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Help making a set of external computer speakers

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you should really consider like a amp and or preamp kit haha
but anyway, you need to read up on schematic diagrams... so google them...
once you can read them almost all your questions dissappear...

starting on the left, those are the inputs (from the ipod) l for left r for right
you mentioned red and white sockets - i'm not sure, but usually red is for right
see the little circle in those - that's usually for a plug or socket - connector of sorts.
at the top, you separated 3 symbols (schematic symbols)
1 (circle at the top right of the three) is like the input socket thingies, you will use for your positive power input (battery positive)
the middle one is a capacitor and its value is 10uF
the last one is what you ask about on the right: "are these actually parts..."
thats a ground - all of those on the diagram connect to each other and to the negative of the battery

it doesn't look like there is a single model number on the diagram, only resistor and capacitor values. those are the two components (other than the main one and the connectors) that you are dealling with

in conclusion - ignore everything i've written and read up on schematic diagrams and basic electronics, maybe even ohms law...
 
Another thing that we are looking for is a volume knob for it since, as we mentioned before, it is going into an old radio. How would we attach that?
 
bmclaughlin said:
I have done some wiring around the house, have made little "make the bell ring" kits, I have installed a motorcycle lighting kit, etc. I may not solder very cleanly but I have done it. So I am not without any experience however
in all those cases it was a matter of following directions.
I suppose that kind of experiance is good just to get you aquainted with doing practicle taske but other that what you have done is electrical installation rather than electronics or engineering the two tasks are very different.

bmclaughlin said:
I guess I was making an assumption that this project was be fairly simple and there would ready made plans to follow. However I am taking your point that it is not as simple as I thought.
It depends on whether you want to build your own amplifier or adapat an existing one. Either option requires some knowledge of electronics, the latter might even be harder since it might involve an element of reverse engineering.

bmclaughlin said:
If it is OK, my son is making notes on the diagram that you passed along so that he can ask some questions.
If you need to ask those sort of questions then you really need to read up a bit.

http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/index.htm
http://www.electronics-tutorials.com/

An I strongly recommend Getting Starting in Electronics by Forrest Mimms - a great book and I'm sure RadioShack stocks it.

bmclaughlin said:
Again thank for sticking with us so far. This is something we (he) would like to learn.
Yes and electronics is probably one of the best things you could get him intrested in. Suddenly half the maths taught at school will have a purpose so he's more likely to achieve higher grades.
 
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Want to make some thing real
Try it,
**broken link removed**

There are many others check the whole projects.
 
Ayne said:
Want to make some thing real
Try it,
**broken link removed**

There are many others check the whole projects.

You should bear in mind though, throughout that entire 'project', he doesn't consider it a 'practical project', and it's only a theoretical design - he's not built it, and has no plans to!.
 
can you give the model number of the computer speakers you plan on using.
or a picture of them.
personally i would removed the controls one a the time and extend the connection like sugested earlier it may look impossible but with the type of experience in electronic you have, you are limited in building from scratch an amplifier unless you buy a kit has its got instruction on how to build it like this **broken link removed** .
 
You said everything is built into the new speakers. Are you saying that the potentiometer (volume knob) is soldered directly onto the board? Then you will have to de-solder it and move it to the new, umm, old radio's volume hole, then solder wires from the potentiometer to the board. Same goes for the power connection, on/off switch and things like that.

Again, pictures would help. The old radio, speakers, speaker's circuit board, etc. Assuming the speakers are DC powered it's a simple project, and the hard part is us visualizing what you're trying to do because every speaker is built differently. I wouldn't mess with an AC powered set as a beginner project.

Schematics and other DIY-from-scratch stuff is probably beyond what you're building. At the least you will have to learn how to solder well with a good iron, and buy yourself a multimeter at your RS down the street. Without the meter you'll be building blindly. For a beginner these two items will be very handy many times down the road and are well worth the money.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone.
Attached are photos of what we have right now to work with.
Sorry about the focus issue. If it will be of help we can retake them.
 

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bmclaughlin said:
Another thing that we are looking for is a volume knob for it since, as we mentioned before, it is going into an old radio. How would we attach that?

I think you should ask your son to draw a picture of how he wants the front of the old radio to look after it is modified. I cant think of any way to utilize the rectangular hole and the two round holes to accommodate the three pots and the LEDs on the PC amp. And how is he going to make the rectangular hole look "cool"?
To get some idea of how much skill it takes to de-solder components go to the local PC shop and ask for some junk PCB to practice on. See how difficult it is to remove even the larger components without destroying the PCB.
IMHO this project is way beyond your skills.
All old radio knobs had 1/4" holes with a set-screw to fasten them.
 
Rolf said:
I think you should ask your son to draw a picture of how he wants the front of the old radio to look after it is modified. I cant think of any way to utilize the rectangular hole and the two round holes to accommodate the three pots and the LEDs on the PC amp. And how is he going to make the rectangular hole look "cool"?

Using the rectangular hole will be easy!!!!! Haven't you seen any of the store bought i-pod docking/listening stations? The I pod is rectangular.

You don't need to build an amp, you already have one in the included PC speakers. The same goes for a power supply.

I don't understand why there are so many naysayers to so many projects here. Where is all the DIY pride here? lol

What are each of the knobs for? presumably volume, balance, and ?

Since your speakers will be in a fixed position you can probably do without an external balance control. I would leave the balance control attached to the board. Extending the other two controls should be fairly easy and straightforward (as pointed out by spiffitz). Just keep posting any progress and questions you have and the real helpers will show themselves.
 
What are each of the knobs for? presumably volume, balance, and ?
Treble, Bass, and Volume perhaps? Just guessing here myself.

De-soldering large components isn't hard, especially the pots. I constantly remove and replace 15-pin VGA connectors at work from circuit boards with no ill effect; certainly a 3- or 4-pin pot is a no-brainer. A solder sucker will take care of those no problem. I do agree that practice should be done on a junk board first if one has never done anything like this but really, how hard is it to melt a solder point and press the button on the sucker?

As for the rectangular hole, I can't make too many suggestions because I don't know what went in there originally and what they want to put in there now.

Personally, here's what I'd do if I wanted to avoid electrical work:
-Put the circuit board as-is, behind the rectangular hole.
-Fill rectangular hole with a panel, perhaps covered with speaker fabric for aesthetic reasons. Hinge it so you can get to the original controls. If originality is no concern, then put holes in the panel to line up with the existing board's controls.
-Install "dummy" knobs on the two original holes with glue, epoxy, etc. or attach only one knob for volume (see below)
-Alternatively, the board can be mounted so that the controls and plugs are behind the radio.
-Speakers can go where you want, where they fit.

Lots of options and if you're crafty with tools soldering might not even be needed. At most you'd need to extend the speaker wires and you can use crimps for those.

If your son really insists on moving the knob(s), then the potentiometers (pots) will have to be de-soldered and extended using wires and more soldering. I can't see too well in the pics, but they look threaded and you'll need the nuts for them. The holes on the old radio would then need a smaller hole for the pots. You could probably find a washer that has the right ID to fit the pots through, yet a large enough OD to cover the large hole from behind.
 
Actually we were planning to just fill the rectangle in the radio with the original panel that went there that had the station numbers on it.

As for the knobs they are tone, volume, and a power knob. Probably the biggest problem here is that there are three knobs and two holes, but if we can rewire them then we could probably just put one in the back of the radio.
We would like to avoid altering the radio, mostly because we are hoping to keep the original look.

Thanks for the help.
 
bmclaughlin said:
Actually we were planning to just fill the rectangle in the radio with the original panel that went there that had the station numbers on it.

As for the knobs they are tone, volume, and a power knob. Probably the biggest problem here is that there are three knobs and two holes, but if we can rewire them then we could probably just put one in the back of the radio.
We would like to avoid altering the radio, mostly because we are hoping to keep the original look.

Thanks for the help.

Just a thought... Maybe you could leave the power Knob on the board and always in the "on" condition, then goto the hardware store and buy one of those inline power switches to install on the power cord. This assumes that the power knob on the pc speakers is a mechanical switch that "clicks on" and not some sort of digital type switch.
 
Or you could replace the volume control with a potentiometer of the same value with an intregrated power switch.
 
There is a eayer way to do it.Simply use the radios exsiting audio amp.All you have to do is trace where the audio input is,break the conection and solder two wires to it.I done it and it wroked well.
 
or leave radio as it is and just make transmitter
 
Those simple FM trasmiters can be stubern to get working, they also deteriorate the signal.

Tracing the audio input is normaly easy.You can get the amp ICs datasheet and check wich pin is input or you could conect directly to the volume control knob.
 
The speaker in the radio has a rip through it, the radio is about 60 or 70 years old if not more. It was a good suggestion though.
 
i never said it has to be cheesy, it was just direction and possible freedom of wires.
now i may be missing something but there are 101 things that come to mind (101b=5):
- all those files on portable player are already compressed to some lossy format (MP3s or whatever)

- this is for kid listening todays street music, not philharmonic orchestra recording.

- original post mentioned using cheap computer speakers. those are hardly hifi devices and their novel characterisitics are on quite on pair with even small and cheesy FM transmitters if not worse.

- one way or the other, it is possible solution for the question

- that wooden speaker box (did i hear 60-70 year old) will not have ICs as amplifiers.
 
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