So for the past month, I have built a personal Igloo Cooler into a portable audio system that can mount over the rear wheel of a road bike and be carried around. I am excited to share this with the community! Please comment and make suggestions for better modifications/versions of it. This is my first post btw, so please be nice.
This system sounds amazing and when the lid is closed it has a good amount of bass. The EQ can be tuned with Treble and Bass knobs, and also has 6 preset EQ modes.
Reasons for this build.
- I ride with a drinking team that enjoys cycling.
- I am from Iowa, which is the home of RAGBRAI. It is a bike ride from the West border of the state to the East border that roughly 20,000+ people ride on during the last week of July each year. It is always a different route, but is usually around 500 miles.
- It is great to be creative and use up some old parts that are lying around for the past several years.
- It makes other riders jealous! Especially the ones that are hauling around an entire stereo on a bike trailer. My version is much lighter.
- I figured I would build these for a few bucks profit for my friends that also ride.
- I wanted to build another project since I had some free time.
Some of the parts I used...
- Igloo Summer Breeze 9 quart cooler. [$10.00]
- Polk Audio 5.25" Coaxial speakers. [Free] (If I were to have bought new speakers for this project, I would have bought 6.5" Marine speakers.) [$75.00]
- 12 Volt 18 Ah SLA battery. [$38.00]
- 2 On/Off switches. [$6.00]
- 12 Volt strobe light set. [$18.00]
- All in one 2x20watt (RMS) amplifier with SD Card Reader/FM Tuner/Aux input. [$37.00]
- Various wiring and terminals and electrical tape. [$20.00]
- 2 "L" brackets to keep the battery from sliding around. [$5.00]
- Delta Bike rack. [$40.00]
- 4 J-Hooks [$4.00]
- 4 Turnbuckles [$7.00]
- Misc. machine screws, washers, and lock-nuts. [$5.00]
Total - [$265.00] with buying speakers too.
Here is how I built it...
Cut one speaker into the cooler.
Both speakers are cut into the sides.
I was testing the speakers out for the hell of it with a car amplifier I had lying around because I hadn't ordered the new amplifier yet.
Here is the strobe light kit out of the cooler. It has adjustable rate of flash and 6 different color covers for the elements.
Strobe lights installed.
Battery fits just right. About 7" wide.
This shows the battery height.
Switch installed for the lights.
Switch installed for the amplifier.
Basic wiring done.
Another angle of it. Speaker wire stubs on and lid with the center ridge cut out to fit the amp.
Here is the amp I chose and it fit perfectly in the lids indention.
Amp mounted and antenna punched through the lid.
Wiring done. All taped up. Battery secured from sliding around. Quick connectors installed for connecting from the amp to the battery charger. Amp works great and is super loud! SD card reader, USB port, FM radio, Aux input for MP3 player.
Listening to the radio.
Room for 5 12oz cans to boot!
See!
Remote only works with the lid open, unfortunately. Anyone think they can rig up an external sensor for the remote?
Installed the Delta bike rack and attached the cooler with the hardware.
Angle from the front. What do you all think?
This system sounds amazing and when the lid is closed it has a good amount of bass. The EQ can be tuned with Treble and Bass knobs, and also has 6 preset EQ modes.
Reasons for this build.
- I ride with a drinking team that enjoys cycling.
- I am from Iowa, which is the home of RAGBRAI. It is a bike ride from the West border of the state to the East border that roughly 20,000+ people ride on during the last week of July each year. It is always a different route, but is usually around 500 miles.
- It is great to be creative and use up some old parts that are lying around for the past several years.
- It makes other riders jealous! Especially the ones that are hauling around an entire stereo on a bike trailer. My version is much lighter.
- I figured I would build these for a few bucks profit for my friends that also ride.
- I wanted to build another project since I had some free time.
Some of the parts I used...
- Igloo Summer Breeze 9 quart cooler. [$10.00]
- Polk Audio 5.25" Coaxial speakers. [Free] (If I were to have bought new speakers for this project, I would have bought 6.5" Marine speakers.) [$75.00]
- 12 Volt 18 Ah SLA battery. [$38.00]
- 2 On/Off switches. [$6.00]
- 12 Volt strobe light set. [$18.00]
- All in one 2x20watt (RMS) amplifier with SD Card Reader/FM Tuner/Aux input. [$37.00]
- Various wiring and terminals and electrical tape. [$20.00]
- 2 "L" brackets to keep the battery from sliding around. [$5.00]
- Delta Bike rack. [$40.00]
- 4 J-Hooks [$4.00]
- 4 Turnbuckles [$7.00]
- Misc. machine screws, washers, and lock-nuts. [$5.00]
Total - [$265.00] with buying speakers too.
Here is how I built it...
Cut one speaker into the cooler.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Both speakers are cut into the sides.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
I was testing the speakers out for the hell of it with a car amplifier I had lying around because I hadn't ordered the new amplifier yet.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Here is the strobe light kit out of the cooler. It has adjustable rate of flash and 6 different color covers for the elements.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Strobe lights installed.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Battery fits just right. About 7" wide.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
This shows the battery height.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Switch installed for the lights.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Switch installed for the amplifier.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Basic wiring done.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Another angle of it. Speaker wire stubs on and lid with the center ridge cut out to fit the amp.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Here is the amp I chose and it fit perfectly in the lids indention.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Amp mounted and antenna punched through the lid.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Wiring done. All taped up. Battery secured from sliding around. Quick connectors installed for connecting from the amp to the battery charger. Amp works great and is super loud! SD card reader, USB port, FM radio, Aux input for MP3 player.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Listening to the radio.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Room for 5 12oz cans to boot!
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
See!
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Remote only works with the lid open, unfortunately. Anyone think they can rig up an external sensor for the remote?
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Installed the Delta bike rack and attached the cooler with the hardware.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Angle from the front. What do you all think?
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
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Hey, thanks for the comment. There is a place that sells dry ice 2 blocks from my house. I wonder if that would hurt anything? I might stick to a freeze pack instead. This will be tested this weekend for a ride.
I see that you are a Mod on here. I was also wondering if I put my thread in the correct area. If not, could you move it to a more appropriate location?
Also, for the pictures, I know that it does get annoying when some people do not know how to resize them and they attach 12 Megapixel photos to a post.
I see that you are a Mod on here. I was also wondering if I put my thread in the correct area. If not, could you move it to a more appropriate location?
Also, for the pictures, I know that it does get annoying when some people do not know how to resize them and they attach 12 Megapixel photos to a post.
A freeze pack will "sweat" in there. Dry ice is called that for a reason and can be put right against any of the equipment as well as being turned into chips that fill every nook and cranny instead of a single block. Of course, in these parts, you have to be old enough and give your name to buy dry ice in case any mailboxes should mysteriously explode.
As far as the remote goes, it is most likely infrared and should be simple enough to hard wire an external receiver on the box or bike frame.
edit - afterthought: I would consider bridging the inputs for a mono output due to the speaker mounting.
As far as the remote goes, it is most likely infrared and should be simple enough to hard wire an external receiver on the box or bike frame.
edit - afterthought: I would consider bridging the inputs for a mono output due to the speaker mounting.
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Creativity is what diy is all about! This is version 3 of this style of stereo that I have been involved in. The first 2 versions were built with plastic mailboxes and had a solar panel and regulator in them. They worked, but the solar panel wasn't all that powerful so it only added a couple hours of play time to the battery. In this case, I upgraded the battery from a 12v 12 Ah battery to a 12v 18 Ah battery. Battery weighs a bit more but cut the weight of the solar panel and regulator so it evens out. I bought a motorcycle battery charger with automatic shut off/float mode to be able to recharge it. Battery says it is supposed to be good for ~400 charges. I've got it to discharge from the factory charge so far. It played for more than 24 hours if my estimate is accurate. This should last for a few years. 🙂
Really dig the project. Very well executed. Mine bike system is just an old active speaker that I've modded and put into a handlebar bag (the type that sits on the stem, not hangs in front). It's just a few watts mono but it works great and gets attention and compliments. I have a spare cooler, a rack, and most of the other parts already. This is a project to keep in mind. The marine speakers might be a good idea. Where'd you source the battery? And what did you use to make the speaker cutouts? A friendly note... it looks like a blue and red strobe in the one picture (#16). I would make sure the lighting is legal wherever you'll be on the road enjoying the tunes (Anyone, not just the OP). I don't think the red/blue is legal where I live.
Looks like a nice package !
A few thoughts:
The cooler can keep heat out, but keeps heat in.
Heat is the enemy of electronics.
Porting the cabinet would give you 3 dB or more output level in the low bass range (which uses the most power in music), which means your battery consumption will be less for a given sound level, less heat will be in the box, and the port will allow some of the heat to escape.
You could make the port from a plumbing "P trap", so the cooler would still be water proof.
The extra level gained by porting may be enough that a small solar panel could keep up with the amp's power usage, I have run radios off my ten watt panel and the battery actually gained voltage during the day, giving plenty of power to play late into the night with a good rate of charge left.
Your battery will last far longer (maybe close to the 400 rated charges LOL) if you do not discharge it below 50 %.
Most people don't realize a "12 volt" battery has only 40% charge left at about 12 volts.
The state of charge is best measured about 1/2 hour after use, the battery will read lower when in use, and takes a while to "recover". The more amperage being pulled, the longer the recovery period.
Have fun riding!
Art Welter
Attachments
Damn! I thought I had finished with the small boxes and you go and put an idea like that into my head. Nice job there CT.
On a Stereo Amp, how would the speakers be wired to make it bridged? I know on my old car stereo amp, it is bridged when you go to the Left channel neg and the Right channel Positive. But you don't hook anything else up to the other channel when doing that. Anyhow, that was kinda puzzling me.
I haven't taken the amplifier apart to find out where the RF sensor is for the remote, but I assume it is behind the dark plastic LCD screen on the front. To extend the remotes sensor, I assume it would just be 2 wires I would need to solder from the sensor to the external placement of choice? 24 gauge should do the trick I assume? Oh and some heat shrink tubing..
The battery that I am using is a 12V-18AH-F2 Seal Lead Acid Battery from BatterySharks.com I ordered it on the 8th of June. They had very good pricing and shipped from the Maspeth, NY on the 9th of June and I received it on the 14th. They offered a 2% discount if I would have ordered 4 batteries, but I didn't need that many. They have other options if you want it to be lighter or last longer. My battery is 12.6 lbs, so it is a bit cumbersome. My overall cooler's weight is around 15 lbs. My bike rack says it supports up to 66lbs.
As for the lights I have, they have different silicone rubber covers that slide over the elements. I believe I will have just red ones on when going out on rides. But I do have green, purple, white, blue, and red to choose from for when I just take it along to a party, etc.
One other thing I wanted to mention about this particular cooler is that the bottom is raised to allow for a small gap between the bike rack and the machine screw heads/washers that I installed to for the battery hold down. This also allows for the cooler to still sit on level surfaces without it being wobbly. Igloo's original design for that was to keep the cooler from sitting directly on hot surfaces which would keep your contents cooler longer.
I'll post some more pictures later today to show a few more features of it. Anything particular that you would like to see?
I haven't taken the amplifier apart to find out where the RF sensor is for the remote, but I assume it is behind the dark plastic LCD screen on the front. To extend the remotes sensor, I assume it would just be 2 wires I would need to solder from the sensor to the external placement of choice? 24 gauge should do the trick I assume? Oh and some heat shrink tubing..
The battery that I am using is a 12V-18AH-F2 Seal Lead Acid Battery from BatterySharks.com I ordered it on the 8th of June. They had very good pricing and shipped from the Maspeth, NY on the 9th of June and I received it on the 14th. They offered a 2% discount if I would have ordered 4 batteries, but I didn't need that many. They have other options if you want it to be lighter or last longer. My battery is 12.6 lbs, so it is a bit cumbersome. My overall cooler's weight is around 15 lbs. My bike rack says it supports up to 66lbs.
As for the lights I have, they have different silicone rubber covers that slide over the elements. I believe I will have just red ones on when going out on rides. But I do have green, purple, white, blue, and red to choose from for when I just take it along to a party, etc.
One other thing I wanted to mention about this particular cooler is that the bottom is raised to allow for a small gap between the bike rack and the machine screw heads/washers that I installed to for the battery hold down. This also allows for the cooler to still sit on level surfaces without it being wobbly. Igloo's original design for that was to keep the cooler from sitting directly on hot surfaces which would keep your contents cooler longer.
I'll post some more pictures later today to show a few more features of it. Anything particular that you would like to see?
I was thinking it could go in the Class-D forum as there are a number of cool projects like this over there. But I don't know if your amp is Class-D. Do you know or have any more details?
As for bridging, my guess is that the amp is already bridged. If it weren't, you would not get enough power from the 12V supply.
I think the idea is to get mono from the speakers as they are on opposite sides.
Pano is this what you mean?
CT, this is a good spot for your thread.
Pano is this what you mean?
CT, this is a good spot for your thread.
You're making me think about the porting now. I can't really duct it from the front because the battery blocks that entire wall, so I would have to port either from the top or a side next to the speaker. I'm kinda thinking of taking say a 50mm computer case fan and putting it on the back center of the cooler between the strobe lights to exhaust the heat from the amp and draw air in from the top or side. I would probably wire this to the switch that powers the amp on and off, but if fan noise gets too annoying, I may just add another switch.I have a little thermometer I can toss in there while out riding to see what temp it gets up to. What would you say is a bad temperature for the battery/amp?
Pano, here is the info I have on the Amp. I don't know if it would be a Class-D though. Maybe you can tell.
- Specifications:
- LED display: Volume/Music track/FM frequency/EQ mode
- Output : 180WX2(Peak Music Power)
- R.M.S Power Out put:20W in 4 Ohm loading for each channel
- DC Input Power: 11V-14.4V 2-5A(5.5mm power jack)
- Input Sensitivity: 200mv AUX input
- S/N Ratio ( 1 KHz ) : > 60db ( MP3 stage )
- Output Impedance: 4ohm to 16ohm
- Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20KHz
- Min. THD ( 1 kHz ): <0.05%
- FM Frequency: 87.5-108MHz (6 memory pre set)
- USB / SD Card slot
- USB output: DC 5V (available to charge any Mobile Phone/ MP3 /Ipod player,)
- Dimensions:140mm (D) x 164mm (W) x 50mm (H)
- Weight:480g
-
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
60 ºC,140 ºF would be as hot as you want to get a sealed lead acid battery.
That would probably be well within the amp’s range of operation, though some LCD screens blur out at temperatures a bit lower.
You could port the cabinet from any side that is convenient, including the bottom.
The top would give the best natural heat transfer.
Curved ducts will make it rain proof.
The fan is a good idea, but will be more effective if placed in one duct pulling in air, convection within the cooler will allow the hot air to exit from the other duct.
If you make the ducts like a boat’s Dorade (box) vents, one facing forward, one facing back, natural air flow would exhaust the heat without the need of a power sucking fan.
PVC pipe and various curved fittings from the plumbing department can be used .
Figure your desired cabinet tuning before buying the duct works !
Art Welter
Attachments
I don't have a clue on how to tune the cabinet for the correct port size, etc. Is there a calculator to figure that out?
Thinking of getting a 1 1/4" 45 degree flange as an inlet and putting a hole out the back to exhaust. Or maybe even cut in a NACA Duct on top and hole in the back. Yeah, I like the idea of the NACA Duct.
Thinking of getting a 1 1/4" 45 degree flange as an inlet and putting a hole out the back to exhaust. Or maybe even cut in a NACA Duct on top and hole in the back. Yeah, I like the idea of the NACA Duct.
There are online calculators to figure cabinet Fb, the port tuning.
To figure the best tuning for the speakers you need the TS parameters.
To get close, just go for around 45-50 Hz Fb,(or an Fb close to the speaker's Fs) and plug your net cabinet volume (cooler less the size of speakers, battery, amp, beer, etc) in to a port calculator.
1 1/4" is a bit small even for two ports, the bigger the better up to the point where the port volume (which must be deducted from cabinet net volume) reduces the cabinet volume by too much.
That said, big long ports can cause port resonances that need to be damped out using polyfil or similar, so don't go crazy, a pair of 1.5" inch I.D. ports would be plenty big enough.
I wonder if ported would be all that good? With the small closed volume there may be a nice peak somewhere in the 60-120Hz octave. That would lend a lot of boom to the box. Just right for this project.
The box needs porting to get rid of heat, might as well take advantage of the holes.
If the OP wants he can port it at 60-120 Hz and get more "boom" than a sealed box.
Personally, I like a smoother more extended low end, which is why I suggested 45-50 Fb, but to each his own.
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