Antique Radio Project Help Needed!

[saturnkk]

I recently purchased an old pre-WWII Console Radio. It is a non-working Zenith SW radio. My plan is to convert it into a Touchscreen jukebox for my arcade / bar area.

Now the question; I am looking for a Jules Verne meets Bioshock / Hellboy type exterior look (aside from the touchscreen). Does anyone have any suggestions on where to find metal dials, iris's, old looking analog meters (e.g. decibels, voltage, etc..)?

Also, any fit an finish suggestions / guidance would be appreciated as well!!!

The pic shows the front. The whole center will be cut out (the window and buttons) for the 17" screen so any added items will happen on the front pillar edges, top or sides.

Thanks!!!

[yotsuya]

'Sup, Saturnkk?

Look For Drventure's jukebox. He does some awesome builds in a steam punk fashion.

Welcome to the board!

[drventure]

Oohhhh... You're singin' my tunes! 

I found tons of stuff off ebay. That and skimming local antique stores constantly. Just don't tell em' what you're planning on doing with their precious antiques 

Love to see a pic of the console you have. I just finished a restore of a Late 1920's vintage (I think) Majestic radio

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=115860.0

It's not near as steampunk as my buffet arcade cabinet, but I also finished it in about 6 months instead of, oh, going on 5 years 

[saturnkk]

Thanks, I saw your project!  It is an inspiration.  I attached a pic above for reference...

[drventure]

Nice cabinet. Seems shame to take out that gigantic dial, though.

The rough part about that shape cabinet (mines the same) is that if you mount the touchscreen to the front, it's going to be quite low and at a terrible angle for viewing and using. I had to do quite a bit of positional testing to get a setup that actually allowed me to use the screen reasonably. There was no way it'd have worked mounted flat to the front.

Looking forward to what you come up with!

[saturnkk]

Nice cabinet. Seems shame to take out that gigantic dial, though.

The rough part about that shape cabinet (mines the same) is that if you mount the touchscreen to the front, it's going to be quite low and at a terrible angle for viewing and using. I had to do quite a bit of positional testing to get a setup that actually allowed me to use the screen reasonably. There was no way it'd have worked mounted flat to the front.

Looking forward to what you come up with!

Thanks, I have been thinking about the screen, actually.  I will either have to figure a good way to angle/tilt it upward (I am not a woodworker) or maybe do a top mount (which likely wouldn't be as aesthetically pleasing...)  It is a shame about the dial but I would like to have all my dials / knobs / meters fully functional.  Since this is my first and I will likely make a lot of mistakes and learn a lot I don't want to get overly ambitious! (e.g. pop-up out of top of cabinet screen).  Maybe I'll hit Radio Shack for a VU meter, decibel meter, temp gauge, etc...  I am also thinking of mounting external speakers (maybe car speakers) with a throwback metal grill in front.  There is something like this in Bioshock (the game) that I really like...  Any way to incorporate an iris would be great too!

[drventure]

Yeah, I can see what you mean, but damn, that case looks like it's in REALLY good shape. I'd hate to hack it up too much.

The popup screen was +definitely+ the hardest part of my build, and while it works great and does look pretty cool, I'm not sure I'd go that route again because it was SO much more complicated.

One possibility is a flip out slide out mechanism under the top.

IE separate the top from the cab (mine was easy to separate, not sure about that one), mount the monitor to the UNDERSIDE of the top, then hinge the top to flip up from the back.

Finally, if you JUST do that, to monitor will be quite a ways back and to get a good angle, you'll have to move the unit away from the wall, SOOO, you mount the whole flip up mechanism on 2 draw slides so that the top with the monitor on it can slide forward while it's being flipped up.

I actually contemplated doing this for my build, but in the end, I didn't because
1) I wanted to do something with an linear actuator, just because 
2) I wanted to be able to set things on top of the cabinet and NOT have to remove them when I wanted to open it up.

Another thing to consider, speakers, Looks like you'll have a little wider area that I did for a couple speakers, but in the end that 18" width or so doesn't make for a very large soundstage, and you'll have difficulty fitting 2 larger speakers in there.

I used some 4" full range speakers from a Kenwood 5.1 surround system, plus the sub, but I'm not terribly happy with the sound. It's ok, just not great.

I'm MUCH happier with the sound from the dismantled Altec Lansing 2.1 computer speak set that I used in my buffet project.

Unless you +really+ want to crank the volume, I'd recommend going that route.

Also remember that you'll likely be putting a harddrive in there, and great big speakers vibrating violently don't agree much with harddrives, so be sure to take some precautions there. (dampening mounts, vibration enclosures, etc).

An iris would be fantastic. But that's a whole other level of complexity!

[saturnkk]

I am thinking of mounting the speakers on the outside with this type of look (see pic).  I am thinking of going car amp & speakers because I think that I can get much bigger sound...  I would either use a free air subwoofer or enclose the back.  You are right about vibration (especially if I enclose), thanks.  Dampening will be a priority.  Is there any place to even get a cheap iris?!?  The only one I saw was from a link here on a thread and it was in the $400 range!

[drventure]

Ahh.. Well, if you're gonna go full on steampunk, Personally, I'd mount those speakers in some kind of cones at the end of flexible conduit, kinda like I did on my buffet, only bigger.

You can see it here, the brass grid in the glass lamp shade thing on the end of the gold colored flex shaft



Of course, for what you're wanting, esp with car speakers I'd go bigger, maybe like gramophone horns or something with the speakers in them.

Here's an example




Check out the earlier pages of my build thread to see a ton of other ideas some of the guys around here were tossing about. Lots of good stuff there.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=88515.msg929544#msg929544

[saturnkk]

I was thinking of buying some Howard Restore a finish to clean it up...  Would you say walnut color??

[drventure]

It's hard to tell from the pic. Jeez, that pic makes it look like the cabs in almost pristine condition!

But walnut tends toward the darker and browner, that cab looks a bit more like teak, lighter and orangey.

But again, it can be hard to tell that sort of thing from pics.

[saturnkk]

Does Howard have one for teak?  It is in good shape but there are some scrathces on top...

[drventure]

http://www.howardproducts.com/prod-restor-a-finish.php

Probably the Cherry, walnut or mahogany.

The dark walnut is what I was thinking of, it's looks way too dark for that piece. Walnut might be too brown, though.

[saturnkk]

Maybe Cherry...

[saturnkk]

So I am working on the monitor conundrum and I had an idea for the Dial area.  If I mount the monitor on top, I can replace the dial with a plasma ball... 

[drventure]

That could look nice. There are plasma balls of all sizes available. I used a very small one on my control panel.

Another possibility is to remake the dial, like that thing in "the Golden Compass", full of brass gears and symbols. When you select a new song, it could be make to spin around and select various symbols (almost like a Stargate)

[saturnkk]

Very cool idea but:

1.  Where do you find that?!?
2.  What is the diameter?
3.  Changing songs/videos linked to dial movement sounds HARD!

[drventure]

1.  Where do you find that?!?
2.  What is the diameter?
3.  Changing songs/videos linked to dial movement sounds HARD!

1. I googled Golden Compass, but the gizmo is actually called an alethiometer.
That gave me the idea to google "Steampunk stargate. Sure enough, someone has put an image together of one

2. You'd have to make one. Or buy obtain the movie prop 
3. Nah. Stepper motor and usb driver circuit. Guys have used that here to setup monitor rotation rigs for Mame cabinets. But that's just an idea. You +could+ leave the dial in place, but connect it to a mouse scroll wheel (I document that in my build thread) and then have the dial allow you to adjust volume, or move back and forth between tracks, or fast forward, rewind, etc.

Another possibility is cut out the center of the dial and put one of those plasma disks behind it to show through.

[saturnkk]

Thanks!  The opening is 7".  I cannot seem to find a disk that is wide enough (the ones that are listed have reviews that say they are about 6 - 6.5 wide and the plasma part is only 5") so I am leaning toward an 8" globe and lean it in and silcon it.  I might have to paint or cover the other side so you can't see through it though...

[saturnkk]

Started the tear down.  Some before pics...

[saturnkk]

Some  closer shots.  Looks like it is from Feb 1940... 

[saturnkk]

In the last pic you can see the 4 openings.  The largest will be filled with a plasma ball.  The two upper (left and right) openings I would like to have some combination of metal dials, large bulbs and/or analog gauge.  The bottom round hole I would like for a power switch (metal toggle).  The face plate is a worn brassy color...  How do you think it would look chromed?  Too fancy? 

[drventure]

You might try taking some polish to the faceplate, it could actually be brass, in which case, some polishing compound and a buffing wheel might be all you need.

Looks like a good start. That cast flywheel is great, save that and put it on a spinner 

[saturnkk]

Is there any specific polish you recommend?  Also, do you have the link to your mouse wire-up?

Thanks!

[drventure]

Here's where I discussed what I did with the mice and scroll wheel

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=115860.msg1238038#msg1238038

The main thing I ran into was that I didn't pick up exactly the right encoders from Digikey (never done this before, so who knew) and I ended up getting ones that didn't have the same detente offset. The end result is that I'd get double scroll events for each real scroll wheel "click" (ie windows would see two "scroll down" or "scroll up" events for each single event from the wheel).

A little autohotkey scripting more or less worked around that problem (if the events come too close together, cancel one of them). But still, if I'd gotten the right encoders.... Thing is, I'm not really sure what "the right" encoder would be..

Wiring them up, however, was easy, the pushbutton is just that, a pushbutton, standard 2 wire connection.

The encoder part is 3 wires as I recall, but they wired up in the same order as was already used in the mouse.

[HaRuMaN]

Hey, drventure, you'll appreciate this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-Magic-Eye-Tube-VU-Meter-for-the-most-9-pin-tubes-electronic-kit-/280807526523?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item41616ed07b#ht_10567wt_1396

scroll down and watch the videos...   

[drventure]

@Haruma

Those are fantastic. A tad $$$ maybe, but they'd look great in these kinds of radio cabinets. He even mentions it's got an "automatic level adjustment" so that there's always some activity regardless of the input level. Interesting. That's one big complaint I had with using the VUMeters I went with.

cool stuff.

[HaRuMaN]

I've been drooling over those for a couple of days now...  that seller also has some other cool stuff, too.

Yeah, a bit $$, but his stuff looks quality, as opposed to the chinese crap alternatives.

[saturnkk]

Can someone explain to the Newbie (me) how I can integrate this into my set-up?

Thanks!

[HaRuMaN]

Can someone explain to the Newbie (me) how I can integrate this into my set-up?

Thanks!

Integrate what, the magic eye VU meter?  All it needs is power, it has a mic that pics up sound and the tube reacts.

[saturnkk]

Can someone explain to the Newbie (me) how I can integrate this into my set-up?

Thanks!

Integrate what, the magic eye VU meter?  All it needs is power, it has a mic that pics up sound and the tube reacts.

It is just that simple then?  Plug-in, mount somewhere on my radio, and play?  I could potentially get longer screws and mount it to the inside of the radio with the buld protruding from a hole then?

[HaRuMaN]

Can someone explain to the Newbie (me) how I can integrate this into my set-up?

Thanks!

Integrate what, the magic eye VU meter?  All it needs is power, it has a mic that pics up sound and the tube reacts.

It is just that simple then?  Plug-in, mount somewhere on my radio, and play?  I could potentially get longer screws and mount it to the inside of the radio with the buld protruding from a hole then?

Yes, that simple.

That auction link is for a kit (some assembly required), and tube not included.  You can get the tubes fairly cheap on eBay, as well.  I don't think the power supply is included with that kit, but all it is is a 12V wall wart.

There are other kits on eBay that are a lot cheaper that I would look at, especially if you are gonna mount the sucker and just have the tube protruding through a hole.

[HaRuMaN]

Here's one for much cheaper, coming from China, looks like powered off a 9V wall wart.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6E2-EM84-EM87-EM800-6HU6-magic-eye-indicator-tube-vu-meter-pcb-assemled-gold-pl-/200750241778?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2ebda597f2#ht_10439wt_1396

Same seller, different style:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6E1-EM80-EM81-magic-eye-indicator-tube-amp-vu-meter-gold-plated-pcb-assembled-/200750239015?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2ebda58d27#ht_11660wt_1396

[saturnkk]

Thanks!  So the Chinese ones come with a bulb then...  Do you know which bulb number the one is that allows viewing from overhead (top down) instead of from the side?  What makes the more expensive one a better choice?

[HaRuMaN]

Here is a top down one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6E5C-6E5S-magic-eye-indicator-tube-vu-meter-pcb-assemled-replace-EM34-EM35-/200753174913?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2ebdd25981#ht_12203wt_1396

I think the german one is much more expensive due to the pretty case, etc.  Quality looks to be better, too.

I think the chinese ones should work fine, I'm thinking about getting one just to play with.

[saturnkk]

Here is a top down one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6E5C-6E5S-magic-eye-indicator-tube-vu-meter-pcb-assemled-replace-EM34-EM35-/200753174913?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2ebdd25981#ht_12203wt_1396

I think the german one is much more expensive due to the pretty case, etc.  Quality looks to be better, too.

I think the chinese ones should work fine, I'm thinking about getting one just to play with.

Cool!  Do you know the diameter of it?  I am thinking of using it in the bottom hole that is already ~1 inch diameter.  So for these Chinese ones, all I need is a 9 volt .5 amp transformer that I could buy at Radio Shack then and I am done?

[HaRuMaN]

Cool!  Do you know the diameter of it?  I am thinking of using it in the bottom hole that is already ~1 inch diameter.  So for these Chinese ones, all I need is a 9 volt .5 amp transformer that I could buy at Radio Shack then and I am done?

Looks like the diameter is 32.3 mm, so 1.27 inches.

Yep, any wall wart with those specs should work, 9-12 V, 0.5A.

[saturnkk]

This is very cool.  Can these be adapted to meter anything else (e.g. amps, bass or low level volume, voltage, etc...)?

[HaRuMaN]

This is very cool.  Can these be adapted to meter anything else (e.g. amps, bass or low level volume, voltage, etc...)?

I would assume so, but I would not know how to accomplish this.

[saturnkk]

The German ones have a cool red glow at the base that the Chinese ones appear to not have.  Is this due to the German casing design and not an integral part of the bulb?  Looks like the German ones may have a small red led but I am not sure...

[HaRuMaN]

The German ones have a cool red glow at the base that the Chinese ones appear to not have.  Is this due to the German casing design and not an integral part of the bulb?  Looks like the German ones may have a small red led but I am not sure...

I think it's an LED. 

[saturnkk]

I think I have a decent handle on how to start with the face of the unit.  My current issue that I need to solve for is where and how to mount the 17" touchscreen?!? 

I think that it will need to go on top but it will need to be mounted on an angle.  Has anyone had any good ideas on how to do this?

[saturnkk]

I am thinking of using a mount like you would use for a make-up mirror that tilts/swivels.  Now, where to find it...

Also, I thought that I would be able to repurpose an old (Windows 2000) Shuttle PC to run it but it seems to have some software issues and I think that the OS is too old now to run what I need.  Does anyone have advice on where to pick-up a cheap, slim PC with either XP or OS7?

[saturnkk]

I am thinking all I need is a slim PC that can boot fast, run the best available jukebox audio/video software, store about 40-50 gb of audio and another 100 - 200 gb of video, and have wireless & sound built in.  I could go new but that seems like overkill?!?  Also, does it matter (touchscreen driver wise and juke box software) if it is 64 bit OS?

[drventure]

I'm using a 10 year old p4 from my junk drawer, running WinXP on an 80 gig drive serving up about 17000 tracks (no videos).

It's got an AGP....4x (I think) card in it that will handle DX9, but is not terribly fast about it.

And I'm running AlbumPlayer.

The only issues I've had with it is that the combination of Machine and Gx card is too slow to run any full out visualizations, or BreakOut audio enhancer. That kinda sucks, but it hasn't been enough to make me want to pull the mobo and replace it.

New would definitely be overkill. A decent dual core AMD with newish Gx card would be plenty.

[saturnkk]

I'm using a 10 year old p4 from my junk drawer, running WinXP on an 80 gig drive serving up about 17000 tracks (no videos).

It's got an AGP....4x (I think) card in it that will handle DX9, but is not terribly fast about it.

And I'm running AlbumPlayer.

The only issues I've had with it is that the combination of Machine and Gx card is too slow to run any full out visualizations, or BreakOut audio enhancer. That kinda sucks, but it hasn't been enough to make me want to pull the mobo and replace it.

New would definitely be overkill. A decent dual core AMD with newish Gx card would be plenty.

Thanks.  I picked-up a mini type PC due to space constraints.  It is a Win 7 machine with a decent graphics card and 2gb Ram and 500gb HD.  I may need to upgrade the Ram to 4gb and the HD to 1 TB eventually but we'll see...  What is the best way to get all of my iPod music loaded?   I assume I need to first use a third party software set to synch the iPod to the new computer? or will the AlbumPlayer app handle that?  I also have about 50 gb of music videos on DVD that I need to add.  Will AlbumPlayer convert those to a playable format or do I need to account for that too?


Thanks!

[HaRuMaN]

Hey, did you end up ordering one of those magic eyes?

[drventure]

What is the best way to get all of my iPod music loaded?   I assume I need to first use a third party software set to synch the iPod to the new computer? or will the AlbumPlayer app handle that?  I also have about 50 gb of music videos on DVD that I need to add.  Will AlbumPlayer convert those to a playable format or do I need to account for that too?

As far as I've seen so far AlbumPlayer is really just a player/jukebox, specifically tailored to touchscreen machines. I don't believe it does any conversions of MP3 or vids etc.

As for getting stuff off an Ipod, if it's just MP3s on there, just copy them off and put them in folders on your local HD. For Itunes stuff, I have no idea. Don't have an Iphone/ipod etc.

I'm guessing the Videos are just MPEG files? You should just be able to copy those over into local folders as well. I don't have any vids though, so I've never worked with AP and videos.

[saturnkk]

Hey, did you end up ordering one of those magic eyes?

Three! (on route from China)  I will upate my post tonight with my latest plans, pics and progress (as well as some questions)...  

[HaRuMaN]

Hey, did you end up ordering one of those magic eyes?

Three! (on route from China)  I will upate my post tonight with my latest plans, pics and progress (as well as some questions)...  

Nice.  Which type did you get?

[saturnkk]

What is the best way to get all of my iPod music loaded?   I assume I need to first use a third party software set to synch the iPod to the new computer? or will the AlbumPlayer app handle that?  I also have about 50 gb of music videos on DVD that I need to add.  Will AlbumPlayer convert those to a playable format or do I need to account for that too?

As far as I've seen so far AlbumPlayer is really just a player/jukebox, specifically tailored to touchscreen machines. I don't believe it does any conversions of MP3 or vids etc.

As for getting stuff off an Ipod, if it's just MP3s on there, just copy them off and put them in folders on your local HD. For Itunes stuff, I have no idea. Don't have an Iphone/ipod etc.

I'm guessing the Videos are just MPEG files? You should just be able to copy those over into local folders as well. I don't have any vids though, so I've never worked with AP and videos.

iPod files are aac (Apple proprietary) so I will need some software to load them to the new computer and convert them to either MP3 or preferrably WMA (smaller size and better compression).  DVD vids need to be converted to a format that players play.   Some will play them as is but many require that they are converted to MPEG or Quicktime type formats...  I assume that AlbumPlayer plays and shows music videos too?

[saturnkk]

Hey, did you end up ordering one of those magic eyes?

Three! (on route from China)  I will upate my post tonight with my latest plans, pics and progress (as well as some questions)...  

Nice.  Which type did you get?

Two of the first (side view type) and one of the second (top view).  The prices seemed to have gone up since my purchase too!!!!

[saturnkk]

Here are some after pics on the Radio finish after using Howard's Restor-A

[saturnkk]

I decided on the Klipsch speakers based upon recommendation here and a quick sound test.  I intend to mount them in new (old looking) speaker cases that I haven't quite found yet.  I took the main speaker apart and removed the volume and bass volume controller from the case.  My issue is that I would like to connect each of these volume controls to a large external dial on the cabinet.  But, as you can see, the pentiamiters are glued/cemented in!  What risk do I run of damaging this by trying to remove them from the hard glue/cement?  Is there a good way to do this?  I really need to seperate them so I can mount them seperately to the cabinet and use some old metal dials....  Any advice is much appreciated!!

Finally, I used Never Dull on the Zenith face plate and it didn't really help (see pic).  I am thinking that I may just want to go metal or chrome rather than brass...  Is this a bad idea?

[drventure]

But, as you can see, the pentiamiters are glued/cemented in!  What risk do I run of damaging this by trying to remove them from the hard glue/cement?  Is there a good way to do this?

Finally, I used Never Dull on the Zenith face plate and it didn't really help (see pic).  I am thinking that I may just want to go metal or chrome rather than brass...  Is this a bad idea?

About the glue, I've usually found that the glue they use on circuit boards is often very much like hotglue, if you gently pry at it, it'll eventually just pop loose.

Have you tried using a polishing wheel (like what you'd attach to a grinder) on that faceplate. A polishing wheel with some white polishing compound can work wonders on metal pieces you'd otherwise just toss.

I wouldn't give up on it yet.

If that doesn't work, you might try calling around for a plating house. You can usually find places to do chrome or brass plating for pretty reasonable prices.

[saturnkk]

It feels very hard for hot glue...

[HaRuMaN]

Def keep working on that Zenith faceplate.  That thing is too awesome to give up on.

[saturnkk]

Def keep working on that Zenith faceplate.  That thing is too awesome to give up on.

Using Brasso, Never Dull and elbow grease, this was the cleaned-up version.

[drventure]

Damn. Nice job!

You know, i'd almost say if there was a way to put a touchscreen BEHIND that bezel (and fill those 2 side openings as well), that could make for some really nice displays. Album/artist art in the side areas, and the center could be the main touchscreen control part.

The viewing angle wouldn't be terribly great though.

Still, that bezel is definitely worth keeping!

[drventure]

If it IS brass, I'd HIGHLY recommend a coat or two of spray lacquer. It'll keep it from tarnishing.

[saturnkk]

Thanks, I'll do that.  That pic doesn't do it justice.  The ring around the large circular opening and the letters all came out very shiny...

[HaRuMaN]

That thing looks amazing.  Glad you kept at it.

[saturnkk]

Damn. Nice job!

You know, i'd almost say if there was a way to put a touchscreen BEHIND that bezel (and fill those 2 side openings as well), that could make for some really nice displays. Album/artist art in the side areas, and the center could be the main touchscreen control part.

The viewing angle wouldn't be terribly great though.

Still, that bezel is definitely worth keeping!

That would be cool to have a screen behind it but wow!  The time, effort and cost to do something like that would be big!  I am still working on the screen placement but it will be on top.  I would prefer to mount it like a make-up mirror (on a tilt swivel) but I have not found any way to do this yet.  I will probably just end up framing it in on an angle...  Also, I don't know what to put in the small bezel holes but I am leaning toward dials (but I am not yet sure how to make them functional).

[saturnkk]

That thing looks amazing.  Glad you kept at it.

Thanks, I really need a motorized buffing/grinding wheel!  I used my drill to buff it and this isn't the best way!

[HaRuMaN]

Dremel with a buffing wheel might work pretty well for something like that...

[saturnkk]

Dremel with a buffing wheel might work pretty well for something like that...

Good thought!  I have a dremel, just need to get a buffer for it...

[drventure]

One possibility is to mount the touchscreen in an ornate frame, then set it (or fix it via a bracket) to the top of the cabinet. ie make it look like it's just sitting there, but it's hardmounted so touching it won't knock it off.)

As for the small holes onthe bezel, you could build small boxes inside each, then mount those vacuum tube UV Meters in there. They'll be protected from fingers, but VERY visible.

Lots of possibilities there.

[saturnkk]

One possibility is to mount the touchscreen in an ornate frame, then set it (or fix it via a bracket) to the top of the cabinet. ie make it look like it's just sitting there, but it's hardmounted so touching it won't knock it off.)

As for the small holes onthe bezel, you could build small boxes inside each, then mount those vacuum tube UV Meters in there. They'll be protected from fingers, but VERY visible.

Lots of possibilities there.

The frame idea was actually given to me by my girlfriend!  Great minds...  :-) 

I am not sure if the bulbs would be completely visible in the holes...  I have 2 vertical bulbs (that I was thinking of mounting to the top next to the monitor) and one top down bulb that I hope to squeeze in the small hole right below the bezel...

[saturnkk]

If it IS brass, I'd HIGHLY recommend a coat or two of spray lacquer. It'll keep it from tarnishing.

Hi Gloss Clear Coat I assume?....

[drventure]

Hi Gloss Clear Coat I assume?....

Right. I've always used lacquer for that because
1) it's quickdry
2) it's very high gloss, so the brass stays looking polished
3) it doesn't react with the brass when you spray it on (I've had other sprays react with it, not a good scene)

[HaRuMaN]

This is cool...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170842659908?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_500wt_1413

[saturnkk]

Damn, that is cool.  I bet it weighs a ton!

[HaRuMaN]

9 lbs.   

[drventure]

Great find!

[saturnkk]

Ok, I picked up a pair of these a couple days ago on Fleabay.  I took 'em apart and gutted the speakers/wires.  The Klipsch fit nicely.  Now I just need to figure out how to mount the Klipsch speakers inside (thinking silicon)?  Also, I think I am going to paint the speaker cases a metallic brass to try to match the other metal parts somewhat...

On a side note, if the potentiometer works it would be nice to repurpose them for the radio openings and add a big metal volume and bass control knob.  Then I would prob stick an LED in the opening?...

[drventure]

What the heck are those? Old Drive in movie speakers?

Nice!

[saturnkk]

Yes!  Figured they would work for what I am trying to do...

[saturnkk]

So, the clearence allows for about 1/4 inch or so I think.  Whaddaya think is the best way to mount?  Silconing the backs of the speakers to the metal case prob isn't the best...  JB Weld some kind of post to the speaker mounts on the front and then to the inside of the speaker cover?

[saturnkk]

Unfortunately I couldn't hack the Klipsch original plastic speaker mount to fit inside the metal speaker box (it was soooo close too!) so I am going to use picture frame backboard since it is stiff, easy to cut/trim and flexible.  Also, I decided to remove the volume knob and drill out that hole to set a seperate opening for the tweeter...

[saturnkk]

Also, has anyone seen this on Kickstarter?!?  Looks cool and seems to have a lot of potential for these kinds of projects...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joylabs/makey-makey-an-invention-kit-for-everyone?ref=category

[drventure]

That kickstarter looks cool. Just enough buttons and mouse support to do a reasonable juke or 1 player cab definitely.

And I love you could make the buttons out of just about anything.

Interesting.....

[saturnkk]

It could allow for some REAL creativity...!  I think I am going to pick 1 or 2 up.  Never know what future projects could benefit from such an aparatus???

BTW:  They really crushed their goal amount!

[saturnkk]

Alright,  Here are a few pics.  Like I mentioned, I wanted to create a seperate opening for the tweeter so I got out the handy dandy 1 1/8 hole cutter and went to town.  I am still working on how to mount the mid and tweeter inside but I thinnk I am close...  I will also find some kind of wire/mesh for the hole as cover and then the whole unit gets painted brass to match all the other metal.

[saturnkk]

Also, I picked out some thin fabric to replace the old speaker cover (behind the lats in front).  I wanted someting brassyish but reflective as I plan to mount LEDS inside there as well (one on top and one on bottom facing each other).  If it looks bad I can always change it...  I plan to use the remaining 2 lights underneath the unit to light the floor.  I have the same units under my pinball machine and I like how the look.  They are sound activated or have multiple flat color or scan/transition settings. 

Finally, my ELO touchscreen and Compaq computer were not playing nice.  The computer would hang every time at the very first Compaq start-up window.  If I unplugged the USB, let it start, then plugged it back in, it seemed to work fine.  After countless troubleshooting hours and online searches, I called HP and they spent another hour with me without success.  Then I remembered that the touchscreen had a serial port option to plugin instead of USB.  Problem is my computer doesn't have a serial port!...  Viola, a serial to USB adapter and like that issue solved!  (for $19  :-(  ).

Sometimes you gotta just trick em!

[Drnick]

Stupid question, but its the one that HP should have asked first, "Are you on the latest version of the Bios for your motherboard?" I ask this as we had similar problems with a bunch of machines at work and usb/vga adapters.  An update of the bios and they all worked fine.

[saturnkk]

Stupid question, but its the one that HP should have asked first, "Are you on the latest version of the Bios for your motherboard?" I ask this as we had similar problems with a bunch of machines at work and usb/vga adapters.  An update of the bios and they all worked fine.

Yes, we checked that and they confirmed that I was...  It was my second thought after the ELO driver itself.  Thanks!

[saturnkk]

So, can anyone tell me how to properly wire a VU meter into my set-up that looks like this?

Thanks!!!!

[HaRuMaN]

I'm GUESSING...  the outer tabs are the power for the backlight, and the inner tabs is the actual meter part.

[saturnkk]

So which wires get run through it?

[drventure]

If it's like mine (and I bought mine from Jim's audio too), they sent me the attached hookup diagrams.

The VUMeter is driven by a board, you can't just hook them directly to audio out (not sure if that's where you were going or not).

[saturnkk]

If it's like mine (and I bought mine from Jim's audio too), they sent me the attached hookup diagrams.

The VUMeter is driven by a board, you can't just hook them directly to audio out (not sure if that's where you were going or not).

Thanks!  So I need the board too and if these are the same as yours, they are pretty much going to stayed pinned at the top then (when the music is loud) right?

Do you think that I could repurpose the drive-in speaker potentiometer for the radio and use it to control the volume via an external dial?  I would think that I need to wire both speakers through it then?...

Sorry for the basic type questions but this is fairly new to me!
 

Thanks

[drventure]

Thanks!  So I need the board too and if these are the same as yours, they are pretty much going to stayed pinned at the top then (when the music is loud) right?

Do you think that I could repurpose the drive-in speaker potentiometer for the radio and use it to control the volume via an external dial?  I would think that I need to wire both speakers through it then?...

Yeah, you'll have to have a driver board, and if it's like the one I got, it'll reflect the volume of the sound level, so if you tend to vary the volume, you'll find the meters will not dance quite as much as you might like. After all, the only reason for putting meters in this kind of unit is for the bling of some dancing meters

You might try looking around for dynamically adjusting VUMeter boards. Seems like there was a kit sold with those VUMeter tubes that indicated that it varied the level reading based on the level so you always got activity in the tubes. If there's a way to hook that kind of board up to a "normal" vumeter, I'm not sure.

The easiest way around this whole problem is to

1) set the volume in windows to max.
2) get an audio Y splitter cable
3) run one end to you VUMeter board to drive the meters
4) run the other end to an amp with an external volume control

The only snag with that, is that most JUkebox apps have an onscreen volume adjustment, but that will only adjust the Windows volume, which in turn adjusts the volume level coming out the audio out jacks, so your VUMeter sees a volume adjusted signal, which is what you don't want.

[saturnkk]

Thanks!  In the end that I run to the VU meter board (#4) where on the board is the connection for this line?

[drventure]

Those terminals marked Lin, v0, Rin

That's left, right and ground.

However, and this is REALLY IMPORTANT!!!!

Many amplifiers are what's called, I think, floating ground.

That means that the speaker wires coming out of the amp have 2 COMPLETELY SEPARATE grounds. They aren't common and if you tie them together (ie be connected both to the V0 terminal on the board), somethings gonna fry.

On the other hand, the typical RCA audio output from the back of a PC IS common ground, you can know this because the 3.5mm audio jack only has 3 terminal points on it, L, R, and ground.
So, you Tee off from there, and connect L to LIN, R to RIN, and the ground to V0.

Here's a typical jack pinout.

[saturnkk]

Is it easier to wire up an input jack to the board to plug into or to just cut off the 3.5 jack and splice to the board direct?

[Drnick]

Both will be exactly the same amount of work (Excluding plugging in connections).  So I guess it depends on your choice.  I would add the adapter for ease of removal/testing etc.

[saturnkk]

Okay, some progress...  I have been able to adapt the guts of the Klipsch speakers into the metal speaker housings.  I used the main opening for the mid and the lower (old volume control) I drilled out and used a mesh screen over it for the tweeter.  Painted it all bronze and viola.  They sound GREAT in there!  Tight fit, but it works.  Now I need to figure out what to do with the speaker wire coming out?!?  Also, I picked-up 2 angle brackets to try to use as mounts but I am not sure on this yet.  Basically they'd screw in close to the top front and the speakers would hang on them (like your window at the drive in) but they point down slightly in that position so I am still working on it...

Finally, I was able to repurpose the channel knob (using a dremel and other random parts) for use as the volume control.  Still need to clean up the black knob and paint the lightning bolt (gold  I think).

[drventure]

Nice. This is coming along!

[yotsuya]

Looks great so far!

[HaRuMaN]

You get your magic eyes yet?

[saturnkk]

You get your magic eyes yet?

Yes, I got 3 of them.  2 "side view" type and 1 top view. I think that I am going to mount the side view ones through the top and the top down one throught the small hole below the large circular cut out...

[saturnkk]

Ok!  Gettin' her close to done now.  Made a few on the fly design decisions for which the tubes were an unfortunate casulaty.  I just couldn't figure out a way to use them on this without it looking too goofy (since I am using the plasma globe)...  It's okay though, I'll just use them on the next project (oh, and my Makey Makey too).

One issue I have is that I replaced the 75ohm potentiometer with a 100ohm one from radio shack.  I think that the sound is not as crisp now?!?  Can anyone here verify that I would degrade sound quality with a Radio Shack 100ohm pot in this situation?!?

[Santoro]

Subscribe... looks cool!

[saturnkk]

Okay, here we go...  First, decided to use this to mount the touchscreen to the radio....  Painted it metallic brass to match the other stuff.

[saturnkk]

My GF helped me make these templates for the inside of the 1950's drive inn speakers to mount my Klipsch speakers into.  I used some metal screen material to cover the tweeter hole that I drilled out where the old volume control was...

[saturnkk]

Polished and clear coated the bezel (as recommended here).

[saturnkk]

Here is the nearly complete unit.  Inside I added a shelf for the computer, foam padding for the shelves to help with vibration, and a power strip to control everything.  I recovered the old speaker grill on the inside with new material and added LEDs in there (the Red ones not showing up well in this photo).  The old Short Wave station nob was taken apart and re-rigged to control the volume (my GF painted the Zenith Z on it to make pop a little more).  The plasma globe replaced the old Short Wave dial face and an on/off swith was used to cover the other opening.  The old station selector on the dial was repurposed to cover the knob hole and is pending the addition of a small led behind it to make the withe plastic part glow.  Also, I am looking for some ornate metal to trim in the on/off switch and volume control areas. 

All in all it works well and sounds good.  It plays all of my music (about 40 gb) and thus far I have loaded about 25 music videos (out of around 400 or so).  The music videos don't sound as good.  I am thinking of upgrading the pot to help the sound quality a bit.  Touchscreen works great and the old style frame around it was an easy solution for mounting.

I also set the computer up so I can display the videos on my large plasma screen as well.

I will try to get some bettter pics soon...

[yotsuya]

That is AWESOME, my friend.

[saturnkk]

That is AWESOME, my friend.

Thanks!  I am by NO means a carpenter or electrician at ALL.  This is my very first project of this type and I don't have a lot of patience to wait around for the "right" parts!  All in all I think it came out okay.  It does look MUCH cooler inperson.  I'll try to get some better pics once it is 100% there.

[drventure]

That is AWESOME, my friend.

Couldn't have said it better. The Bezel, knob, screen. All look fantastic.

 

[saturnkk]

Thanks!  I think it'll look better to me once I trim the brass metal into the bezel and get the led let behind the Zenith lightning bolt...  Need to work on closing in the back next too.

Now...  I still have those tubes that I ordered from Ebay/China...  Maybe a new table top radio project?!?  ...use it as a receiver / player for my 1,000 gigawatt system in the basement???...