Let's Design a Brand New Boomer?

[Strānj-Bōōmbŏks]

In the very short time that I've been here, I've come to the conclusion that this forum has some VERY knowledgeable,
well-informed people. Not only on the boombox topic, but in sound, in electronics, in electrical and all the sorts as well.

I was wondering how difficult would it be to make from scratch (if possible) a BRAND NEW BOOMBOX?
A prototype? We'd probably never produce hundreds of these things, but who knows?

I don't know, is my "child inside" way too outside? Is it WAY TOO crazy an idea?
How many of us would be willing to buy something we ourselves designed to our special needs?
I know it would be really hard to please all of us, but isn't worth the experiment at least?

I mean we spend quite an amount of money every year on this, can you imagine making our own retro
boomer design like we've always wanted with top quality materials and components inside and out???

I think we'd need help from all the guys in this forum... as some of the guys from TapeHeads did and made
their own Phoenix brand tapes, we can do it!!!

As a simple experiment, we could start by putting our full name and next to it something you could do or contribute with technically or in any other way you think may help.

I'll start with my name: (do it so all the names appear in one list)

1.- Alejandro Level - Industrial Design (I have access to Industrial Design and Plastic Injection Molding Simulation Software)

 

[redbenjoe]

i think its a fun//worthy idea-

many of the lesser minds of this site will be meeting at a meet this weekend-

so ....it may begin as a much better product--
if the rest of the crew gets started without us

 

[Strānj-Bōōmbŏks]

i think its a fun//worthy idea-

many of the lesser minds of this site will be meeting at a meet this weekend-

so ....it may begin as a much better product--
if the rest of the crew gets started without us

Hahahahaah... So, where's your name and your input? Heehehehehe... I know you're one of the most experimented minds here Mr. Ira

 

[redbenjoe]

seriously --
wait till monday for my glorious input

 

[Strānj-Bōōmbŏks]

seriously --
wait till monday for my glorious input

Excellent, will do!

 

[bill]

it would be cool to design one that could use available parts from a electronics store.

for me it should have at least eight inch woofers
am fm radio
a line in
i honestly am ok if there is no tape deck finding new tape decks is most likely next to impossible for a project like this.
the case should be a box shape even better if it something that is easy to retro fit or put together.

 

[Master Z]

To use off the shelf parts would be a must, the cost of the tooling for the case alone would be huge! I'd say close to 5-10,000USD.. Even for a temporary mold that can crank out say, less than100 units would be pricey.
I think we've done this exercise before.

Paul Zelaya
Importer/Mechanical Engineering ( I source and develop **** for a living, mainly plastics)

 

[Superduper]

Somebody here needs to step up and be the chip foose of the boombox world!

The amp and speakers are the easy parts. The cassette deck is going to be impossible to make from scratch and I'd say forget it. The tuner -- forget that too. Too much money to develop something that can be purchased for just a few bucks. So, the ideal and most practical solution would be an adaptation of currently available gear into a boombox shell. That's why you see car radios stuffed into boombox housings so often -- it's the easiest way to get all the electronics for cheap. Unfortunately, it's not that attractive because, well, it LOOKS like a car radio. So the challenge then, is to somehow adapt the car radio (or other portable device innards) in such a way that it's character is consistent to that of a custom boombox.

 

[Jovie]

I'd say to cut out alot of design cost we should replicate a very popular classic design,with perhaps some slight modification for newer media.It should be a black box type,not one of the very complex classic and expensive JVC/Aiwa types.IT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN KIT FORM.Using preexisting shapes,possibly alternative parts inside,and kit construction would keep cost down for whoever were to manufacture the required pieces.

Only the chassis and possibly some switches should be made up new.It should be a box with very common driver sizes so these could be sourced from an outside supplier.If speakers with the lower Ohm rating of a boombox could not be found,a more powerful amp could be employed to handle what drivers are currently plentiful.However,the limitations of the plastic shell should be taken into consideration when possibly doing this.It would be,after all,only a boombox.

This approach would have the added benefit of supplying at least some replacement parts (mostly cosmetic) for owners of the original units.Also,anyone owning a doggie version of the original could,optionally,restore their unit to the newer specs.

When I recently opened my Techsonic MX900,I was shocked by its simple construction and lack of parts.One with the least amount of skills could probaby completely part it out within a half hour or so.This type of design would be ideal.Upgrading should take into account the classic shell so as to minimize the need for modification of what needed to be custom manufactured.New color schemes,however,could be employed.

Unfortunately,replicating a Lasonic might run into legal problems as the company is around and well aware of its past.There are,however,many black box types that would be totally off anybodys radar screen .The original parties responsible for these have moved on, are dead,or just wouldn't care if someone were to do this.I feel my Tecsonic might be an example of this kind of box.I'm thinking this idea might be fairly easy to make work.

 

[Radio raheem]

sorry guys its been tried and wouldn't work (kittmaster once made a remote for the m90 and the price once fineshed was around $300 400) so it just wouldnt work, and besides lasonic has filled that part for most of you guys.

 

[DrmZ]

The amp and speakers are the easy parts. The cassette deck is going to be impossible to make from scratch and I'd say forget it. The tuner -- forget that too. Too much money to develop something that can be purchased for just a few bucks. So, the ideal and most practical solution would be an adaptation of currently available gear into a boombox shell. That's why you see car radios stuffed into boombox housings so often -- it's the easiest way to get all the electronics for cheap. Unfortunately, it's not that attractive because, well, it LOOKS like a car radio. So the challenge then, is to somehow adapt the car radio (or other portable device innards) in such a way that it's character is consistent to that of a custom boombox.

You forgot that the times changed from the 80s.
We dont need custom electronic boards anylonger. New electronic devices like the ipod or cell phones use chips and run a custom operating system with applications who provide the feature set.
We could do a LINUX based system on an ARM chip/mainboard and a good soundchip that plays mp3, can show videos and dial in to internat radio over a wireless network nearby. Maybe add a digital FM tuner and thats it.
It would be interesting to design the interface for the touchscreen to make all look a little retro.

 

[redbenjoe]

real cool thread ==

and very important thoughts --so far

---
other than the $$$ bottom line and the risks involved....
i think we can actually do this --
and agree with all who say 'shelf parts' are the only way to go.

we can make 100 or so interestinfg retro boxes--

as long as the goal is total hobby and no 'business'

 

[Radio raheem]

as long as the goal is total hobby and no 'business'

with tthe wize one

 

[Strānj-Bōōmbŏks]

I TOTALLY AGREE, the idea is to make as much as we can, our own design with off the shelf parts.

When I say "our own design" I mean not only the aesthetics but also the technical specs.

For example, we're always talking about "how loud is it?" when somebody gets a new "used" boomer right?
Well, then lets have one that cranks with little or no distortion, then that task should be taken by the people who know about
electronics, electric and acoustics.

For example, we're always talking about what a bitch it is to take apart when changing the belts on the deck right? Or the speaker grills. So we just go and make that the easiest for anyone like the old mac cpu's that open up with a sort of hinge system (obviously that exact same thing wouldn't necessarily work since we have thump and macs don't) but it's just an example.

And we should be able to put in the best available deck for the tape to sound really really good (for the people who love tapes like I do) and decide whether it needs to be a double deck or a single deck with auto-reverse or not, etc.

Let me know what you think!

Alex

 

[Superduper]

real cool thread ==

and very important thoughts --so far

---
other than the $$$ bottom line and the risks involved....
i think we can actually do this --
and agree with all who say 'shelf parts' are the only way to go.

we can make 100 or so interestinfg retro boxes--

as long as the goal is total hobby and no 'business'

By it's very nature, "HOBBY" is a money losing venture so NO, it can't be for business as it wouldn't make financial sense to spit out a few. It will only makes sense for a Hobby venture where costs depend entirely on one's devotion to the hobby. Why else would it make sense to spend 3 x's the price for a TOTL boombox that is 20% better than the next boombox down the product line?

 

[Strānj-Bōōmbŏks]

it would be cool to design one that could use available parts from a electronics store.

for me it should have at least eight inch woofers
am fm radio
a line in
i honestly am ok if there is no tape deck finding new tape decks is most likely next to impossible for a project like this.
the case should be a box shape even better if it something that is easy to retro fit or put together.

Bill, great input for ideas, that's the idea! Give your input as to technical and physical issues, I totally agree with it not being for business, it's for us!

OK, SO LET'S SEE HERE, UP 'TILL NOW WE HAVE

- 8" Woofers what about some really great Tweeters, how about some mid's also? Sowe have the full spectrum?
- AM/FM Stereo Radio "Off the Shelf" Digital Tuner of course (it's cheaper that way)
- Stereo Line In
- SD Card Reader / USB Reader also?
- Really Nice Tape Deck (good brand so we can enjoy good quality sound all year round) let's not make that from scratch. You're completely right Superduper.
- Nice amp to power those speakers!
- Battery capable for street struttin'
- LINUX based system on an ARM chip/mainboard and a good soundchip that plays mp3, can show videos and dial in to internet radio over a wireless network nearby. Sounds really interesting DrmZ, can you look into that?

- Master Z could you find out what it would cost (aproximately) to have a mold for the front and back made. Just and aproximate price so we know what we're getting into?

Ok, maybe the idea is not to replicate Jovie, since they're already out there, I mean the Lasonics. My idea was more of a challenge to design something inspired maybe by other boomboxes but with a soul and character of it's own? Boomboxery style!

Keep the ideas coming!!! Great!!!!

Alex

 

[redbenjoe]

since this is a once in a lifetime design --
and we never want to look back and regret anthing that was less than an all-out try-

lets go for the 10 inch woofs

 

[redbenjoe]

the digital tuner plan =

if an analogue tuner is too $$$ to make -
then lets buy some am/fm LITTLE walkman type radios--
and have then dock to the box

 

[Strānj-Bōōmbŏks]

We'll have to submit those 10" Woofers to vote! I'm in!

Also, on the Digital vs. Analog tuner issue I wouldn't be the best person to answer that... HELP somebody!

Alex

 

[RadioRaccoon]

upon reading this thread... I think this is an awesome idea! I drew up some proto's based on what you guys stated.

I chose a Tripath Amplifier (or T-amp If you prefer) because it has great fidelity and can throw some power without draining batteries too quickly.