GhettoLED - The Evolved Led Mod

[trippy1313]

Another question, did you use the 60/m or 144/m LED strips?

 

[Dancorp]

I use a 100/m led strip from aliexpress, because this one it's almost fully black.
http://s.aliexpress.com/iyInQbqm

 

[Dancorp]

First post edited.

As I promised you, I just put the source code and diagrams on Github.
If developers want to help improve the code, it's with pleasure!


https://github.com/Dancorp/GhettoLed

 

[Dancorp]

I am thinking about creating a kit with all the components except the arduino, the heavy power supply and leds strips... With it, everyone would be able to make its own installation easily.
interested?

 

[trippy1313]

Possibly. I got my arduino uno in the mail a couple weeks ago. I'm waiting for my led strips to arrive.

I have no experience with LED lights though so it'll be interesting. Lol. I was wondering what exactly is your custom PCB for though? Is the arduino not enough to run the lights? Or is that for changing the light switch on the radio?

 

[Dancorp]

No, depend on the led number, the arduino cannot send enough current to power them. That's why I use a dedicated power supply, also used for the Bluetooth board (that's avoid the ground loop noise issue)
The blue tuner led is also included in the system.

Capacitors on led strips ways are here to prevent current peaks on the power supply.


https://github.com/Dancorp/GhettoLed/blob/master/Schematics/GhettoLed_Rev1.0.jpg

 

[Dancorp]

https://hackaday.com/2018/01/05/this-boombox-hack-is-lit/

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

Well, after careful consideration I decided I actually still like my RGB Led mods just as much as this one, truthfully. As well, my mods do not have as many routines & yours have a more reserved stealth look than most of mine but I did make a few stealth style RGB mods. The remote functionality of my mods lends itself to control multiple modded boxes at once which your Arduino mods do not offer this unique feature in the end. For these reasons, I decided not to imitate your creations but continue to do my own thing, since I've been doing this since 2013 & possibly inspired you & others to build on that & continue the RGB mod movement. I also match newer speaker drivers to vintage boomboxes to bring out their sound potential that was lacking with the original low fidelity drivers available back then.

Still love your work & would like your honest opinion on these group videos. All the boxes in the videos are daisy chained to play the same tracks & controlled by one remote which works with any or all of my MODS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTo5aiyAn9g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KA6jrwKKDM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLycFPXedEg

Also, using switches I installed I can gang or separate the control of each section as below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1BMCalue4o

Cheers!

 

[Dancorp]

Your orientation is different but also very interesting. I will be curious to understand how all this works. Is your system sound responsive ?
I particularly appreciate the light pulses, which are less present in my system. What type of drivers do you use?
It's really cool to be able to chain them up too.

Even if I suppose that integration was at least as complex as for me, I confess that I don't like to drill holes everywhere. From my point of view, the mod should not distort the boombox and remain invisible when not in operation.

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

Your orientation is different but also very interesting. I will be curious to understand how all this works. Is your system sound responsive ?
I particularly appreciate the light pulses, which are less present in my system. What type of drivers do you use?
It's really cool to be able to chain them up too.

Even if I suppose that integration was at least as complex as for me, I confess that I don't like to drill holes everywhere. From my point of view, the mod should not distort the boombox and remain invisible when not in operation.

You would not believe the amount of work I had to invest to get this effect. Drilling holes exactly spaced & perfectly aligned, gluing LED strips just so behind the holes, creating meters & meters of wiring harnesses using 3 & 4 pin fan connectors, combining 2 & three separate LED controllers into some of my mods for the versatility, lifting remote sensors & sensitivity pots from the controllers & installing them on the blaster body, powering them with the original power blocks of each blaster so they're still fuse protected by the original power circuit & work on AC, DC jack or 10 D batteries with no extra connections. Routing, routing & more routing to avoid noise interference, creating custom grounded noise shielding, using copper film tape & on & on & on. It's the details & perfect execution that make the MOD look amazing & sound even better. I've also created a 777 with 3 controllers that kicks the snot out of anything out there, has 2 OHM BOSE woofers to draw out the MAX 45w out of 4 channels, same as the C-100, installed bumper bars at the bottom front & both top sides, so strong you can carry the 30+ lb beast by the 2 side handles alone while protecting the entire front face from a forward fall, custom rigging C-100 LED power meters along the bottom front edge & hooking them up to the Super-Woofer channels, etc. These mods go much farther than just 2 LED woofer rings & one module but most people only see a butchered grail which is sad really.

I've had copycats try to do the same & claim originality & failed miserably to even come close to this type of attention to design, detail & functionality. Almost anyone can run a LED strip around a woofer edge, hook it up to a controller & call it a day. Heck, the first 777's with LED mods used sound sensitive auto & boat woofer rings, maybe a couple of LEDs to light the VU's but no one, as yet has come close to the level of intricacy or detail that goes into what I've been doing for the last almost 5 years now.

That's why I really dig what you've done so far since it is an evolution of the art in a different direction, not simply a re-hash of my ideas. I got sick of people trying to rip my work off without giving me any credit for inspiring them while the traditional collectors trashed me because I made something unique that they couldn't have.

Before even adding a 3 controller LED DISCO system, I replaced the woofers for better sound, used hemi-orange paint to bring out the M90's design & added bumper bars for ruggedness & protects the face, new trim, etc.

The LED strip with LEDs firing down from the top tuner window edge was the hardest to install of all my Mods. It had to be angled just right under the aluminum trim to allow the tuning pointer to move freely without snags. I literally had to hold the strip in place, bit by bit while the glue epoxy cured. Not easy to do but the holographic effect is worth every drop of sweat & determination to me...

I use RGB Led controllers that have 16 colors & 4 modes, including 2 sound activated, Strobe & Flash to sound changes. All modes are remote controllable & any one remote can control any boombox LED system so I can daisychain as many together as I want for sound & control them all as one.

Cheers,
Cpl

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

 

[Dancorp]

Yes, I discovered your hack after working on mine.
I can imagine the hard work you do on the equipment. My idea of installing the LEDs on the loudspeakers allows me to have an almost universal system, and of course easier to install most of the time. Only the tape for the VU meter can be placed where you want, according to the capabilities of the model.
I am working on a PCB in order to easily reproduce the system and install it on several models. If I can get a reliable system, I plan to sell modified boomboxes around me. In absolute terms, it is the addition of Bluetooth that is mandatory today to resell a boombox to a non-collector.
Going back to your creations, and given the number of models modified, it's normal to like some of them more than others. As you understand, I prefer those whose installation is hidden.
I like the protective bars you added to some of the models. Looks like they're versions for backpackers. On the other hand, boomboxes must be in good condition in order not to see the difference in rendering, especially on chrome. Where do you buy these protections?

The last point that is quite interesting is the management of ground issues. If the M70 is almost silent, that's not the case with the second model I'm working on. (Philips 584). I also noticed that the arduino could have a tendency to emit noise through the sound acquisition part. (line-in).
But here again, our systems are different: you managed to use the original boombox power supply, whereas I have to have an extra switched-mode power supply in my fixtures, because of the large number of leds.
What have you put in place for your noise problems? filtering? Isolated converters?

It's a chance to exchange ideas on such varied subjects!

Dan

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

Yes, I discovered your hack after working on mine.
I can imagine the hard work you do on the equipment. My idea of installing the LEDs on the loudspeakers allows me to have an almost universal system, and of course easier to install most of the time. Only the tape for the VU meter can be placed where you want, according to the capabilities of the model.
I am working on a PCB in order to easily reproduce the system and install it on several models. If I can get a reliable system, I plan to sell modified boomboxes around me. In absolute terms, it is the addition of Bluetooth that is mandatory today to resell a boombox to a non-collector.
Going back to your creations, and given the number of models modified, it's normal to like some of them more than others. As you understand, I prefer those whose installation is hidden.
I like the protective bars you added to some of the models. Looks like they're versions for backpackers. On the other hand, boomboxes must be in good condition in order not to see the difference in rendering, especially on chrome. Where do you buy these protections?

The last point that is quite interesting is the management of ground issues. If the M70 is almost silent, that's not the case with the second model I'm working on. (Philips 584). I also noticed that the arduino could have a tendency to emit noise through the sound acquisition part. (line-in).
But here again, our systems are different: you managed to use the original boombox power supply, whereas I have to have an extra switched-mode power supply in my fixtures, because of the large number of leds.
What have you put in place for your noise problems? filtering? Isolated converters?

It's a chance to exchange ideas on such varied subjects!

Dan

I know alot of enthusiasts have similar preferences as you do in keeping the blaster as original as possible while integrating the LEDs in a stealthy way so that they are not visible unitl lit up. I've done a couple of mid size boxes in that fashion too but at first I went in a different direction because I saw how these cheap original disco-lite boomboxes were selling for big bucks & really sounded & looked like crap to me. I thought to myself I could do way better converting a GF-777, or an M70 into my own Disco box & it took off from there. As I stated, I felt anyone can put a glow ring or a led strip around each woofer & get a good effect but the real challenge for me was making a DISCO box that went a few steps further & had a much more unique design aspect. The best part for me about my hobby, is it isn't just a drop in, over & over again mod. Each one I do is completely unique & a challenge, everytime. That's why no one can really successfully copy what I've done & I've intentionally stayed away from the over-done easy to do speaker ring mods. The real difference from your mods to other speaker ring LED systems is the programming of the arduino chip which I do love. If I could combine the complexity of the programmed module & the design of my Mods, it would be pretty epic.

As per example, as yet I've seen no one backlight the tuner dial on a GF-777, 767, 909, etc like mine since I had to hash out my own solution. I think it looks amazing myself & doubt anyone would argue it doesn't look good like a high end tuner dial...

Actually, the LEDs you & I use don't really need a lot of power to run themselves. Don't forget that LED technology has strict current limitations as per IEEE standards & should not draw much more than 20mA per LED @ 1.5V if I remember correctly. Even with 3 controllers I use & more than 60 RGB LEDs in some of my larger grail MODs, the power drawn was within the limits of the original power block. At 15v on D batteries, 60 LEDs would take about 0.12 Amps to power since each LED draws that 20mA at 1.5v DC. I'm not sure what the controller cards draw to operate alone but it can't be that much, as your modules would be very efficient too.

As far as noise, the LEDs we use work on Pulse Width Modulation. Pulse width technology uses pulses of current, in varying length & strength to render the varying colors & strobe effects. These pulses are what creates magnetic spikes that cross sensitive signal wires in the line-in, tape & pre-amp circuits. Thus you get buzzing noises, probably loudest when playing a tape. I discovered the LED strips themselves were the reason my Prosonic was buzzing like a chainsaw since they were placed on the body in close range to the preamp stage so just being close together, having no electrical connection, caused the magnetic fields emitting from the LEDs to create an inductive force on the preamp circuits inside the cabinet. I had to shield the inside of the cabinet with copper film tape & ground it to shunt any fields back to ground before reaching the preamp stage. I doubt if your line in connection is the culprit. I would hope your modules, if they have a line in, would already be able to isolate the audio side from the raw LED outputs or the whole point of the module would be useless from the start.

Also, any wires used to conduct these pulses from the module to the LEDs will also emit these annoying magnetic pusles as well & wire routing away from preamp, tape stages is mandatory for reducing the buzzing. Try routing your wires down below the main circuit boards of your blasters, along the battery compartment to avoid this issue.

If it works, please post here your successes & how you mitigated your problems.

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

I am thinking about creating a kit with all the components except the arduino, the heavy power supply and leds strips... With it, everyone would be able to make its own installation easily.
interested?

Yes I'm interested in playing with a 'kit' you would make? PM sent.