- October 24th, 2023, 3:13 pm#4986861
This post may contain an affiliate link that helps support GBFans.com when you make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
Earlier this month, I had decided I didn't need to worry about a belt gizmo for my costume this year. I figured there were too many other aspects of the uniform to worry about & it would just be another annoying thing I'd have to keep on my belt anyways.
However, I had an idea for a belt gizmo that turned out far better than expected.
Behold... the smartphone holster gizmo!


That's right, no need to open that pesky flight suit zipper every time you need to reach your phone. Just open your gizmo & there it is!
Using a cheap leather phone holster from amazon as a basis, I hot glued an old PCIe card I had laying around & it seemed to latch on pretty well. The magnet from the top flap also helps to hold it down a bit. I used the same method for the daughterboard which is just glued to a clip from an old measuring tape. The phone holster barely fit onto the pistol belt - I had to fold the belt in weird ways & it barely squeezed on. But it does fit!
The nixie tube lookin things were pretty easy. Just some bits of 7/16" plastic tubing with heat shrink tubing on the ends, which are sandwiched between two cut pieces from an old credit card (which are also covered in heat shrink tubing). I made sure to leave excess tubing on the ends of the card so I could wrap it around the leather flap & secure it with a zip tie. Then I added some speaker wire to fill the tubes & give it some color. Stunt-gizmo level construction, nice & durable. Hot glue everywhere.

I found some cheap cables at the thrift store to hook up the PCIe boards, glued, shrink-wrapped & taped the ends to a curly cable, & it was done!
Earlier this month, I had decided I didn't need to worry about a belt gizmo for my costume this year. I figured there were too many other aspects of the uniform to worry about & it would just be another annoying thing I'd have to keep on my belt anyways.
However, I had an idea for a belt gizmo that turned out far better than expected.
Behold... the smartphone holster gizmo!


That's right, no need to open that pesky flight suit zipper every time you need to reach your phone. Just open your gizmo & there it is!
Using a cheap leather phone holster from amazon as a basis, I hot glued an old PCIe card I had laying around & it seemed to latch on pretty well. The magnet from the top flap also helps to hold it down a bit. I used the same method for the daughterboard which is just glued to a clip from an old measuring tape. The phone holster barely fit onto the pistol belt - I had to fold the belt in weird ways & it barely squeezed on. But it does fit!
The nixie tube lookin things were pretty easy. Just some bits of 7/16" plastic tubing with heat shrink tubing on the ends, which are sandwiched between two cut pieces from an old credit card (which are also covered in heat shrink tubing). I made sure to leave excess tubing on the ends of the card so I could wrap it around the leather flap & secure it with a zip tie. Then I added some speaker wire to fill the tubes & give it some color. Stunt-gizmo level construction, nice & durable. Hot glue everywhere.

I found some cheap cables at the thrift store to hook up the PCIe boards, glued, shrink-wrapped & taped the ends to a curly cable, & it was done!