Now that you mention the AB amp, I have to admit that during summer months, I use a TDA7297 chip amp with the AKSA Lender + mini Karls for normal listening and TV watching. The ACA only gets connected for serious music sessions.
During winter, the ACA is connected permanently as it doubles as a heater when switched on.
During winter, the ACA is connected permanently as it doubles as a heater when switched on.
Hmmm... I wonder how balsa would fare for building the mini-k's.
Still building enclosures here, but also building a DIY miniDLG. Just because I love DIY so much!
I'm following the plans from a Japanese guy that has a 600mm that has better sinking rates than his 1.5m. Plus the ease of transportation. Sanding the foil on the wings right now.
I didn't know how relaxing and peaceful sanding the foil on balsa wings could be. It's the perfect thing to do if one is feeling blue or anxious.
Still building enclosures here, but also building a DIY miniDLG. Just because I love DIY so much!
I'm following the plans from a Japanese guy that has a 600mm that has better sinking rates than his 1.5m. Plus the ease of transportation. Sanding the foil on the wings right now.
I didn't know how relaxing and peaceful sanding the foil on balsa wings could be. It's the perfect thing to do if one is feeling blue or anxious.
Balsa might work, but it's expensive. I'm still planning to rebuild my mini-K's in LitePly.
Being a self-professed balsa basher, I find sanding shapes into balsa very therapeutic. Make sure you use a dust mask. Balsa dust is very light and goes everywhere and could be a health risk.
<end of thread hijack>
If the mini-k likes being a foam core enclosure you could build them like a set of sheeted foam core wings. Just get some veneer and bond it to the foam. Easy to do and you could use simple hand tools to put the whole thing together and still get a nice wood finish.
Oh and if sanding balsa listen to Skylar88, absolutely yes on the dust mask.
Oh and if sanding balsa listen to Skylar88, absolutely yes on the dust mask.
Indeed, I found that sanding balsa gives a very fine dust that just floats around.
My answer was do do it outside, and sand downwind. Nobody living downwind from my place, only farm lands.
I have access to reasonable balsa pricing... so I might be tempted to try a mini-k in balsa, just for kicks!
BTW, just for kicks... if you guys have a few minutes and wouldn't mind going off topics, here's a video about Mitsuro Ishii, the foil that I am trying to replicate...
YouTube
My answer was do do it outside, and sand downwind. Nobody living downwind from my place, only farm lands.
I have access to reasonable balsa pricing... so I might be tempted to try a mini-k in balsa, just for kicks!
BTW, just for kicks... if you guys have a few minutes and wouldn't mind going off topics, here's a video about Mitsuro Ishii, the foil that I am trying to replicate...
YouTube
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Would love to talk gliders some more but we should probably take it to the lounge before I get carried away
That was a cool video. Thanks for sharing. I do t mind OT like this once in a while especially since I saw use of sanded honeycomb paper. That’s useful!
Dynamic Soaring (DS) is very cool.
Dynamic Soaring with RC Gliders
Check out these 545mph speed record gliders. All carbon fiber construction to handle the g forces.
YouTube
YouTube
It seems gas powered RC planes reach only 300mph+
YouTube
Dynamic Soaring (DS) is very cool.
Dynamic Soaring with RC Gliders
Check out these 545mph speed record gliders. All carbon fiber construction to handle the g forces.
YouTube
YouTube
It seems gas powered RC planes reach only 300mph+
YouTube
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Yep DS is where the speed is at. I was never much into raw speed although slope gliders get going at a good clip so you can keep momentum for acrobatics.
Enjoyed the video, never heard such breathless coverage of indoor freeflight before! Hand launch gliders have the unique challenge of combining speed for launch and traveling between thermals but then happily slowing it down when lift is found. With RC the advanced airfoils are designed to meet both criteria by use of large flaps that vary the wing profile. Mark Drela is a good name to look up if you want to know more. You would be amazed at how high the pros fling a glider.
DLG launch
Enjoyed the video, never heard such breathless coverage of indoor freeflight before! Hand launch gliders have the unique challenge of combining speed for launch and traveling between thermals but then happily slowing it down when lift is found. With RC the advanced airfoils are designed to meet both criteria by use of large flaps that vary the wing profile. Mark Drela is a good name to look up if you want to know more. You would be amazed at how high the pros fling a glider.
DLG launch
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That was cool - that’s amazing how high one can hand launch a glider. It’s a combination of the hammer track and field event and sail plane - do they have versions with RC control?
Discus launche glider (DLG) are indeed RC. Tiny servos on a wing mounted to a stick. I guess it’s all carbon fiber nowadays.
YouTube
Discus launche glider (DLG) are indeed RC. Tiny servos on a wing mounted to a stick. I guess it’s all carbon fiber nowadays.
YouTube
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You can mount a little lower as the sound is directed upwards a bit.
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Those in the video are all RC. It's a fun launching technique you just have to be careful not to let a wing tip hit the ground or let go of the radio! Very satisfying when you can just throw a glider in the air and hook a thermal till it is a speck in the sky.
After some listening tests, Skylar88 and I came to the conclusion that we both prefer the mini-Ks at normal bookshelf height, or even a bit higher. Because the drivers are angled in the enclosure, one almost always listen to the drivers slightly off-axis. Not sure if this is necessarily a bad thing, and maybe part of the karlson magic? There are other factors at play here too, like the aperture which seems to "spread" the sound horizontally. I am convinced that raising the mini-Ks improves the overall soundstage and also the vertical imaging of instruments.
In a live performance scenario the artists (and their sound equipment) are almost always raised on a platform, and I personally prefer that experience in my living room too, as opposed to listening to sound coming from the floor or a lower-than-ear-level height. I can remember once my wife dragged me to a ballet performance, and the orchestra was hidden in a pit below the stage. So, the sound was sort of coming from somewhere below my knee caps. Anyway, it’s no secret that I still enjoyed the music more than the dancing. Can’t bear looking at those men trotting around in their tights.
Sorry, this is also OT.
Thanks for the placement info. I will not worry about new stands and see how it goes.
Is there a set of plans for the plywood version with dual 3FE25s? I see Skylar88s plans with a ply baffle but looks like foam core for everything else. Could just build the whole thing out of 3/16" ply and not worry about it but X's set looks a whole lot more robust.
Is there a set of plans for the plywood version with dual 3FE25s? I see Skylar88s plans with a ply baffle but looks like foam core for everything else. Could just build the whole thing out of 3/16" ply and not worry about it but X's set looks a whole lot more robust.
Hello XRK,
I built the 0.4x karlsonator and took it to local DIY meet we had organized here. It was made out of material called sunboard (similar to foamcore) which is available locally. When played at high volume, there was lot of vibrations from the panels since they cannot handle high volumes being played. But even in a big room, the imaging was really good and shocking.
Report of the meet here (the yellow colored ones that can be seen in this link are your FAST design as well).
The DIY Meet in a 'Hidden Sanctuary' in Bengaluru | HiFiVision.com
There is some interest from others to try this out for different drivers and I wanted to check with you which design to use for these drivers.
1. 12 inch full range - shown in this link. Does this work in original design by Greg?
Ahuja SK-12FR X/FRZ - Ahuja Professional PA Speaker SK-12FR X/FRZ Price in India - securekart.in
2. 6 inch full range - This is another 6 inch driver which some members are interested in trying. Can you provide some direction on what size to use for this?
Lii Audio (Xizi Audio) Full range speaker 16 cm Diameter (6″) F6 2 Pcs – Lii Audio, unique speaker, amplfier, quality and cost-saving parts for HiFi DIY
Thanks
Balaji
I built the 0.4x karlsonator and took it to local DIY meet we had organized here. It was made out of material called sunboard (similar to foamcore) which is available locally. When played at high volume, there was lot of vibrations from the panels since they cannot handle high volumes being played. But even in a big room, the imaging was really good and shocking.
Report of the meet here (the yellow colored ones that can be seen in this link are your FAST design as well).
The DIY Meet in a 'Hidden Sanctuary' in Bengaluru | HiFiVision.com
There is some interest from others to try this out for different drivers and I wanted to check with you which design to use for these drivers.
1. 12 inch full range - shown in this link. Does this work in original design by Greg?
Ahuja SK-12FR X/FRZ - Ahuja Professional PA Speaker SK-12FR X/FRZ Price in India - securekart.in
2. 6 inch full range - This is another 6 inch driver which some members are interested in trying. Can you provide some direction on what size to use for this?
Lii Audio (Xizi Audio) Full range speaker 16 cm Diameter (6″) F6 2 Pcs – Lii Audio, unique speaker, amplfier, quality and cost-saving parts for HiFi DIY
Thanks
Balaji
Adding internal bracing to foam core helps reduce rattling. You can also glue on a second layer using flexible adhesive latex cement or kitchen/bath latex caulking. The drivers you linked are potentially doable but will require a simulation to practice the procedures first. If you are serious, I would have to run ansimulation.
Hello xrk,
If you can check simulations, that would be very helpful. I checked with folks and they said they would build karlsonator with these drivers if it works. Thanks a lot for your help and directions.
Thanks
Balaji
If you can check simulations, that would be very helpful. I checked with folks and they said they would build karlsonator with these drivers if it works. Thanks a lot for your help and directions.
Thanks
Balaji
How about coating the outside with epoxy resin such as 'epsilon', like cosplay folk use on their foam props, to make the cabinet more rigid but not lose the damping characteristics of foam core ( by leaving the inside untreated with epoxy ) . thinking about making a set of karlsonators this way as itll also give a durable external finish.