost complete... just left 1 thing, the IxaRiser... But the DX version is too expensive... so...



Plex IxaRiser
... bought this cheap version of IxaRiser instead! Gotten this from Taobao.com ... This Plex version seems much smaller than the DX counterpart, and actually I felt it is a blessing in disguise, as I always wonder how come when Ixa "spits" his "mouth" to use it as the IxaRiser, the "mouth" gets so much BIGGER when transformed into gun mode! Wah, mass-shiftng also takes place here in Kamen Rider, not just in Transformers G1 cartoon... So this Plex IxaRiser, although a little smaller, has a much better proportion in "mouth" mode... Ok, just kidding, hahaha... Anyway, going to put in some electronics chip and speaker and such to have some sound effects... Total cost is about $17.70...



Also bought a black colour belt to mod into the KR Ixa Driver's belt to fit my big tummy's waistline...

Sunday, September 2, 2012

September Purchase (1) - KR Hibiki DX Armed Saber

Did not went to the Robinsons Expo Sales with my parents today, as I thought there will be no KR stuff as usual... but seems like Robinsons got inspired by the recent Takashimaya toys fair and came out with quite some KR stuff! My mum informed me that there is, and after some Q&A session, gotten her to buy me and my little nephew (who is also there at the Expo Sales, giving her Kamen Rider advices, hahaha... ) a DX Armed Saber each! Cost $15... a bit more expensive than the $5 stuff, but compared to the eBay and Taobao.com prices, its peanuts! Hahahaha...

Very nice piece of saber, in fact I was tempted to buy 1 from eBay.  I even thought of getting the Plex version and implant a sound chip inside... luckily I did not, so very glad I resisted.  Very fun toy, as it has sound activated functions for the henshin and super attack, fun... Hmmm... reminds me of KR Delta's henshin gears... Hahaha....



p.s. Also gotten another DX Climax Phone (Keitaros) as a standby replacement for my little nephew's old one... Just in case... since it costs only $3... Super cheap, cheaper than Taka sales of $5...