Simple Christmas Boom Box

[Gordy]

Re: Simple Christmas Boom Box

No crossover or EQ - just a little amp with little speakers. I do plan on some damping material, but I don't want to use too much. I want to be sure there's good ventilation for the electronics inside. Strategic placement of the P/S and amp near the port should help a little here.

You should be good on the stuffing inside the box. That Sure amp will get at best warm not hot at all. Your box also appears to be vented so air will be moving in and out of the box. I am not sure of the melting point of standard polyfill, but the Acoustistuff fill has a 400+ degree melting point. This will far exceed any heat that will be generated inside that box. Standard polyfiill would be just fine as well. Just stuff to taste.

This is going to be a great gift!

[chad1376]

Re: Simple Christmas Boom Box

You should be good on the stuffing inside the box. That Sure amp will get at best warm not hot at all. Your box also appears to be vented so air will be moving in and out of the box. I am not sure of the melting point of standard polyfill, but the Acoustistuff fill has a 400+ degree melting point. This will far exceed any heat that will be generated inside that box. Standard polyfiill would be just fine as well. Just stuff to taste.

This is going to be a great gift!

Good to know. I know the little amp should run pretty cool, but was worried insulation directly on the chip might make it run too hot. I need to actually plug in the P/S and use it with the amp to see if how warm everything gets. I'll probably still give both a little breathing room just so I sleep better an night - even if it's not a real issue.

[chad1376]

Re: Simple Christmas Boom Box

All Done

Wiring: nothing fancy.



Front: pretty happy with the grill. It loosened after I installed it and looked kinda crappy. Some really careful heating with the heat gun shrunk and tightened it up. I could have done more, but it would really be easy to overheat the material and have it disintegrate. I quit while I was ahead.



Back: I wasn't paying attention when I cut the holes, and installed the AC socket on the top (I wanted it at the bottom).



Sound: Sounds like buyout 4" speakers. OK for it's intended purpose (audio books) Maybe some break-in will help a little for music. I'd spend a little more on speakers or go with an established design if I built one for myself.

[Gordy]

Re: Simple Christmas Boom Box

The finished product looks great! Just remove those 8 screws and flip the back panel over.

[chad1376]

Re: Simple Christmas Boom Box

The finished product looks great! Just remove those 8 screws and flip the back panel over.

I thought about that. It would move the AC wires closer to the amp board. I might try it and see if I pick up any noise.

I really like the look of this type of construction. I have plenty of vinyl and grill cloth left over, so I'm already thinking about a more upscale version for myself. I don't need one, but they're so much fun to build.

[nicholas_23]

Re: Simple Christmas Boom Box

Neat build , is that an old International truck its sitting on ?

[chad1376]

Re: Simple Christmas Boom Box

Good Eye! It's a '52 L110. I had big aspirations for it at one point, but right now It's just "yard art".;)

[nicholas_23]

Re: Simple Christmas Boom Box

Neat Truck , not much to them . I have a 68 C/10 2WD long box thats rotting away on a tree grove (:

[Ryan]

Re: Simple Christmas Boom Box

Great project! What is your impression of those buyouts in terms of build quality and sound?

[chad1376]

Re: Simple Christmas Boom Box

Build quality..maybe 7/10
Cast aluminum frames are nice, but some casting flash remains on the back
Some "box wear"' where paint was worn off on the corners
Square frame would make it hard to flush mount.
Cone, surround and phase plug look nice.

Sound..OK for the price
It's a full range, so both the high and low extremes seem a bit weak
Maybe a baffle step would help..or my box tuning was not perfect
I would play with them more..but I gave them away
Maybe some break in will help too, I'll need to give the a listen after they use them for a while.