My New Jukebox

[BobA]

Here is a pic of my almost completed jukebox.   Again it is a bartop unit as most of my projects have been.  The technical highlights are as follows.

450 AMD with 192 MB and 20 GB hard drive
15 inch monitor
100W sound system
Creative Labs Remote Control (IR Receiver in bezel)
Numeric Pad used as keyboard

Software
Win98SE  Virtual Music Jukebox 4.7

Yes it will run Mame as well with  PowerRamp Mite gamepad
Gamepad plugs in where keypad is attached.

More info on WWW site to left.

BobA

[BobA]

Here is the open back during construction.

[BobA]

Here is the front during construction.

[Mameham]

I like that one... clean. Very nice...

[BillyJack]

Very nice.  I like the computer placement.  I don't like Creative's remote control.... GRR!   (Ex-creative tech employee.... sorry.)

Question:

Has anyone tried the X10/IBM/everyone else RF remote?  I have one of these (and when I actually plug in the hardware) I love it, at least for Winamp / Windows Media Player.

Does anybody have one of these units?  I like it because it's RF and I've got no problem changing tracks/adjusting volume etc. anywhere in my house (okay, it's a trailer, but still... it's pretty long, 80 feet I think...)

If it works with Virtual Jukebox and the likes then it might be worth looking into as a remote possibility.

(yeah, I know X10 is evil, but they used to be cool...  what happened?)

BillyJack

[JLR2000]

Great job BobA!

I love the bartops......

Still deciding how/what to build for my jukebox.  I think I want a floor size juke, but I have to build a bartop, maybe like your vertical....

I have a few extra 15" monitors laying around and a Dell PII233 not being used, sounds like a good start for a "classics only" bartop....

Thanks for sharing your work/ideas....

[BobA]

Thanks JLR2000

I like the small ones because of a space problem.  They are the perfect solution to make use of those old PCs that are gathering dust. A small vertical plays classics very well and is one of the few setups where a keyboard hack is ideal.  

I find that the larger jukeboxes leave me short of ideas on how to make them look like the works of art that real jukeboxes really are. I would love a Wurlitzer looking unit but light ropes don't really do it for me and replacement style bubble tubes are way beyond what I would ever spend.

Good luck on your projects.

BobA  

[JLR2000]

I find that the larger jukeboxes leave me short of ideas on how to make them look like the works of art that real jukeboxes really are. I would love a Wurlitzer looking unit but light ropes don't really do it for me and replacement style bubble tubes are way beyond what I would ever spend.

Ha! That's exactly the problem I'm having!  As much as I want a full size, I don't want it to look like an arcade cabinet, or a big box with a monitor.  I may go with a bartop/wall unit with output to large speakers. Another reason I don't want to go small with the jukebox is that I want Big sound, I have a couple of big speakers that I can use for the projet. I know, you can get big sound from small speakers....but that usually = $$$$.  I like to keep the project at a reasonable budget, using things that I have left over whenever possible. (Helps me to justify why I don't throw anything out to my wife!).

[NiN^_^NiN]

Great job looks cool but i dont know i dont like the screen painted black i dont know just dosent match maybe u should get black paper and cut the shape out then fit a pluastic sheet on the front like lexen or something and try that i think that would look good

But im not dissing you it looks great nice job

[BobA]

Great job looks cool but i dont know i dont like the screen painted black i dont know just dosent match maybe u should get black paper and cut the shape out then fit a pluastic sheet on the front like lexen or something and try that i think that would look good

But im not dissing you it looks great nice job

My fault for the poor pictures.  The screen is shown painted in the construction picture before I put on the bezel and lexan.  It is only painted so that the edge does not show.  In reality in the completed picture it is completely hidden.  It is hard to see because the black all blends together.  Maybe I need some graphics on the bezel or something.

Here is a closeup of the bezel and lexan.  Have to dirty the lexan so you can see it.

Thanks
BobA

Edit: I give up you still cannot see the lexan I guess that is how it is supposed to be.

[Frostillicus]

This makes me want a jukebox  Good job - that looks like it would be a fun project.  And the remote is a nice touch, too.

[BobA]

Thanks for the good comments.

To answer a few questions and keep from answering them again here is a little faq.

1.  Do you use the Creative IR or your IR port on the MB.

I use the Creative IR receiver but the IR chip has been removed from the PC board and extended so that I could put a small hole in the bottom center of the bezel and mount the IR receiver chip there.

2.  How do you control the flourescent lamp?

The flourescent lamp does pulse with the music.  This is built into the lamp mounting assy and I do not know how it works with the flourescent.  It is a 12V computer mod unit that has it all built in and connects to a HD power plug.

3.  How do you control the Creative IR?

It is controlled by a great program called Girder.  The program supplied by Creative did not work for this application and Girder is very good and free.
http://www.girder.nl/''

BobA

[JLR2000]

BobA:

What is the top curved piece made of?  It's hard to tell from the pics...

[BobA]

The front of the top piece is solid pine.  It is cut into the arch shape and routered to give a rounded edge.  Behind that is a slightly smaller mdf piece with cutouts for the marquee and speakers.  The marquee is mounted to this by sandwiching it between 2 pieces of lucite and fastening the lucite to the back of the mdf.  The mdf is slightly smaller so that I could top the arch with tin and the front piece hides the edge.  The back of the top is a matching piece of mdf that the flourescent screws into.

BobA