I finished this project today and was chuffed so I'm sharing it. Building stuff again like this is my circular way back to this hobby. I wanted to build a home theater media server that met some specific design requirements. It had to be really quiet during operation and be reasonably powerful with some consideration for the future. I designed this around just one BIG heat sink and one very quiet fan. The unit had to look pro and fit in with other shop bought gear I have. It had to be capable of 4K with good frame rates, play latest codecs, stream to non wired devices and have a quality DAC with at least 96Khz/24 Bit handling. Finally, I didn't have a ton of money to spend and wanted to use components I already had lying around.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386818;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386819;image)
I don't have any amazing HT setup at the moment, just the family TV which is a modest 1080P LCD unit in our lounge-room. I'd like to have a decent HT in the future but probably no time soon.
The build:
Construction materials included MDF, marine ply, sheet metal, a small PC Motherboard. Other electronics included an Android phone no longer in use.
Construct a box from wood:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386804;image)
Glue it together and cut holes in box:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386805;image)
Undercoat box:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386806;image)
Install electronics and hardware onto the baseboard of the unit:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386809;image)
Hack Android phone:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386811;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386810;image)
Make heat-sink components for PS, Phone PS and CPU:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386813;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386814;image)
Put everything in the painted box:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386816;image)
This gets used regularly by the family. I made something actually useful! ;D
Make heat-sink components for PS, Phone PS and CPU:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386813;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386814;image)
As usual, your builds are always cleverly thought out and good-looking as well :applaud:
I'm curious about the role of those transistors attached to the heat syncs, what they are doing and how it all integrates into the design. Can you expand on this a little?
Great use of the phone there!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks yots, yeah better than throwing it out, it makes a great touch screen for the menu system.
As usual, your builds are always cleverly thought out and good-looking as well :applaud:
I'm curious about the role of those transistors attached to the heat syncs, what they are doing and how it all integrates into the design. Can you expand on this a little?
Thanks Zebidee, the transistor in the top pic is part of a separate regulated supply for the phone (no battery). It provides 4.2volts at 3amps. The other transistors were carefully removed along with the original heat-sinks from the PSU:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386820;image)
The new heat-sink is a means of transferring heat to the big heat-sink. I did the same for the CPU with just one fan to cool the lot. I would have left the transistors on the PSU and just removed the heat-sink but it's too cramped to do that. De-soldering everything, disassembling, attaching to new heat-sink and re-soldering was easiest.
I've run the box on the bench for hours of testing to see how it handles temperature build up. It could probably run without any fan but its inaudible and keeps everything a few degrees cooler.
Wow.
Every part of this build is very cool.
Especially the parts I couldn't have thought of or executed myself!
Thanks mate, I've been looking at your curvy little marvel in particular your use of materials, in some ways similar to my approach to some of my cabs. Great use of materials and methods..Look forward to seeing more. I have a lot of fiberglass work on my horizon. It's hard work but the results are very nice.
I know the apparent transition from rough wooden box to coated enclosure looks a bit unreal. It's just me being a bit cheeky and sparing you all the finishing work that went on in between. The wooden box had added to it sheet metal 'grills' that are slightly set into a rebate, worked over with Bondo fill and then Primer/filler coats. That last process is repeated several times to achieve the smooth looking finish prior to applying actual black paint. These days I only use my spray gun and compressor to paint with. In addition to the grills (and using the same process) I added the metal bezel for the display. The enclosure is thin and vented where it needs to be and thicker and sturdy over the rest of it. It's a system that I've refined more and more over the years but it all goes back to my arcade cabinet building adventures.
@ Zebidee - very observant! Yep, that is a genuine Singer sewing machine manufactured in 1928. It has been in my family since new. It was my grandmother's originally and is now my youngest daughter's. It just needs a belt from the foot pedal, otherwise works fine.
@ fablog - The phone, a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 underwent various hacks. Firstly I replaced the standard OS with LineageOS, rooted and minimal app install including the Kodi remote app Yatse.
I removed the battery and replaced it with a dummy blank that provides the phone with power from a regulated supply I built for the purpose - using a variable regulator and other parts:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386829;image)
This fools the phone into thinking it has a near full battery that will last for EVER. The final hack was to solder a switch cable under the main board of the phone to allow a power switch for the phone on the rear of the enclosure:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386830;image)
The phone only needs to be switched on once when the Media server is plugged in. Thereafter it just sleeps when the unit is powered off.
Hit the on button on the remote and everything just switches on.
Just some fun before the serious business of arcade cabinet building resumes... 8)
I removed the battery and replaced it with a dummy blank that provides the phone with power from a regulated supply I built for the purpose - using a variable regulator and other parts:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386829;image)
This fools the phone into thinking it has a near full battery that will last for EVER.
How did you tune the variable regulator? Is there a couple of resistors to set the voltage and a cap on that breadboard in addition to a power button? I want all the gory details of course.
The phone only needs to be switched on once when the Media server is plugged in.
There is a "trick" that might work so that the phone comes on when the media server is plugged in, all at the same time. You put a capacitor across the phone switch terminals (paying attention to polarity) to simulate a button release.
As you power on, the capacitor will be initially closed and circuit pass current, like you are pressing the button. Once you power up over "some milliseconds" the capacitor will charge up and circuit becomes open, like you have released the button.
The fun part is to find what capacitor to use. Around 1 - 10uF is good for PCs (you can also set this in BIOS for most modern PCs so not always useful these days). For the Loewe TV I have in my vertical cab, I use a 100uF cap.
This works because the larger the caps the longer to charge, you just need to choose appropriate value to give the supporting control system enough time to wake up and thus recognise the (fake) button press.
Glamour shot:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386993;image)