The Boominator - another stab at the ultimate party machine

I'm about to wire the batteries. For the speakers I've used some bi-wiring cable of a descent quality I had from a former setup. I've read that the cables for the batteries should be as thick as possible.
The outside diameter is 3mm and the kobber is 2mm

My question is if would be safe and ok to use this speaker cable for wiring the batteries?

When I compare it to normal electric wire, this looks much better and thicker, but I don't know if it's safe because it was designed for speakers.

I haven't been able to find the answer anywhere so I hope somebody can give me a quick yes/no answer.
 
I'm upgrading my half boominator for this summer, both when it comes to amp and piezos, and would love some recommendations for both!

At the moment it runs on 12V with a Lepai 2020 amp.

But I want to have a 24V amp as an alternative for more output. Which 24V-amp do you recommend?

And both piezos have gone bad, and I'm ready to spend some money to get better ones. Which piezos do you recommend?

Thanks in advance!
And sorry if theese questions already been asked, I havent kept myself in this thread since last summer.
 
Here's pics of my effort to date.
Working off Saturnus's Sketchup drawing
A little unauthodox as I have this nice Stainless mesh I want to use for grills.
I'll be clear Oiling the ply with Deks Olje and using polished corner hardware and dishes.
Basic Piezo setup with a view to upgrading to a Signature.





Very Nice work. After finish and Tools i can see that you are proffessional.
In what category?
Please post more pic's as you build ;)
 
Thanks a million!
I'm a furniture maker by trade so the cabinetry was not a problem.
The electronics is not my thing but I'm really enjoying learning about it.

My Boominator is in 12mm Birch ply with a 10mm baffle.
The joins are rebated then Brad nailed and glued with PU glue, no clamping required.
The drivers are screwed and glued in with Tec7 Trans7.
The whole base is not glued and attached with screws so I can make changes to the Tweeter setup later.
It's finished with OS Hardwax floor oil.

My electronics setup is pretty simple.
I've used HP10-W drivers with cheap Skytronic Piezo tweeters and a 47ohm resistor.
I've gotta say I'm extremely impressed with how it sounds, I'd expected the worse after all the talk on this forum about cheap Piezos but it would take a lot for me to consider upgrading them.
I'm using a cheap €20 Ta2020 Amp from eBay at the moment as I'm struggling get my hands on an Amp6 but even this seems to be working great.
On the front panel I have a line in, on off switch, charging socket and a voltage indicator on a momentary on off button.
On top is the Amp's volume control and a cigarette socket.
It's all running off two 12v 7.5a/h Batteries.
I'm in the process of investigating what Solar setup to go for.

All credit has to go to Saturnus....the Boominator is an outstanding piece of kit and a genius bit of design!
We've all been literally amazed at how this thing performs!

Thank you!!!

Here's my finished Boominator






 
Solar help...please?

Lads... I've read through as many pages as I can regarding Solar charging and its wrecking my head!
I cannot seem to grasp the correct solution to what I want...I must be missing something!?
My requirements are;
Two panels to fit one on each end of the the Boominator.
Frameless and as thin as possible.
Small enough output to operate without a controlle without frying the batteries.
Can anyone point me in the right direction??
 
NEW!!! FREE SHIPPING 10W CIS solar panel, 10watt 12v amorphous solar module, 10w 12v pv panels, thin film-in Solar Energy Systems from Electrical Equipment & Supplies on Aliexpress.com

After removing the frame it's 2mm less on each side, and 5mm thick except for the connection box but you can take that off as well.

It's also the right panel type for high north latitudes and/or cloudy/rainy climates. You must have at least one 12V 7Ah battery for each panel or there will be risk of overcharging.

Please check with a multimeter that there is a diode in the panel (should show no connection in one direction) otherwise you need to connect one of these in series (usually on the plus but it actually doesn't matter). Make sure the diode is oriented correctly.

These are good sturdy panels (tempered hardened glass top) in the right size and with as high efficiency as is possible to find, and at a very reasonable price as well.

You can find thinner panels if you look into flexible solar sheets but they typically cost 4-5 times more for the same size and efficiency is typically half or less.
 
solar panels

Lads... I've read through as many pages as I can regarding Solar charging and its wrecking my head!
I cannot seem to grasp the correct solution to what I want...I must be missing something!?
My requirements are;
Two panels to fit one on each end of the the Boominator.
Frameless and as thin as possible.
Small enough output to operate without a controlle without frying the batteries.
Can anyone point me in the right direction??

I bought two of these

Solar Powered 12V 2.4W Battery Trickle Charger : Solar Trickle Chargers : Maplin Electronics

took them out of the frames (easy) and am just cutting the recesses to fit them to the top panel now......

BJ
 
I finished putting together the Boominator, and now I'm having mixed emotions.

It's loud and thats good, but I'm missing some depth from the bass. I know it's not supposed to play any sub frequenses, but i really feel that something is missing when I'm listening to it. Also, it's like the sound is a bit muddy.

Right now I'm using a Lepai amp untill I get a SMSL amp-03. I'm not sure if this will make a difference or not. I'm using quality cables and I have cheched that they are mounted correctly. I'm also sure that the box is sealed completely.

Right now I don't know if I had too high expectations, and the Boominator is in fact playing as it should, or if something is wrong.
 
... something is wrong.

Obviously this. I don't know what you did wrong but let's take a tour down the check list again.

1) Are you testing it indoors? If so, keep in mind it's not designed to play indoors. It will sound far better outdoors on a grassy field or on a beach. Try that.

2) Have you tried a different amp? Different battery/power supply? Different source? Different cables to source? If not, try that.

3) Check, and recheck wiring is correct. And all speakers are in phase, and so on?

If none of these 3 solves the problem, I can't know where your mistake is without pictures. Many pictures, and close-ups a-plenty.

(EDIT: But I think your problem is solved by number 1, if I were to guess).

EDIT2: When you say "sealed completely" you mean apart from the handles/reflex ports, right?
 
Last edited:
Obviously this. I don't know what you did wrong but let's take a tour down the check list again.

1) Are you testing it indoors? If so, keep in mind it's not designed to play indoors. It will sound far better outdoors on a grassy field or on a beach. Try that.

2) Have you tried a different amp? Different battery/power supply? Different source? Different cables to source? If not, try that.

3) Check, and recheck wiring is correct. And all speakers are in phase, and so on?

If none of these 3 solves the problem, I can't know where your mistake is without pictures. Many pictures, and close-ups a-plenty.

(EDIT: But I think your problem is solved by number 1, if I were to guess).

EDIT2: When you say "sealed completely" you mean apart from the handles/reflex ports, right?

1) I've been testing both indoors and outdoors.

2) I didn't try a different amp yet. I'm awaiting the mailman. So far I only tested with an older battery, but fully charged. I will try with a newer battery. I tested with both iphone and laptop, same result. So far only tested with RCA->minijack.

3) I wil recheck wiring, but checked this several times and am 99% sure its correct, and speakers are in phase.

Yes sealed completely, except from the reflex ports of course.

I really hope I will find the problem. Right now I feel that a JVC Boomblaster delivers better sound and more punch, and I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be like that.
 
I naturally assume you have turned off the awful tone controls on the Lepai. Those should never be used. I also assume you have tried one side at a time to see if the problem is the same in both sides. I also assume you have already tried each HP10W separately to see if one of them might be faulty from the factory (it happens).