The Boominator - another stab at the ultimate party machine

Hi folks. I came across this thread via someone on Reddit.

I am curious about this build, and was wondering if you could help me out.

Firstly, is there a place to get current, up-to-date instructions? The website, Boominator, is totally broken, and this thread is huge!

Secondly, would it be possibly to build this with a budget of £100~?

Thirdly, is it a project a newbie, like myself, can complete?

Hope you can help :)
 
You can make a Halfinator with piezo tweeters powered by a TA2024 for under 200 dollars. It's more aimed to perform good outdoors tho.
I wouldn't go with the MINI at the moment because it has issues that need fixing.

Maybe a basic boombox (lepai and 6x9'ers) would be the best option for you at the moment. Cheap option to get a reasonable result and gain some experience for a higher end boombox along the way.
 
Hai Guise,

I also have a solar question.

I have finally started gathering final parts for my build and I am sort of stumped on the solar panel issue.

I have read the thread and know which are preferred and such, but I wondered a few things:

1. what are pros and cons of embedding the panels in boominator top vs just keeping is separate and plugging it in to boominator on an as needed basis?

Does anyone run their system in this manner?

I thought it would lighten up the boominator, simplify construction, and you could leave panel in the glass and frame.

Also, you could just order a single 20w panel and save some money over buying two 10w separate panels.

So, that is first question I guess, is it a workable solution to leave panel separate from the boominator?

2. Many/Most of panels of all types are encased in aluminum frames with glass. Builders remove the frames, and then embed the panel in the boominator top.

Is the glass permanently attached to the panel and thus you don't need to do anything else to the panel?

Or, is it sandwiched in there and you put panel in routed-out space and then place glass on top and secure it to top with aluminum pieces or something?

The reason I ask is that in a few places I find what are referred to as "epoxy panels."

These panels do NOT come with aluminum frame and they appear to just have the solar cells encased in clear resin.

They look to me like they might save some steps in construction, be lighter, etc.

However, I am not sure if they would require glass over top of them when installed on top of boominator and thus not really be that time/money saving (because you'd have to purchase tempered glass to cover anyway.)

OTOH, it seems to me that they would be much lighter and portable if you were going to keep them separate from the boomiantor and just plug them in as needed for charging.

I am not anticipating a ton of long -term field use for my boominator. Longest time period might be camping at the Indy 500, which would be Thursday night to Monday morning. I plan on installing 2 x 12v 9ah SLA batteries.

When I research these epoxy panels, some critics claim they are a rip off because the epoxy gets cloudy (sounds like what happens to car headlights these days.)

But others claim the current epoxies do not cloud any more and these are a viable solution.

for an idea as to what I mean, you can search "epoxy solar panel" or "fountain solar panels" and you will see what I mean.

A link to something I was considering for my build was here:

20W 2X 10W 12V Epoxy Solar Panel with Diode Battery Charger DIY Solar Panel | eBay
 
Boominator mini issues

Hi lutkeveld.... I've been away for a while..... What are the issues with the mini?

Planning to build a couple this year

BJ

You can make a Halfinator with piezo tweeters powered by a TA2024 for under 200 dollars. It's more aimed to perform good outdoors tho.
I wouldn't go with the MINI at the moment because it has issues that need fixing.

Maybe a basic boombox (lepai and 6x9'ers) would be the best option for you at the moment. Cheap option to get a reasonable result and gain some experience for a higher end boombox along the way.
 
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Hey Hey.
What DSP settings are folks using for HP-10s and PHT 407s?
I feel like my Boominator is sounding a bit Muddy.

Tweeter:
Gain: -5.2dB
HP 2302.21hz BW 18dB/oct (must be butterworth or bessel. Cannot be 12 or 24dB/oct)
LP 21120.0hz peaking LR 12dB/oct +4dB peak gain (if it does not have peaking LR filter then make it by having EQ +3dB@20khz)

Woofer:
Gain: 0dB
HP: 63.2132hz LR 48dB/oct
LP: 2171.62hz LR 24dB/oct


Saturnus - Can you share the reasoning behind your bessel/butterworth recommendation and why 12 and 24 dB/octave are not acceptable but 18 is?

I am interested in a general answer but my specific context is refinement of the miniDSP settings for the SP60 Mini.
 
so again guys, I am familiar with issues related to panels--amorphous vs crystalline in low light/clouds.

But my main queries were as follows:

1. Anybody running the panel separate and just plugging it in on an as needed basis? This saves hassles of routing out top of boominator, you can reduce weight, only take panel if you need it, etc.

2. Anyone familiar with or has used the epoxy sandwiched panels that are sold without frames and glass?

And doing it separate means you could use a single 20w panel instead of dual 10w panels in top (although I like that 20w thin panel n0face listed, would fit well on top of full size boominator, but not sure if they ship to USA.

And, you know that boominator top is just asking for beers, booze, and butts on top, with the panels there it is vulnerable to nonsense.

Speaking of panels such as this one: Frameless Unbreakable Non Glass 20W Solar Panel for 12V Charging | eBay

Again, my thought is that if you are not doing hard-core camping/festivals, the lighter panel may be easier to deal with, just throw it in car or whatever and attach via cable for charging.

Thanks
 
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Yes, in this very thread there has been mention of people keeping the panel separate and just having a socket on the Boominator.
I guess it depends on whether or not you want the Boominator to be an all-in-one thing and not have the hassle of siting a separate panel, or the versatility of having the panel to use for other purposes.