Ghettoblaster project

[klavikka]

Hi!

I finally had some spare time to create a web page for my few years old boom box project: http://tuner.bdb.fi/supaghettoblaster.php

I want to share my experience because I know that there are other people designing such apparatus as well

[fishlikeme]

Nice work! I can use some help on my new project:

I want to build a marine non-corrosive salt spray protected boom box with the following components:

1. a sonic impact t-amp

2. my video ipod 60gb housed in a skb dyypod case

3. outdoor water resistent box speakers (I picked up some cheap dual speakers at circuitcity the other day, less than $30.00 US, 86db)

4. a SLA battery, 12v-7ah or 12v-12AH

5. Starboard or marine plywood. Starboard is a polyethylene plastic board used in boat building, typically for hatch tops and doors, its easy to cut and form, comes in 1/2" thick boards.

My current problem is I want to find a waterproof volume switch to replace the T-amp pot. By using small box speakers, I can detach and spread them out for better imaging say in a hotel room, and not have to get into the complexity of building an enclosure lie the OP's supaghettoblaster (way out of my abilities).

Any ideas, reccomendations, etc. would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Buckapound]

If you just keep the pot/rotary switch deep inside the box and use a shaft extension with some kind of seal (o-rings?), that should offer a pretty watertight setup.

--Buckapound

[fishlikeme]

Thanks Buckapound. That's a good idea, less soldering and electronics work....I'm a better carpenter and machinist than solderer. It seems like I mess up at least a qaurter of my electronics projects, cracking boards, scratching traces, etc.

I'd still like to find a source for a waterproof attenuator as an option, and I'm gonna get right on looking for shaft extensions and sealing ideas.

[Buckapound]

I'm in the same boat as far as electronics vs other aspects.

You might look at using a compression fitting as a seal. If you swap out the metal compression ring for a teflon or (greased-up) rubber O-ring, that should seal well and still allow the shaft to turn. For stainless, search "swagelok" on eBay. If you get one with a male NPT fitting on one end, you can thread it right in from behind your panel for a nice clean fit. Note that you will have to drill the back end of the fitting out to let the shaft slide all the way through--they have a stop built into them.

--Buckapound.

[fishlikeme]

Buckapound. What kind of fitting are you referring to? It looks like these are compression fittings for various fluid pipe sizes, like bends, tees, plugs.

Thanks.

[joka22]

that supaghetto blaster although diy is very nicely designed and looks very industrial something that is robust and strong. It also looks very expensive i swear that supaghetto if it was sold in stores it sell for alot. excellent piece of work.

[Buckapound]

Yes, exactly.

Get a 1/4" Swagelok compression fitting that has the Swagelok on one end, then a 1/4" or 3/8" male NPT (pipe) fitting on the other. Drill out the pipe fitting end (it will be smaller than the 1/4" when you get it) to 1/4". Replace the compression ring(s) with a small o-ring on the shaft and you can hand-tighten the nut doen on it for a nice watertight seal that will still allow the shaft to turn. A brass fitting will be WAY easier to drill out than stainless.

If you drill a slightly undersized hole on your plastic panel, you can force-thread it right in. Of course, since it's a tapered pipe thread, if you can make it a tapered hole, that's even better, and if you have (or can borrow) a matching size pipe thread tap you can make it perfect. The idea is to have the fitting screwed in from behind to the end of just sits flush with the front of the panel, and then can be hidden by the knob.

--Buckapound