I found a seller on Etsy who had a kit. I realized later he just downloaded a 3D print file and was selling them as product. I ended up not using any of the "accessories" he included (strap, buttons, etc.) as I found them looking cheezy and toy-like, but we'll get there.
After looking at a million threads and a million pictures of individual builds, I collected a framework of things I knew I wanted my Googles to include for both accuracy and authenticity.
Here are some examples of Goggles I used as inspiration-
I took something from each of them as inspiration for my build - the electronics, the green lights, the weathering, the face pad, the color, the straps, the metal, etc.
They didn't look like toys, they had the right dimensions and looked ...REAL. I was particularly taken with this one:
The rich care and detail was exquisite (it costs $400 and weighs 20 lbs, so yeah). But that became mostly my inspiration for my build. What continued was an EPIC research rabbit-hole. I know more about these stupid googles than anyone living, minus maybe the prop designer who originally fashioned them. With all that back story and credentials out of the way- let's begin our BUILD.
I will go step by step,
share what I did wrong (and how I fixed it),
lessons learned, etc.
I'll also go into the history of the prop, the technology and why certain things were swapped out instead of raw "screen accuracy" -
Because Again, the mission is REALER than REAL.
I will provide you with everything you need (and more) to know and where to get the items to build the ULTIMATE GB 1 ECTO GOGGLE