Hot Springs, Arkansas DIY Get Together

[billcurrier]

July 10th and 11th at the Arkansas School of Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts we will be having a two day DIY speaker and amp event. If you are interested please follow the link.

http://prezi.com/e2mkhb_8efhj/ Click the right arrow(->) to advance the presentation.

To register, visit http://bit.ly/asmsaacoustic

[Wolf]

Same day as Dayton- so I won't be there!
I mighta considered it otherwise.
Later,
Wolf

[hipcheck]

I am in arkansas, I will try to get out for this event.I ahve been hoping for something in Arkansas or memphis to pop up !

Isnt Bob Brines from Hot Springs? I wouldnt mind getting to hear his speakers. just curious is a swap meet planned? could be fun for all.

Steve

[billcurrier]

I believe he is in Hot Springs Village. Please pass him on the info, be glad to have him attend and demo his speakers. I will try and sit down this weekend and send out some invites. Come in for one or both days, be happy to have you. Bring a project or two. My guess is it will be similar to the North Texas get together, we will compare but not contest.

[mightym]

This sounds like a neat gathering.

has it been publicized on any other forums?

I assume the accomodations are " Dorm Rooms "?

I'm checking my schedule to try to attend.

John

[billcurrier]

Yes, the housing is in the residence hall but we are located right downtown. We have the use of the multi-purpose room, a classroom for the crossover demo and the home theater room for smaller speakers. My hope is some of the locals from the area come in for the day. Hope you can make it.

[mightym]

Has there been a schedule formulated for this gathering? ( When the presentations will take place, etc. )

I've not seen it mentioned on any other forums, do we need to talk this up elsewhere?

John

[billcurrier]

I talked to Dave Thomas and he will be presenting Saturday afternoon. I am waiting to hear from Mark Childs on his chip amp presentation. Unfortunately Paul Stewart who was going to do the veneering presentation had something come up at home and will not be making the trip.

If it is anything like the North Texas get togethers we will give everyone a chance to show off at least one of their designs for speakers and amps. More if there is time. Do some comparisons. Listen to music. In the past it has been a pretty easy going group. Hopefully Blair makes it since he likes to organize that venue but if not we will survive.

I have been concentrating on food and beverages. There are a number of good restaurants within walking distance for lunch and breakfast or a short drive from campus for dinner. We can not consume adult beverages on campus so I thought a trip to the Brau Haus with German beer on tap and a nice Bar-B-Q with $2.00 pitchers would be a reasonably priced and relaxing place for a late afternoon and dinner format. Most of the eateries have web sites so you can google them and give me feedback after I post.

Some of the people are bringing their better half so if you want I will send out to anyone some of the spas and other attractions in the area if you send me a private message.

I will put a formal schedule together and post it as soon as I have enough info.

[2leftthumbs]

I really like your slideshow. I will try to come but don't know my schedule yet.

[billcurrier]

Super, did you ever finish you MTMs? Dave Thomas designed the crossovers so you would get a chance to meet him. Nice guy.

[Texan]

Wow I am very excited about this! I will finally get the opportunity to meet other DIYers, and hopefully hear some of their designs. I guess I had better try and finish some projects. I assume the listening portions will be very informal, and not require individual entries into classes. I should be able to confirm my attendance by the end of this weekend.

[blair]

I think this event will be a great opportunity for the solder fume crowd to share projects and ideas. Bill is a great guy, and very generous to have set this up for us. I hope attendance is significant. It will greatly assist us lazy southerners to organize more events. I'm still working on my attendance. I will probably not bring anything for the event to show since most of my speakers cannot be moved without a crane.

Blair

[blair]

Wow I am very excited about this! I will finally get the opportunity to meet other DIYers, and hopefully hear some of their designs. I guess I had better try and finish some projects. I assume the listening portions will be very informal, and not require individual entries into classes. I should be able to confirm my attendance by the end of this weekend.

I think it will roll out as a general entry event with no classes this time, but Bill is the coordinator this time

We have generally had some "sleeper" speakers anyway that compare to much higher end driver systems using very inexpensive drivers.

Are you someone that emails with the North Texas group regularly? This is something we are very interested in getting on a more formal level with group events and raffles.

Blair

[Texan]

I think it will roll out as a general entry event with no classes this time, but Bill is the coordinator this time

We have generally had some "sleeper" speakers anyway that compare to much higher end driver systems using very inexpensive drivers.

Are you someone that emails with the North Texas group regularly? This is something we are very interested in getting on a more formal level with group events and raffles.

Blair

No I have not been conversing with the North Texas group. Maybe I should start This will be my first DIY gathering. I am excited about the lack of classes and the informal nature, because I think it will be a great opportunity to get my feet wet. I am a displaced Texan so this would be about the closest event I could hope for. I have 2 incomplete projects, 1 complete project, and 1 not started project. I hope to finish a project this weekend, but hopefully this will provide the motivation to finish the other one. I will try to bring at least one set of speakers.

The raffles look cool too.

If I am not mistaken you are an amp guru as well. Maybe you could bring something of that nature? I have been interested in learning about and soldering up some kind of amp.

[blair]

Not a guru at all. Just a dabbler, but I have built more amps in the past 3-4 years than most people own in their lifetime. There will be plenty of knowledgable people there that will share their DIY amp experiences. If I attend and time permits, I may bring a tube preamp to raffle off as well.

How far into OK are you?

Blair

[Texan]

Go east my friend. I am about halfway between Fort Smith and Little Rock. Displaced from the Texas panhandle I still have to make sure I am going to be in town that weekend, but it looks promising!!!

[blair]

I'm gonna try to make it. Here is a picture of the little preamp I will bring if I get to come. It is a tiny little guy, but sounds great!

Blair

[billcurrier]

Tentative Schedule for the July 10th and 11th weekend. We may have other presentations if someone wants to present their commercial product. But for now this gives something to go on. I have not figured the time for the speaker raffle yet.

Friday, July 9th
Move-in Noon forward. Front Desk Residence Life Building (100 Whittington Avenue)
6:00 p.m. Dinner at Brau Haus (German food and beer on tap at Spencers Corner)

Saturday, July 10th
Breakfast on your own. Colonial House and the Pancake House, both within easy walking distance of the school.
9:00 a.m. Set-up of equipment in the Chapel
10:00 a.m. Demo starts
11:30 a.m. Lunch at Rolandos (Cuban) easy walking distance of the school
12:30 p.m. Continue Demos
2:00 p.m. Demo on crossover design by Dave Thomas using Jeff Bagby’s free software (in the Boardroom Admin. Bldg.)
3:00 p.m. Demos continue
4:30 p.m. Break for the day
5:00 p.m. Dinner at Smokin’ in Style (about a 7 minute drive). Bar-B-Q and $2.00 pitchers

Sunday, July 11th
Breakfast on your own.
10:00 a.m. Mark Childs’ presentation on Chip Amps (Board Room in Admin. Bldg.)
11:00 a.m. Final Demos in Peach Room in Residence Life Building.
12:30 p.m. Lunch at Bohemia

[Texan]

Well I got signed up, I guess now I need to finish some speakers.
I thought I would post a link for at least one non speaker related activity. This garden is pretty cool. It is very large and well kept. Very impressive for the gardening types I do think the entry fee is substantial and, It will be freaking hot so go when they open.

WARNING If your significant other goes to this it will likely result in a landscaping project when you get home.
http://www.garvangardens.org/

[dthomas]

Yeah it will be fun there are several of us from North Texas making the drive up. If I get to working I will have a few speakers to bring with me. Plus I will bring a DIY chip amp, and a couple of DIY preamps both solid state and tube.

Plus we are building a pair of 2 ways right there on the spot using the
Peerless HDS 850490 6.5" woofer and the Vifa NE18VTA tweeter. Should result in a nice high end 2 way.

From the sounds of it there are ought to be a half way decent turnout. These usually start smaller but end up like the ones in N. Texas being almost too big. I think the last one we did had about 50 people there. But the venue we have should be great.