Back in 2008 I wrote an article on an idea for a new deck stand. After a few years of not needing one as I migrated to a midi based solution that fitted on my desk, I added a few more bits of kit and ran out of space. So about mid 2012, I ended up with 3 days free in my schedule with no family or work and decided to build a new platform. I designed a fresh platform from scratch but used the same MDF sheet approach to keep costs down. Continue reading “2012 Custom Deck Stand”
159 Custom Bass Project – Stage 5 Wiring
The final stage was putting all the wiring in place. I opted for 4 gauge cable from the battery up front and a 4 gauge earth in the rear, both connected back to brass 4 way distribution blocks so I could pull 8 gauge runs to amps and the line converter. This also left me the easy upgrade route for adding additional amps to run upgraded mids & tweeters in the cabin, but that’s another project!! Continue reading “159 Custom Bass Project – Stage 5 Wiring”
Related Images:
159 Custom Bass Project – Stage 4 Enclosure Build
Once the car was pepped and ready it was onto the enclosure build. This was a combination of trial and error mixed with some loose calculations and estimations around box size. I had worked out utilising box design software that for my sub, a 0.6 cuft sealed enclosure was going to give me good responsive SQ and enough power. This also suited my limited boot incursion requirements so was ideal. Continue reading “159 Custom Bass Project – Stage 4 Enclosure Build”
Related Images:
159 Custom Bass Project – Stage 3 Sound Proofing
Once the planning was complete and I had the Amp prepared for some serious load, it was over to the car for a complete strip of the boot and sound proofing. The approach taken was to utilise a number of different sound proofing materials once I stripped the car back to the shell. Continue reading “159 Custom Bass Project – Stage 3 Sound Proofing”
Related Images:
159 Custom Bass Project – Stage 2 Amp Mods
I already had the amplifier and sub from a prior install, and in that install I had discovered a problem with the pairing. The sub is an Infinity Kapa perfect 12 VQ rated at 400w RMS and the amplifier is an Alpine MRV-420 rated at 350W RMS. Driving the sub at high voltage, with line levels in excess of 4v and the gains maxed out means that the amp is producing closer to 450W RMS and the sub, which is well regarded as being able to handle much higher loads than 400W RMS, just laps it up, but had one small issue that needed sorting. It would overheat during extended sessions of Drum and Bass at full power! To sort this issue, I stripped the amp back to bare metal, rebuilt it using high grade CPU heat sink paste and added a temperature controlled cooling system utilising 6 x 40mm fans in a push/pull config. Needless to say, it can run at full power and then some, all day long now ! Continue reading “159 Custom Bass Project – Stage 2 Amp Mods”
Related Images:
159 Custom Bass Project – Stage 1 Planning
Before I even started this project, I spent quite a lot of time figuring out potential box sizes and planning the acoustics of the project. The overall goal was maximum SQ & Power balance with the least boot space loss possible! No mean feet to achieve. Continue reading “159 Custom Bass Project – Stage 1 Planning”
Related Images:
Modified ALFA RT8187
So I finally got round to sorting out the heat issues associated with running the 1W ALFA at full power for extended periods of time. It was a simple hardware mod that cost next to nothing to do and it means I can run higher power for longer, which is useful 🙂 Continue reading “Modified ALFA RT8187”