Nice rack.

Thanks! I'll take that the right way!

OK, gory details. I'll try to be comprehensive but concise (ya, right!!)

My long-range plan was to have this installed in a separate enclosed AV rack, thus the rack-mount approach.

The front panel is just a basic aluminum AV rack blank panel (Mid Atlantic brand?) I got at a local AV/sound shop. The aluminum box I got at a local electronics supply outfit called Radar Electric; it was overpriced (like $25??), but it was the right size, so I caved in. I mated them up with those black hex-head bolts (still debating whether to paint those washers on the front black) then covered the whole thing with tape and carefully cut the hole for the sled with my jigsaw (which a girl friend of mine calls the "Bosch Basher" - great saw, BTW).

On the back panel: the DB9 is simply held in place by a M-M gender changer to which the Empeg serial cable connects. The power inlet is a 3-prong "PC-style" inlet with a built-in filter (so they say!!) that I got from allelectronics.com. I just didn't want to have *another* external potato transformer to deal with, so I just soldered a 6" extension from Radio Shack to the inlet, stuck the OE DC transformer into it and secured them to the base inside the case.

The + off the transformer just feeds through the front panel switch so I can easily power cycle the Empeg for updates and such. The only other odditity is that I put a 150F NC thermal switch in the path so that (in theory) the Empeg will power off if things get too hot. I mounted it on some studs (you can maybe see it on the right side) so that it should operate off ambient air temperature inside the case.

Other back panel stuff? Because I couldn't think of an easier way to do it, I fed the ethernet and RCA line-out through the back panel by finding a piece of left-over black ABS sheet (that I got from Crutchfield and used for my fake dash pocket) Dremeling some holes for a dual F-F RCA and a F-F RJ-45 connector, then stuck them in place with some (None Finer) JB Weld with a little black pigment mixed in. Then I cut a rectangular hole in the back of the case and bolted that ABS plate over it. The hooded RJ-45 patch cable inside the box cable is a 1-foot patch cable I got from www.cyberguys.com. Short patch cables like that can be hard to find. (maybe not obvious but I fed it into the plywood plate in the docking sled by cutting a "keyhole" type hole -- so I wouldn't have to cut the patch cord).

To Do? I'm going to put a ventilated piece of Lexan on the top. I also left a spot on the left side for a 12V fan if it seems like it's needed. I'm having the urge to add a bunch of ENIAC-style flashing lights...!

Hope that helps (oh, and your Kenwood remote arrived!)