The Boominator - another stab at the ultimate party machine

dk4ever2000ou, I would suggest you have a look at the digest below as a kick start.

Some time ago I started a document that summarized key information in this thread and, while not done to the standard I had planned I do think it would be some value so I am publishing it as-is. Hopefully some people find this useful.

Feel free to suggest changes, corrections, or send me additional content.

Boominaor Digest draft x1.pdf
 
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Drivershttp://www.loudspeakersplus.com/P-Audio-IMF-HP10W-10-Bass-Speaker-p/p-audio-imf-hp10w.htmhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/P-Audio-PHT-407-Horn-loaded-Super-Tweeter-8-ohm-/252216738616Amphttp://www.ebay.com/itm/111654183793?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AITBatteryhttp://www.batteryspace.com/lifepo4-26650-battery-12-8v-3300-mah-42wh-7a-rate---un38-3-passed.aspxCrossoverJantzen Audio 0.30mH 20 AWG Air Core Inductor Crossover CoilDayton Audio DNR-4.0 4 Ohm 10W Precision Audio Grade ResistorDayton Audio PMPC-1.5 1.5uF 250V Precision Audio Capacitorhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Euro-Terminal-Block-20-Amp-600-Volt-12-Position-Eurostrip-12-22-AWG-/181429216708?hash=item2a3e0625c4Input PanelPenn-Elcom D0941K Blank Dish Black 3-1/2" x 5-1/8"3.5mm Stereo Panel Mount Jack2.1MM X 5.5MM X 11.2MM DC PLUG WITH 6 FT. CORD2.1MM PANEL MOUNT DC JACKCabinetParts Express 10" Waffle Style Black Steel Speaker Grill with Rubber EdgeAcry-Tech DuraTex Black 1 Pint Roller Grade Cabinet Texture Coating Kit with Textured 3" Roller Penn-Elcom C1539 Ribbed Plastic Stacking Cabinet Corner#6 x 1" Coarse Thread Cabinet Screws 100 Pcs. (for tweeters)Other 1/2" or 3/4" screws for mounting 10" driversWirehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/25-feet-20-AWG-Silver-Plated-PTFE-Teflon-R-Wire-White-19-strands-/381684811524?hash=item58de300704http://www.ebay.com/itm/25-feet-20-AWG-Silver-Plated-Kapton-Wire-Red-19-strand-/231419054333?hash=item35e1a688fdWood12MM BirchGlue/CalkTitebond Exterior Wood GlueType 2 Silicone Calk (for mounting/sealing driver)Hot glue gun / glue (for securing internal wiringLiquid Metal (for securing Drivers to internal baffle)Screws


I think I put the wrong link for the tweeter. You want the 407N: https://www.ebay.com/i/192485765061...7%26rvr_ts%3D2cd9836a1630ad790ed11da5fffe5539



 
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For those of you who haven´t seen it.
Sure electronics now makes a bluetooth amp with DSP and a simple high/low-pass filter
The only problem is that the DSP programmer cost more than the board. Mayby we should pool together to get one.

Sure Electronics' webstore 2 x 50 Watt Class D Audio Amplifer Board with Audio DSP - JAB3-50

The programmer is also for sale. The programmer can be used with bluetooth and an app or with usb and sigmastudio. It is really easy to use and only 20 USD.
 
So i've decided I would go and build a boominator. But for making some solid construction plans I drawed it in solid works. Only one small question. Are the bass ports supposed to be rounded at both inside and outside?

Also do you guys think the electrical housing is big enough as in the original drawing? (it now measures 6.6 cm wide)

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
 
After reading through most of this thread I have started on constructing my own half boominator.
Thanks to Saturnus for developing and sharing all the information!

I use 12mm MDF instead of plywood for budget reasons and because my cheap router handles it better.
I use HP10W speakers and piezo tweeters with an 3W 47 ohm resistor. It will be glued together with epoxy.
To make the wood more moist resistant I have coated the inside with a thin layer of epoxy.
I will be experimenting with TA02024, TDA8932 and TPA3118d amplifiers.
For power I have a 12V 7Ah lead acid battery, which I may be boosting up to 24V with a boost converter when using the TPA3118 and when battery life is not essential.
I also have a chinese 20W solar panel on the way and a constant current constant voltage module for charging.
 
Mdf is a lot heavier and not very water resistant. Okoume ply (and others) is only 5/7 of the weight of birch and probably half the weight of mdf.

With a simple DPDT switch you can switch from parallel to serial connection and back with batteries or speakers or both. My tpa3116 and probably all boards are a lot more energy efficient with 8ohm speakers and 12v or less. (look at the spec sheets)

Why not make the box in 3 parts: a middle part with amp switches and batteries and 2 detachable fullrange speakers on the side with a locking mechanism? That would make it a lot more versatile and easier to pack or carry.
 
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I want to build a Micro or Half-Mini Boominator. I've got the Sketchup drawings, I've got the circuit diagrams, and this isn't the first speaker I've built so I probably have a pretty good handle on things. However, after spending six hours reading this thread, I'm still a bit confused.


As I understand it, the Boominator is a bipolar design for very good and important reasons, and it's therefore absolutely vital that the left and right channels go to the separate chambers, with both woofers in a given chamber running on the same channel. Based on that, I had assumed that a Halfinator needed to be summed to mono, because trying to make half the original design work in stereo, with only a single enclosure, was bad.


Why, then, does the Mini use 8-ohm woofers, but the Micro use 4-ohm woofers? Wouldn't it make the most sense to build the Micro as precisely half a mini and feed it a mono signal?


Thanks!
 
Decided that a boominator project would be more fun with the kids than buying something out-of-the-box (e.g. a Soundboks which we are also a big big fan of)...oh well let’s see if we end up doing both as I’m sure the “dad-project” will be out-performed, but then they have seen that DIY even exist in 2018 :)

All material and items bought, countless days of reading in here, but I have one main concern as I have bought amps different from the maxamp20. Would the units (P-Audio HP-10W with 4 PHT-407N Tweeters) be safe with this type of setup?

TDA7498E 160W+160W Amplifier (@32volt)
High Power Digital Amplifier Board 160W+160W Dual Channel Audio Stereo Power Amplifier Board Module TDA7498E -in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group
Tested here:
YouTube

TPA3116D2 2*120W XH-M543 amplifier (@24volt)
TPA3116D2 Dual channel Stereo High Power Digital Audio Power Amplifier Board 2*120W XH M543 -in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

Passive crossover build according to saturnus‘ blueprint - reading a few years back in here :) and otherwise construction by the book

Is there any good way to be on the safe side and not overload the units? Or to check when I’m approaching max performance of the setup...avoiding a burnout? :) A have found a few places mentioning to stay southbound of 50wrms for the HP10w in a Boominator construction but for the tweeters I’m guessing it’s much lower and can they even deal with an amp running at 24/32volts?

Well the truck load of battery power needed to run this setup might take me in some other direction - either back to a maxamp20 if not something with a bit more power. This STA508 looks very similar to an TK2050 - but not sure if it’s the same and if it’s better than the other 2 I bought?
sta508 DC24V 2 x 100 Watt Class D Digital Audio Amplifier Board (T AMP Technology) -in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

Big fan of the forum and I’m truly impressed by all the efforts put into making a Boominator something available to us all for the last decade.

Ps: Bluetooth module, GPS, DC booster, solar panels...etc are on the work-bench. And let’s see if we’ll be venturing into DSP even though its seems a lot more tricky from what I’ve managed to find so far.
 
@jemathia:
I have several 3116 and 7498E boards and would use 3116 for portable use and use the 7498E only when I would need the extra power at higher Ohm loads as the higher voltages and higher cooling demand make it less practical / robust.


You could use 2x 3S 18650 battery packs (old laptop batteries) and switch them with a simple DPST switch from 11.1V (parallel) to 22.2V (serial) and make the idle and max output 4+ times (6+dB) as high. Just connect other modules to just 1 of the 2 batteries, so they don't switch.
There should be a thermal fuse in every battery-pack in between 2 cells and a regular fuse just outside the bms for every pack.

The TPA3116 board should run fine on both voltages. The 100/120W is only reached with a 2Ohm load. With higher Ohm loads efficiency goes up as well.
An other option is to make the voltage booster switchable so the board runs with or without it. (directly from batteries)
You could also switch loads from serial to parallel, but doing so while the amp is on might hurt it. Switching 2 4Ohm sub-woofers from serial to parallel would give +6dB, or outdoor / party mode.

The solar panels get hot and the cooler you keep them the more efficient they get; it might be wise to make them adjustable so you can point them to the sun; their backs get air cooled and give some shade to your party-machine instead of heating it up to 60+ degrees C.

// Thinking a bit more about the solar panels: making them detachable, so you can leave the machine out of the sun might be wise.
 
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I almost finished my Halfinator. I'll post pictures later if anyone is interested.
I have a 20W solar panel that covers most of the top. It is wired straight to the batteries with an On/Off switch in between. It is also mounted on hinges to direct it towards the sun

This weekend I got the chance to test it outside in nature for the first time, and I am very impressed. We even had te turn the volume down at some point because of a noise complaint.


The amp that I am using us the TPA3116d2 modified to be a mono board.
tpa3116d2 official | eBay


Modifying it to mono only requires some simple soldering to the back of the PCB.


When the sun had risen it only took a few hours to recharge the 12v 7Ah battery completely.

I am still working on a usb input so I can switch between aux jack and a usb drive.
 
@Think/Doctormord: Thanks a lot for a very useful reply.

My main concern was if the amps would kill the PHT-407N’s at 32 volt but as I read you that should be all fine.

I’ll go with a switchable setup then with the two amps running at low/high voltage.

Might start out with 2 12v SLA batteries switching between parallel/serial as you suggest. Then maybe use the DC booster to crank up the voltage further to 32-34 volt for the 7498E only (possibly in a non portable configuration with an old laptop PSU connected). Not fully sure on how to wire this and what type of DPST switch to use. If you have any advice there that would be great.

Great idea to keep the solar panels separately.
Not sure though if these items would be efficient enough - but I guess there is only one way to find out :)
20W 18V Solar Panel Portable Solar cell Emergency Power Supply Solar Generator Charger solar panels Power bank USB+DC -in Solar Cells from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group
30A/20A/10A 12V 24V Auto work PWM Solar Charge Controller with LCD Dual USB 5V Output Solar Cell Panel Charger Regulator PV Home-in Solar Controllers from Home Improvement on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

@Doctormord:
Do you have any good reference for getting started with the Sure DSP board and where to buy it? As I understand you would skip the passive crossover filters to get a better result and control of the audio.

Does the Boominator sound any good in a non-DSP setup? If not; then it might be worth considering the DSP part from day one even though that was not my original plan.

Thanks again ��
 
Maybe a good time to announce a project that I've been working on for a while.

Can't promise too much because it's still in development, but main specs for now are:
-2x45W class-D amplifier
-Bluetooth V4.2 module
-DSP with 5 biquad filters per channel and options such as psycho acoustic bass enhancement and dynamic range limiting
-Extremely low power consumption
-Onboard microcontroller for tasks as status LEDs and under voltage protection
-Stackable up to 4 channels, so suitable for a active full boominator
-Very small (65x35mm)
-Price <100€
-Manufactured in the Netherlands

Developed with high-performance portable speakers such as the Boominator in mind.


Are there any updates on this :D?
 
For sure!

I have had a lot of trouble getting the bluetooth module to work properly. The latest software release has all kinds of bug fixes and new features but it is not stable at all. So I rolled everything back to old software and now it works fine. Also having some problems with switching between aux and streaming, but that seems to be a minor issue.

I am in contact with a handful of beta testers which will receive their PCB in the near future. If they are happy and no other issues show up, I will do a series production. No clear timeframe yet.
 

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@ jemathia: how big and heavy is your 'portable' setup going to be? The more portable, the more it will be used in the future.
That big and heavy solar charger will eat a lot of power; a "mini 12V solar controller" or something even smaller will eat less power and is more portable.


What 12V batteries are you going to use? The 12V 7Ah SLA batteries are not very portable. A 6 cell laptop battery pack will output about as much power. (you can only discharge lead acid 50-60%)
The TDA7498E probably won't like running@12V.

I wrote earlier DPST switch, that was wrong. It should be a DPDT switch; here is how to wire them. You just use 2 batteries instead of motors. You can use the same switches as regular switch or regular double switch and there are many other uses like polarity switch for a sub-woofer which is linked on the same page. You will need 2 chargers if you go this route.

// @ lutkeveld: that looks like a very nice project! If you need more testers ........... ;)
 
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