nedjelja, 3. listopada 2010.
subota, 2. listopada 2010.
petak, 1. listopada 2010.
How to Install Your Own Car Stereo System
This inverter provides household power on the go. It converts battery power to 120 V AC household power, allowing you to power up office equipment and household appliances from your vehicle. This unit is ideal for such appliances as microwave ovens (1000 watts or less), coffeemakers, laptops, TVs, video game consoles, CD and DVD players, cell phone chargers, and more.
 Power equipment and appliances from your vehicle. Click to enlarge. |
 Great for automobiles, RVs, boats, tractors, trucks, and more. Click to enlarge. |
 Includes three grounded AC receptacles and 5-volt USB output. Click to enlarge. |
How The Cobra Power Inverter Works
The Cobra power inverter is an electronic product that has been designed and built to take low-voltage DC (Direct Current) power from your automobile or other low-voltage power supplies and convert it to standard 115 volt AC (Alternating Current) power like the current you have in your home. This conversion process thereby allows you to use many of your household appliances and electronic products in automobiles, RVs, boats, tractors, trucks, and virtually anywhere else.
Cobra 1500 Watt Output Waveform
Some very sensitive electronic equipment might not operate satisfactorily on "square wave" or "modified sine wave" power. The output waveform of the Cobra Inverter is a "square wave" or "modified sine wave." It is a stepped waveform designed to have characteristics similar to the sine wave shape of utility power. A waveform of this nature is suitable for most AC loads, including linear and switching power suppliers used in electronic equipment, transformers, and motors.
AC receptacles
With three ground AC receptacles, you can connect and power multiple devices at once.
USB Output
The 5-Volt USB output allows charging and operation of modern portable devices, such as iPods, BlackBerrys, and cell phones.
Remote On/Off Switch Capable
An optional Remote On/Off Switch can be connected to the Remote Jack, allowing you to turn the Cobra power inverter on or off from a convenient location when the inverter is installed out of reach.
Safety Features
The CPI 1575 will notify you with a flashing meter and alarm sound when there is a power problem, and will shut down for protection in the following situations:
- Current Overload Protection--If the inverter is overloaded, it will shut down to protect itself.
- Short Circuit Protection--If the AC output of the inverter is short-circuited for one second or more, it will shut down to protect itself.
- Low Voltage Protection--If the input voltage drops to 10.0V or less, the inverter will shut down to protect itself.
- High Voltage Protection--If the DC input voltage rises above 15.0V, the inverter will shut down to protect itself.
- Over Temperature Protection--If the internal temperature rises to 40 degrees C (104 degrees F), the inverter will shut down to protect itself.
What's in the Box
CPI 1575 DC to AC Power Inverter, instruction manual
Price: $39.95
četvrtak, 30. rujna 2010.
How to setup a car stereo-install at your house
I know of several major car audio installers who started out working on their first major projects from home. I even knew a world champion installer who built his car on the back porch of his town house and had a secret “bat cave”-type entrance in the community fence to get the car on and off the porch. This type of dedication is one of the reasons why he was world champion.
You get the idea. You don't need to have a high dollar shop to get a quality stereo installation. You can actually setup an inexpensive install bay at your house if you have a small back porch and a two car garage that is not being used. I have used a two car garage and a small back porch to build several show cars over the years. I have also found that it is a great way to affordably be able to build cars and not pay rent at home and rent at a commercial shop. This savings will free up extra cash flow to be utilized in the car stereo system.
The basic two shop concepts are:
-Convert the back porch to a small woodshop for fabrication, and
-Convert the two car garage to an installation bay/assembly area.
The reason that you need both areas is that you should have a clean area where the car is parked and a fabrication area somewhere else that can get dusty. I have seen many home-based setups where the wood cutting area is in the same area that the car is parked. This is not the best option as a clean workspace is essential in producing a high end car audio system.
First, the back porch is a fantastic place to build a woodshop for the following reasons:
1. It is usually close to the garage. This helps keep down the lost time of walking between the two areas. The time savings will allow extra time on the projects.
2. Back porches are usually built on concrete and have a covered roof. If the porch has screened sides and doors then that is even better, because it keeps the bugs out and still allows fresh air to come onto the porch.
3. Back porches are on the back of the house. So, noise from the tools and dust from woodwork will be less likely to bother the neighbors.
Second, a two car garage is great to use as an installation bay because:
1. It will allow you to monitor your car project throughout the day and night.
2. It provides the most security, because you sleep at home every night where the tools and car are parked.
3. You have virtually no shop cost because you have to pay your house bills anyway.
4. It keeps the wife happy because you will be working from home instead of always being at the shop.
5. It’s easy to create an air conditioned or heated workspace.
6. There is usually an existing 220 volt outlet (for the dryer) than be used to run the air compressor.
In this article, I will explore the setup steps and tool requirements for home based car audio setups. I have found that spending a week or two setting up the workspace before starting a stereo installation will produce the most favorable results. When done correctly, a home garage and workshop can be used to efficiently complete many different projects, even projects that are not car audio related.
Now that I have described why we should do it, let’s discuss some of the specifics and steps to construct a home shop.
1. Plan your workspace design. I usually draw out a rough schematic on paper with the proposed tools. Once I get the schematic where it will optimize efficiency, I then draw it out on the concrete areas in blue chalk. This helps me visualize the finished product.
2. Run additional electrical outlets. Most home electrical panels will have a blank space for an additional circuit breaker. Discover the brand of electrical panel and the breaker type, which are listed inside the panel door, and proceed to the local hardware store to buy a 20 amp breaker. Hookup 12/2 Romex wire to this breaker and you can safely run up to five additional outlets on this line. (Check with the local electrical inspector for permission first and code guidelines.)
3. Install pegboard. Pegboard or Slat-board can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot. Pegboard is around $15 per sheet and slat-board is close to $40 per sheet. Either one will work just fine, but the slat-board has a more professional look and feel. Pegboard allows tools, cords, tape, clamps etc. to be organized and hung up out of the way.
4. Build at least one large workbench or assembly bench in both the woodshop and garage. This will simplify every aspect of your car build.
5. Install a lot of fluorescent lighting. I usually buy multiple four foot fixtures and install them everywhere I plan to be working. The best bulbs to buy are called “Daylight Deluxe 6500K color temperature.” These will provide the clear white light to work with that is so important for detail. I cannot stress enough the importance of having the right amount of bright light when working on a project.
6. Purchase several large vertical filing cabinets. Filing cabinets can be bought anywhere, and some are given away for free, and are usually constructed with ball-bearing load-rated drawers. Filing drawers are perfect for filling up with tools and materials. This option is lot cheaper than purchasing a ball bearing tool box which could cost thousands.
Below is a project list of must have items for your home car stereo shop. If you purchase the items on the list, there is a good chance that you will have most everything that you will ever need to complete a car stereo project.
Steel Sawhorses
Table Saw
Chop Saw
Table router w/ Lift
24” drum fan
Fluorescent Light Rack
Air Compressor
Work Benches
Tool box
Filing Cabinets
Spray Glue Gun
Spray Primer Gun
Floor Jack
Shop Vac
1. A 20 amp circuit breaker. Look on existing breakers fine print to determine the type you will need.
2. Mount all of the outlet boxes before running wires or conduit.
3. Bolt boxes to block wall with blue Tapcons or use lag bolts if it is a wood stud wall.
4. Carefully install all of the new receptacles and cover plates. (Always use a licensed electrician if you do not have electrical experience)
5. 1” ferring strips are installed on the wall in preparation for peg board. This will allow a ¾” space for the pegs to be inserted.
6. Hang the pegboard, and then proceed to layout tools, cords, and templates.
7. A 1” steel table is used to support the chop saw and work bench. The steel table will minimize vibrations from the power tool.
8. A 2 x 4 frame is constructed around the table to the same height as the top of the saw.
9. This table top will allow long pieces of wood to go across the table and the top of the saw, and cut without any movement of the cut piece of wood. If the saw was just sitting on top of the table then the cut pieces of wood could fall and be disfigured.
10. The lower cabinet areas will be used for storage.
11. Once the table tops are installed, you should have a flush surface across the entire bench.
12. A 2 x 4 frame is constructed to house 3) box fans. This frame and fans will exhaust dusty air out of the woodshop.
13. Test fit each fan before completing the framework.
14. Plywood is used to trim out the fan openings and seal any air leaks.
15. The frame is secured into place using lag bolts.
16. Utility hangers can be purchased at Lowes and used upside down as a wood rack. This will allow you to hold 4 x 8 sheets of wood vertically.
17. 2 x4 and MDF are used to construct a frame around the table saw.
18. This constructed table should be the exact same height as the top of all of the other tables in the room.
19. The back corner of the table saw is cut at an angle to maximize the floor workspace and to allow room for a trash can. The underside of the table allows wood storage of the cut pieces.
20. The opposite table side is used to store power tools. Planning these type of areas into the shop design will maximize the workspace efficiency.
21. Small 2 x 4 frames can be used to store glues and adhesives. This will save money by not having to buy expensive shelves.
22. Store all of the chemical products in one area and keep a chemical rated fire extinguisher close by. A chemical fire rated cabinet is the best place to store chemicals and can be purchased from Grainger.
23. A trash can and a thick wood top can serve as a great wood cutting table.
24. Jessem Router Lift and Porter Cable router are essential to a home based shop setup.
This and the table saw are the tools I seem to use the most.
25. 24” drum fan is a great way to exhaust dust off of an open back porch. I try to position the fan next to the areas where I am cutting the most wood.
26. A strip outlet with switch is used to turn on a shop vacuum every time I use the chop saw.
27. The shop vacuum is positioned directly underneath the chop saw and the hose is connected to the chop saw dust port.
28. A hand dolly can be used with plug in fluorescent fixtures to create a mobile high output light rack. I use: peg board, strip outlet, zip ties, hand dolly and ¼” bolts to put the rack together.
29. A total of eight bulbs are installed into the rack. This can be easily transported to anywhere I need bright light. The heavy rubber tires allow me to take the light rack outside.
30. Three essential hand tools from left: Craftsmen razor cutters for cutting large gauge wires, Klein wire strippers, and Kobalt nippers. I use the nippers to flush cut zip ties.
31. This Snap On tight fit drill kit is perfect for drilling inside of a car door or underneath a dash.
32. Snap On makes a hanging fluorescent light with padded handless for use across the inside of a car interior or across a raised car hood. I use mine across the headliner and clip the hooks on each open door.
33. Blue Point LED light kit is perfect for positioning light exactly where you need to see. The battery life is exceptional on this kit and can be purchased from Snapon.com for under $50.
34. Bosch jigsaw is probably one of the tools you cannot live without. Perfect for cutting all types of wood, plastic, and aluminum.
35. Rigid shop vacuums are commercial quality and last forever. They also offer the highest suction of any readily available shop vacuum.
36. Porter Cable upholstery finish stapler is perfect for wrapping panels and boxes in vinyl. This tool can be purchased for around $150.
37. A Milwaukee heat gun is a great tool for loosening rusted bolts and melting heat shrink tubing.
38. A cordless soldering iron is perfect for soldering wires inside of a car. The only disadvantage it has is that you cannot adjust the temperature to the exact set-point you may need.
You get the idea. You don't need to have a high dollar shop to get a quality stereo installation. You can actually setup an inexpensive install bay at your house if you have a small back porch and a two car garage that is not being used. I have used a two car garage and a small back porch to build several show cars over the years. I have also found that it is a great way to affordably be able to build cars and not pay rent at home and rent at a commercial shop. This savings will free up extra cash flow to be utilized in the car stereo system.
The basic two shop concepts are:
-Convert the back porch to a small woodshop for fabrication, and
-Convert the two car garage to an installation bay/assembly area.
The reason that you need both areas is that you should have a clean area where the car is parked and a fabrication area somewhere else that can get dusty. I have seen many home-based setups where the wood cutting area is in the same area that the car is parked. This is not the best option as a clean workspace is essential in producing a high end car audio system.
First, the back porch is a fantastic place to build a woodshop for the following reasons:
1. It is usually close to the garage. This helps keep down the lost time of walking between the two areas. The time savings will allow extra time on the projects.
2. Back porches are usually built on concrete and have a covered roof. If the porch has screened sides and doors then that is even better, because it keeps the bugs out and still allows fresh air to come onto the porch.
3. Back porches are on the back of the house. So, noise from the tools and dust from woodwork will be less likely to bother the neighbors.
Second, a two car garage is great to use as an installation bay because:
1. It will allow you to monitor your car project throughout the day and night.
2. It provides the most security, because you sleep at home every night where the tools and car are parked.
3. You have virtually no shop cost because you have to pay your house bills anyway.
4. It keeps the wife happy because you will be working from home instead of always being at the shop.
5. It’s easy to create an air conditioned or heated workspace.
6. There is usually an existing 220 volt outlet (for the dryer) than be used to run the air compressor.
In this article, I will explore the setup steps and tool requirements for home based car audio setups. I have found that spending a week or two setting up the workspace before starting a stereo installation will produce the most favorable results. When done correctly, a home garage and workshop can be used to efficiently complete many different projects, even projects that are not car audio related.
Now that I have described why we should do it, let’s discuss some of the specifics and steps to construct a home shop.
1. Plan your workspace design. I usually draw out a rough schematic on paper with the proposed tools. Once I get the schematic where it will optimize efficiency, I then draw it out on the concrete areas in blue chalk. This helps me visualize the finished product.
2. Run additional electrical outlets. Most home electrical panels will have a blank space for an additional circuit breaker. Discover the brand of electrical panel and the breaker type, which are listed inside the panel door, and proceed to the local hardware store to buy a 20 amp breaker. Hookup 12/2 Romex wire to this breaker and you can safely run up to five additional outlets on this line. (Check with the local electrical inspector for permission first and code guidelines.)
3. Install pegboard. Pegboard or Slat-board can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot. Pegboard is around $15 per sheet and slat-board is close to $40 per sheet. Either one will work just fine, but the slat-board has a more professional look and feel. Pegboard allows tools, cords, tape, clamps etc. to be organized and hung up out of the way.
4. Build at least one large workbench or assembly bench in both the woodshop and garage. This will simplify every aspect of your car build.
5. Install a lot of fluorescent lighting. I usually buy multiple four foot fixtures and install them everywhere I plan to be working. The best bulbs to buy are called “Daylight Deluxe 6500K color temperature.” These will provide the clear white light to work with that is so important for detail. I cannot stress enough the importance of having the right amount of bright light when working on a project.
6. Purchase several large vertical filing cabinets. Filing cabinets can be bought anywhere, and some are given away for free, and are usually constructed with ball-bearing load-rated drawers. Filing drawers are perfect for filling up with tools and materials. This option is lot cheaper than purchasing a ball bearing tool box which could cost thousands.
Below is a project list of must have items for your home car stereo shop. If you purchase the items on the list, there is a good chance that you will have most everything that you will ever need to complete a car stereo project.
Steel Sawhorses
Table Saw
Chop Saw
Table router w/ Lift
24” drum fan
Fluorescent Light Rack
Air Compressor
Work Benches
Tool box
Filing Cabinets
Spray Glue Gun
Spray Primer Gun
Floor Jack
Shop Vac
1. A 20 amp circuit breaker. Look on existing breakers fine print to determine the type you will need.
2. Mount all of the outlet boxes before running wires or conduit.
3. Bolt boxes to block wall with blue Tapcons or use lag bolts if it is a wood stud wall.
4. Carefully install all of the new receptacles and cover plates. (Always use a licensed electrician if you do not have electrical experience)
5. 1” ferring strips are installed on the wall in preparation for peg board. This will allow a ¾” space for the pegs to be inserted.
6. Hang the pegboard, and then proceed to layout tools, cords, and templates.
7. A 1” steel table is used to support the chop saw and work bench. The steel table will minimize vibrations from the power tool.
8. A 2 x 4 frame is constructed around the table to the same height as the top of the saw.
9. This table top will allow long pieces of wood to go across the table and the top of the saw, and cut without any movement of the cut piece of wood. If the saw was just sitting on top of the table then the cut pieces of wood could fall and be disfigured.
10. The lower cabinet areas will be used for storage.
11. Once the table tops are installed, you should have a flush surface across the entire bench.
12. A 2 x 4 frame is constructed to house 3) box fans. This frame and fans will exhaust dusty air out of the woodshop.
13. Test fit each fan before completing the framework.
14. Plywood is used to trim out the fan openings and seal any air leaks.
15. The frame is secured into place using lag bolts.
16. Utility hangers can be purchased at Lowes and used upside down as a wood rack. This will allow you to hold 4 x 8 sheets of wood vertically.
17. 2 x4 and MDF are used to construct a frame around the table saw.
18. This constructed table should be the exact same height as the top of all of the other tables in the room.
19. The back corner of the table saw is cut at an angle to maximize the floor workspace and to allow room for a trash can. The underside of the table allows wood storage of the cut pieces.
20. The opposite table side is used to store power tools. Planning these type of areas into the shop design will maximize the workspace efficiency.
21. Small 2 x 4 frames can be used to store glues and adhesives. This will save money by not having to buy expensive shelves.
22. Store all of the chemical products in one area and keep a chemical rated fire extinguisher close by. A chemical fire rated cabinet is the best place to store chemicals and can be purchased from Grainger.
23. A trash can and a thick wood top can serve as a great wood cutting table.
24. Jessem Router Lift and Porter Cable router are essential to a home based shop setup.
This and the table saw are the tools I seem to use the most.
25. 24” drum fan is a great way to exhaust dust off of an open back porch. I try to position the fan next to the areas where I am cutting the most wood.
26. A strip outlet with switch is used to turn on a shop vacuum every time I use the chop saw.
27. The shop vacuum is positioned directly underneath the chop saw and the hose is connected to the chop saw dust port.
28. A hand dolly can be used with plug in fluorescent fixtures to create a mobile high output light rack. I use: peg board, strip outlet, zip ties, hand dolly and ¼” bolts to put the rack together.
29. A total of eight bulbs are installed into the rack. This can be easily transported to anywhere I need bright light. The heavy rubber tires allow me to take the light rack outside.
30. Three essential hand tools from left: Craftsmen razor cutters for cutting large gauge wires, Klein wire strippers, and Kobalt nippers. I use the nippers to flush cut zip ties.
31. This Snap On tight fit drill kit is perfect for drilling inside of a car door or underneath a dash.
32. Snap On makes a hanging fluorescent light with padded handless for use across the inside of a car interior or across a raised car hood. I use mine across the headliner and clip the hooks on each open door.
33. Blue Point LED light kit is perfect for positioning light exactly where you need to see. The battery life is exceptional on this kit and can be purchased from Snapon.com for under $50.
34. Bosch jigsaw is probably one of the tools you cannot live without. Perfect for cutting all types of wood, plastic, and aluminum.
35. Rigid shop vacuums are commercial quality and last forever. They also offer the highest suction of any readily available shop vacuum.
36. Porter Cable upholstery finish stapler is perfect for wrapping panels and boxes in vinyl. This tool can be purchased for around $150.
37. A Milwaukee heat gun is a great tool for loosening rusted bolts and melting heat shrink tubing.
38. A cordless soldering iron is perfect for soldering wires inside of a car. The only disadvantage it has is that you cannot adjust the temperature to the exact set-point you may need.
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