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davey t View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote davey t Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Minirig
    Posted: 27 April 2010 at 11:40pm
So here it is..... been working on this for months and finally have the prototype built and working and would love to share it with you guys to hear your thoughts!:


(Sorry the forum image link wasn't working)

So yea, I plan to make a business out of selling these... or similar. so can't say too much about whats inside except that they're very loud, sound is really good with impressive bass, 80 hours+ battery life, charges from USB socket, light weight (~400g) and pretty damn robust. Just adding a grill next.

Oh, and its stereo! there is an output for the right speaker at the back. The control on the right switches between mono/stereo and sets the volume of the right speaker. The left knob turns it on/off and set volume of left main speaker. There are two 3.5mm sockets to enable you to link lots together daisy-chain style!

:D


Edited by davey t - 27 April 2010 at 11:42pm
Minirig portable soundsystem movement
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote subbass Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 April 2010 at 11:47pm
Clap jobs a good un!

nice! is that an IP box? (as in ip66 electrical box) what kinda db do you get and down to what freq?

and how much? Tongue
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rich_gale View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote rich_gale Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 April 2010 at 11:50pm
very nice dave.  u using lifepo4? or lithium ion?

If you want any assistance with Rapid prototyping and soft tooling of a fancy cabinet let me know.  something simple with nice rounded edges ipod stylee?  whats your estimated retail price?  
REFLEX ALL THE WAY.... (however, im playing with horns again...) That ok Mister Valiant? :)
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davey t View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote davey t Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 April 2010 at 9:20am
Thanks guys

Yea a cots electrical box is the cheapest and best option at low volume. I will move to injection moulding for 1000of +

I have a very clever enclosure design in the pipeline but need to think about whether to try patenting it or not which is holding it up. There's a lot to be said for keeping it simple with the square box with rounded corners mind - looks like a speaker! I hate the look of all the flat faced ipod docks.

need quotes for machining the holes mind rich - is that something you do?

Aiming for £80-90 for the active speaker and £120 for the pair including the passive right one. Paying myself near to nothing as they are hand made at the mo and parts are expensive at low quantity. Need to get them out there though to get feedback and asses the market.

fun times
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Hemisphere View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hemisphere Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 April 2010 at 11:22am
Sounds like you're selling yourself short at £120, imo. Considering people pay more than that for a dock without a battery that probably farts out about 90db at full power.

That said.. put me down for a pair for sure! ;)


Edited by Hemisphere - 28 April 2010 at 11:23am
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rich_gale View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rich_gale Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 April 2010 at 11:48am
for machining the holes it would probably be cheaper to get yourself an old pillar drill and decent hole cutter.  do it yourself with a nice sturdy jig and save a fortune.  thats a great price you are proposing.  with the right distributor behind you and maybe some endorsment from a well known company who are not in the sound game it would take off.  marketing 'the best ipod system in argos etc' would attract people like surf companies if the thing looked right.  imagine 10 mates with a pair each on the beach!
REFLEX ALL THE WAY.... (however, im playing with horns again...) That ok Mister Valiant? :)
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rich_gale View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rich_gale Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 April 2010 at 11:52am
definately look at soft tooling mate.  it doesnt need to be in the 1000's to make it cost effective.  id say you would be looking at £10 per cabinet in soft tooling costs which is probably only twice what the off the shelf box you are using for prototyping costs.  mould would be a few hundred quid which will do enough cases to get working items out to the people with the big money to push for chinese manufacture. 
REFLEX ALL THE WAY.... (however, im playing with horns again...) That ok Mister Valiant? :)
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davey t View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote davey t Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 April 2010 at 12:00pm
Can you give me some more info on soft tooling
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rich_gale View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rich_gale Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 April 2010 at 1:53pm
firstly you draw your model using software such as solidworks.  I use this software.  the file is sent to a Rapid Prototyping machine where it is '3d printed' in resin.  the life size model is finished with sanding, filling, and spraying to the standard you wish the final product to be.  this is the time consuming part (where money comes into it if you need the finishing done by the rp company) - but with skill involved, it is not a nightmare for someone with hands on skills and patience to go down to 320 grit paper and then spraying.

once you have a model you then have it 'soft tooled'.  this is a process where a silicon mould is made.  the silicon moulding process allows for parts that the untrained eye would think were mass produced hard tooled injection moulded parts.  The process involves a 2 part resin being cold poured into the silicon mould under a vaccum.  any plastic used in hard tooling can be replicated very well in 2 part cold poured resin.  i have seen some extremely complex shapes cast using silicon moulds in this way.  but the simpler the shape, the less stress gets put on the mould and the longer it lasts.  

I have been involved in soft tooled plastic parts which were so good they were used to fool a medical company buying dept into thinking the parts were mass produced pieces.  big companies are often hesitant to hand over large sums on orders of equipment if they are aware the product is yet to go into full manufacture. 

There are a number of RP/ soft tooling specialists in Bristol and it can be a big cost, but if you can go in with a finished 'model' they can take a mould from without having to pay their guys to clean up the model, you will save a fortune.

give me a pm if you want some more detailed explanations and ill chuck you my number.  i know a few people including myself who could end up lowering your production costs if casting was something you wanted to go for. 
REFLEX ALL THE WAY.... (however, im playing with horns again...) That ok Mister Valiant? :)
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Edd Jordan View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Edd Jordan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 April 2010 at 9:02pm
thats a real nice bit kit. top work sir Clap  whats the bass like outside or dose it sound better indoors??
I do a sideline in ply wood wheels.
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davey t View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote davey t Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 April 2010 at 11:28am
thanks Rich.. thats pretty much what I imagined soft tooling meant. Getting the rpt prototype made up should be 200-300 for the two parts. Then I would sand and finish it by hand before giving it to the mould maker.

Any idea how much the silicon mould would be? And how many injections could it withstand? I'm looking for 100-200 maybe. If the per unit price is a tenner or less then it would definately be worth it.

What do you think of the volume control knobs? I agonised for a long time whether to keep it simply and fixed gain or to put the on/off switch and the volume control in there.
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Jake_Fielder View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jake_Fielder Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 April 2010 at 11:47am
That is absolutley superb! i want one!!
 
The two volumes would be useful if people are buying one then running a different unit from the output, but not really necissary if they're buying the pair (which you want them to idealy) imo.
 
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