For Sale: Home/Office Docking Stations!!

Okay, the first two units are ready to go, and, work permitting, I can produce more at the rate of one or two a week until demand is satisfied. Click here for a detailed description with photographs.

Pricing for the Home Docking Stations:

US$115 Basic: with audio out and ethernet, but no fan or serial port.
US$130 Cool: dock with integrated fan, on only when Empeg is on.
US$150 Works: dock with fan (as above) and serial port.

Shipping is extra, likely about US$15-20 for fast mail, perhaps less for slow mail (we'll find out more exactly when after the first few go to the post office).

To order one, send an email to [email protected] with your name, mailing address, telephone number, and details of exactly which of the three options you want ("Basic", "Cool", or "Works").

Do not send money until specifically instructed to do so. I will maintain a queue, servicing requests as units are produced, and will contact you when your unit enters final assembly. At that time, you will have the options of "PayPal cash", or "PayPal CreditCard" (3% extra) for final payment.

The first two units are already reserved for whoever sends me the two wireless items requested in the original thread. But there are six more docks from the initial batch awaiting assembly in my workshop right now. These could ship as early as next weekend.

Cheers

Mark Lord

PS: Of course, wouldn't ya know it, I just got two Linux contracts in my inbox today, so production might be slow after the first batch goes out..

PS: Of course, wouldn't ya know it, I just got two Linux contracts in my inbox today, so production might be slow after the first batch goes out..

That's good news for those of us that want two or three, but don't have the cash at the moment. All of a sudden, I'm hoping the tuner kits keep being delayed, too.

What kind of fan did you end up using?

The fan is a 0.06A 12VDC 4.7CFM 40x40x10mm fan, with ball bearings, and a resistor in series to slow it down even more. The manufacturer claims 24dBA at full speed in free space, and the added resistor drops that number quite a bit.

In some of the units, it's just a very quiet swoosh, in others there is a slight rumble that can be heard when the rest of the room is quiet. The fan is connected to the remote AMP output, so it switches off when the Empeg is absent or in standby. This part (like everything else inside) is user-accessible, for anyone who wants to fiddle with it.

Cheers

Do you think that you would be making any for the MKl in the future?

I am willing to make a couple of Mk1 docks in a similar style.

But the problem is that I don't have a Mk1 to measure and test fit with.

For this to happen, somebody who owns one (Laura?) will have to first acquire the docking connectors (there's a thread somewhere on where to get them from, and a note in the FAQ, I believe). With those in hand, the Mk1 owner could make some detailed measurements for me (I'll specify what I need), and then send the measurements and the connectors to me.

The types of measurements are the usual side-to-side and front-to-back dimensions of the Mk1, plus front-to-dockingconnector measurements, and locations of any protruding screw heads from the Mk1. The Mk2(a) units have four screw heads on each side of the unit that protrude significantly enough that the currrent design had to incorporate machined channels in the MDF to allow them to slide in/out without scraping.

First step.. get a couple of Mk1 docking connectors and then contact me again.

Cheers

Would it be more helpful to mail you the sled? If not I will track down the connectors.

Oh.. so do you just want an enclosure for your existing Mk1 sled? Yes, in that case, you could just send that to me, and I'll build a box around it.

The current Mk2(a) docks I am making do not use/need a sled to work.

Cheers

(I have a vague tingling that maybe we discussed this once or thrice already, but my memory is rather poor at times..)

Sent you an email We did discuss this so you must be getting old or all of that mountain fresh air has gotten to you.

lol

Mark,
How are you getting power to the player? Are you using the original dc transformer included with the Empeg originally?

Hey Mark, did you get my email? Did I secure a spot in the first batch? I need to know so I can load up my Paypal account with some cash.

The dock has a 12VDC power input jack on the rear, into which you can plug any 12VDC supply, such as the original AC adaptor that came with your player.

Cheers

Yup, got your email, Tony. And LOTS of others.

I'll be posting a group acknowledgement of some kind in a day or so, with queue positions and whatnot.

Hang on folks! I probably got ALL of your emails (over 25 docks ordered thus far, and counting..).

Cheers

-ml

PS: Why do I go near nuts with idle boredom for a couple of months, start up something interesting, and then suddenly get flooded with work from all angles all at once!?

PS: Why do I go near nuts with idle boredom for a couple of months, start up something interesting, and then suddenly get flooded with work from all angles all at once!?

Sounds like another corrolary of Murphy's Law, to me.

PS: Why do I go near nuts with idle boredom for a couple of months, start up something interesting, and then suddenly get flooded with work from all angles all at once!?

I dunno, but it's good news for me. Any idea how long you'll be offering these for? I assume that now that you have the pattern, you could theoretically whip one out at any point in the future, provided you have a supply of connectors, of course. Just curious, since I want a couple, but what with pca's tuner, and my upcoming vacation, it's going to be a few months before I'll be able to earmark some funds for them...

My bulk order of docking connectors (the most critical component, much cheaper in volume) was for fifty (50) sets. I'll be making docks until I run out of those -- there are about 30 requests in the queue already, though.

Cheers

Hmm... guess I'll have to take my chances, then, since I didn't leave pca's tuner up to chance. Worst comes to worst, I suppose I could order a few connectors to send your way with a pleading request for a few more.

Okay, the webpage for the docking stations ( http://rtr.ca/dock/ ) now has a small form at the top, where you can enter your email address to see what your current position in the build queue happens to be.

Depending on the model you ordered, your position may change radically from time to time, as I will tend to batch-build units of the same type.

Cheers

Cool!

coool, number 14 :-)

#23 I can't wait. Thanks for all the effort Mark!

Woohoo!

Model = Works, Queue position = 2



Total number of units = 1

.

Although my suspicion is that once I get mine, I'm going to want another one for my office. Unfortunately I can't afford it right now.

I'll probably want another 1 or 2. Gonna evaluate the 1st one before ordering 2 more. Hopefully mark will keep making these for a while.

I second that. I'm hoping to purchase a second one but can't right now.

Is there enough room for an empeg with an aftermarket fan installed to work properly? (another way: not burn out from being shoved up against the top of the MDF box)

Any chance of info on the hardware mod you've made that will allow Hijack to determine dock/car status? Presumably it's something to do with the sled connector, but it would be handy to know how to implement it for people who have built, or plan to build, their own docking solutions.

Cheers!

A.

Yes, a fan installed inside the Empeg player itself WILL vent properly when installed in this docking station. There is an air channel on the underside of the top which directs air to the rear vent holes of the dock, with or without a fan installed in the dock itself.

Cheers

Okay, I have just finished hacking dock unit #001 and Hijack v311 to allow detection of "docked" operation, so that it selects the AC/Home user settings instead of the DC/Car settings.

Here's what I am doing for these docks:

Since they do not have, nor have room for, a Tuner module.. all that I am doing is looping back the tuner's TX/RX serial lines on the docking connector. That is, I am simply connecting pins 6 and 7 together on the docking connector.

Hijack v311 does a quickie loopback test on the TUNER serial port at boot time, and if it finds the two pins connected together, then it forces AC/Home mode.

For those of us (like me) who have other types of docking stations with tuners installed, I may eventually extend this test to look for a specific tuner-ID (that little rotary switch on the tuner module) when a real tuner is connected. Later.

Hijack v311 will be released shortly.

Cheers

That's a cool little solution.

how about little rubber feet on the bottom of the dock to keep it from moving?

Here's a status update for those watching the progress here.

The order queue currently has 38 docks on order. I plan to produce about 45 of this design, at the average rate of one or two a week, or faster whenever I end up without a Linux contract (got two "in negotiations" at present).

Unit #001 is completely wired and gracing the shelf of my office at present, and I will be hanging onto it for now as a "model" for assembling others. The internal dock fan is slightly noisier than I had hoped for, but still significantly quieter than the hard disk in the unit, so I'm not going to fuss with it anymore.

Unit #002 is currently having it's wiring hooked up (all connections are being soldered rather than just crimped -- slower, but better, at least the way I do it), and will ship shortly to a buyer who has jumped a few queue positions by offering a new home for my original Empeg Mk2 player -- I will ship those two items together this week.

Units #004 - #008 are completely cut out and awaiting assembly in the woodshop. That will take maybe two hours or so for the batch. After that, they require wiring of the various connectors and stuff, before I can consider shipping them out. They will probably hit the mail by the end of next week, but could suffer delays if the Linux contracts come through. These are all "Works" units.

After that, I need to cut out and machine another batch of parts. But since I now know how many are needed (tons!), I will endeavor to produce about 30 of everything this time around. It will take several days to cut out and assemble all of those units.

After that, I will hopefully find time to wire up one or two units a week until all orders are satisfied. Once I have exhausted my supply of docking connectors, production will likely cease.

Well, back to the wiring job now..

Cheers

Mark, will you be able to ship to the UK ?

I will happily ship to Canada, as well as the USA, UK, South Africa, New Zealand, Croatia, and anywhere else I also get orders from!

Cheers

One other small update -- while having my Best Beloved trial unit #001, the first thing that happened when she picked it up and tilted it to view the rear, was that the empeg slid out of the dock and hit the floor, hard!

We spend 20 minutes disassemblng the player and reseating the display cable to get it working again (whew!), and then I modified the dock slightly to give the player's latches something to grab onto.

As a result, the players now require a fair bit of insertion force to get them into or out of the dock. But your players are now much safer than with the original low-insertion force design.

Cheers

damn! how the hell did i get spot 32 of 38? i'm slippin'!! =]

In reply to:

---

damn! how the hell did i get spot 32 of 38? i'm slippin'!! =]

---

Uhm, hrm.. Were we supposed to get a confirmation e-mail sent back to us?
Uh-oh.. I don't think I got one.. Knowin' my status for the tuners, I'm prolly #112 or somethin'.

Me.

You are slippin!!!

Sorry, too many of you all at once.. so instead of a confirmation email, just go back to http://rtr.ca/dock/ and enter the email address you gave when ordering. If it comes up with your queue position, then that's the confirmation!

Cheers!
--

Shame on you Loren.. but after all your TLC on the Hijack FAQ, one never knows what might happen..

In reply to:

---

Sorry, too many of you all at once.. so instead of a confirmation email, just go back to http://rtr.ca/dock/ and enter the email address you gave when ordering. If it comes up with your queue position, then that's the confirmation!
[/quote
Nice little script. That works, thanks!

Me.

how is everyone gonna cover their dock? what kinda paint is probably best to use?

In reply to:

---

how is everyone gonna cover their dock? what kinda paint is probably best to use?

---

I as going to wait until I got it to look at it. My two top choices are staining (depsnds on how the MDF(?) looks), or just painting it black.

Me.

I was planning to sand, stain black then use a laquer clear coat for the finish.

Or just use a dark laquer...

i was gonna go for a good matte black... anyone have any tips on how to get a good coated matte finish?

Sherwin Williams sells black laquer if you are interested.

Stu

I haven't finished my own yet, but I think a spraycan of enamel paint would likely do the best job, with some kind of clearcoat on top as the final layer -- to give it a nice gloss.

Cheers

Okay, Michael-J has the distinction of being the (someday) owner of dock #50. I cannot guarantee that I'll ever build more of these after the first 50 have been taken care of.. I'll still add names to the list, but no guarantees beyond the first 50 for now.

Cheers

Mark,
If you decide not to build more, would you consider selling the plans & BOM for a small fee to the make it yourself crowd?

-Zeke

Quite likely, for free even.

Cheers

[Cartman] schweet! [/Cartman]

Again: Man <-- You.

-Z

Yea for me!

Mark,

I mailed you a couple of days ago, but have had no repsonse.

I guess I have missed the boat ?

You don't get a confirmation email, go to the dockig station web page and at the top you put in your email address and it will tell you if you're on the list and what number you are.

Thanks for the prompt - position no 38 !

Wonder which of those little blocks of wood will find their way to my corner of the uk ...

, but no guarantees beyond the first 50 for now

More daunting task than you planned for eh?! heh. Glad i got in under the gun. Man, i would kill to have a workshop like that. How long have has it taken you to put it all together?

Hi Loren!

The shop began with a tablesaw (long since replaced..) back in 1988. I've been lugging new cast iron into it ever since -- no risk of our house ever floating away in a flood (like we ever even have floods here). The newest BIG toy is an 18" drum sander (for surface sanding, thicknessing, etc.).

Construction of the docks is using six basic machines -- tablesaw, router, drill-press, mortiser, belt-sander, and plate-joiner -- plus logs of jigs, fixtures, cordless drills, and hand tools. And, oh-yeah, my trusty soldering station.

As for the 50 Docks, when I started the concept, I figured I might be able to distribute as many as a hundred of them if I could ship them by Christmas..

Well, that date got missed, and I figured that perhaps only half as many might go now. So I have bulk ordered the parts needed for 50 docks, and that's what I'm making (for now). If sufficient waitlisted orders pile up by the end of the first 50, I might make another 50 units. Assuming I don't lose too much money on them -- costs really add up, and this is eating into my contracting time.

Right now, shipping is being held up while I find suitable packaging to protect the units as they sail through the postal system and onto the floor. Need to find a cheap local supply of 9x9x4" boxes with 1/2" bubble/foam liners.

Cheers!

sweeet!

I have access to a workshop like that. So if I had the plans I would definately make one or two of these for myself.

thanks man!

Man, that's my dream... just to have a garage with a shop in it. Oh the projects i could plan and never complete then!!! The mind boggles.

yup...My Dad's shop has all of that stuff. I'd be interested in the plans too.

You guys suck...

I hate turning on PBS to see "New Yankee Workshop", and the guy's like "here, with only ten bucks worth of wood, you can build this beautiful high-quality bedroom set. It's easy."

Sure, it's easy. Anything is easy when you have ten million dollars' worth of laser-guided planers, computer-controlled drill presses, and robotically-guided table saws. "Made possible by a grant from..." my ass. Can you say PRODUCT PLACEMENT advertising? Grrrrr...

He usually covers up the brand names on the products that don't sponsor his show.

But my favorite part is the fact that he's like: ``Go out to your wood pile and find this 24-inch wide plank of virgin pine. I got this one for free from an old house we tore down on This Old House, but, if you can even find one, which is unlikely, it'll cost you $1000 a board foot. I won't provide any alternative suggestions.''

I picked out several thousand dollars worth of furniture from the Ethan Allen catalog and my Dad's been helping me duplicate them exactly. So far I have a chest of drawers ($1500) and am getting ready to do nighttables ($500 each).

Oh, did I mention I have spent less then $500 on all three?

LOL @ Bitt.

Oh come on it's member supported like NPR right

Cool, I've moved up 2 places, not long now ;-)

Cris.

>Right now, shipping is being held up while I find suitable packaging
>to protect the units as they sail through the postal system and onto the floor.

Okay, I've got shipping containers: 100 thick cardboard boxes (kinda like the ones I used to buy punch cards in), a large roll of bubble wrap, the weekend newspaper, and a few rolls of packing tape and a gun (not the USA-ian variety, though..).

Just add some glue and solder, and more of these might actually ship soon!

An update on shipping costs:

Within the USA & Canada, I will be sending these out via regular mail (Canada Post, USPS), which takes 5-10 days for delivery. The cost for this appears to be about US$12 for the USA, less within Canada, more for overseas. Pretty reasonable on the whole, I think.

Cheers

Just out of interest, what will you be declaring the customs vallue as? and what will you mark it as?

South African customs are right b********s. I've had to pay vat and duty on someting marked as 5 UKP before.

I'm not sure what to write down for contents .. "stereo cabinet" ?

For value I will put C$40, which is about what the individual parts add up to -- very roughly speaking -- no accounting for labour or wear and tear on bits and blades and belts and whatnot.

EDIT: Actually, it's more like C$50, so let's call it US$30 or so.

Cheers

For orders to here in the UK, can you consider using FEDEX or UPS etc... I am more than willing to pay the extra shipping.

I have had some very bad experiences with heavy items going overseas via normal post. I have an PC Case that took 5 weeks to arrive once, with no tracking number. I wasn't best pleased.

Cheers

Cris.

Works for me :-)

Thanks. Just got to get the front of the queue now :-)

Mmm.. the amount extra for UPS or FedEx (from Canada) is rather astronomical.. For US$20 or so I can do "Express Post", which is usually very fast, with a tracking number.

But FedEx or UPS 2-day would be in excess of US$50 or so.. those Yanks don't treat us Cannucks nicely when it comes to using their express shipping services up here.. Even when going overseas.

DHL Express is probably much cheaper than UPS/FedEx, and just as fast outside of N.A., but requires an extra 30min round trip driving for me to use them.

Cheers

I'm not sure what to write down for contents .. "stereo cabinet" ?

How about "wooden box"?

OK, I never realised that your postal system gives you a tracking number. The only down side is that it will stop working when it gets into our wonderful postal system over here. Sometimes they still work but they are all a day behind.

I would have payed $50 to make sure it got here in one piece, but aslong as there is a tracking number I'm happy.

Thanks

Cris.

D'OH !!! Gone back up to position 10.

I noticed yesterday I also was up 2 places to number 12. Now also back down 2 places to 14. Oh well.

No, there's a lot more to it than just a "wooden box" -- all of the electrical bits and pieces would raise curiosity too much.

-ml

As I said, the numbers may bounce up and down slightly from time to time, as I fix bugs and/or group like shipments together.

Cheers

How about "Industrial sample" ??? There would be 0% vat for us in the UK then, if they ever opened the box it would look like a sample as the finish is down to us to do. Just an idea.
Another trick is to hand write the label and put a residential address down as the sender.

Cris.

Contents: "Project Kit Sample"
Customs Value: NCV (that stands for No Cusoms Value) or "Sample" will do it.

Then check-mark the "gift" box.

I've been sending and receiving stuff to/from a number of countries for enough years. The "NCV" bit came directly to me from a CanadaPost employee.

Also note, when sending smaller packages, like maybe the size or 1-4 DVD cases (sometimes a bit bigger), you can also get away with sending it "Standard" or "Surface" and it will in fact go by Air. It's cheaper for CanPost to just stuff a bunch of these items into a large shipping container. Again, info from two long-time postal employees.

BTW the last I checked, ExpressPost shipping to Europe could get pretty expensive. With MDF it's likely that the price will at least be based on actual weight and not Minimum Volume Density (light objects in big boxes incur surcharges to bring them in line with heavier pieces).

Bruno

I just jumped back one position in the queue ?

How did that happen ... bribary and dancing girls ?

Not exactly.

Okay, here's something to keep us all interested and busy while I go hack Linux for a living this week and next..

It's a "Guess exactly how many discrete pieces of wood/metal/whatever go into the construction of each dock I make.

Everyone gets two guesses, maximum, and the first person to get the EXACT number gets to jump to #1 in the queue. Not a free dock, but rather a free jump to the front of the list for shipments.

I expect to send out six docks sometime in the next seven days. Guess correctly, and the first shipment will be to you, upon regular payment etc..

Cheers

EDIT #1: Anything that I purchase that is pre-assembled counts as one piece, unless I have to take it apart to install it in the dock..

EDIT #2: This is for the "Works" version, fully tricked out with serial & fan. The serial port has only three pins wired up (RX,TX,GND).

EDIT #3: The answer will probably suprise you -- it certainly suprised me!

Guess:-

1) 23
2) 31

29 or 30 are my two guesses. Did I win?

My guesses would be 42 & 45.

Don't forget all the individual wires, connectors and screws. Counting the wood pieces from your workshop page is the easy bit...

My guesses :

1) 39
2) 40

Did I win ???

Using the print out loads of numbers, close your eyes and point approach, I guess....

1) 41
2) 52

Cris

17 or 23

53, 57

33 and 34 for me !

Fingers crossed !!

9,10

Guess exactly how many discrete pieces of wood/metal/whatever go into the construction of each dock I make.

Err.... which version of the dock? There *are* three different types, if I'm not mistaken, each of which likely have different part counts.

>Which version

Good point. The "Works".

Cheers

14 or 16

Guess #1: 76.
Guess #2: 623. (sorry. heh.)

Me.

13, 65

33 , 48

88,89

No winner yet, and we have six docks nearing completion..

Who wants to be first.. or even to jump into the first 50!!

Just get the number of parts in a "Works" dock correct in one or two guesses.

Anyone.. ?

59
72

?

higher or lower... hahah.

53 and 56

OK, so I am not in the queue, but this looks like fun

76

103

how many guesses do we get.

Okay, there are six docks ready for shipment now..

I'm emailing the top five on the list to get them to do the PayPal thing for these.. the sixth one is up for grabs for a few hours yet.. just guess the number of parts involved in the assembly I do here. See my previous posts for details.

Cheers!

You've got cash!

Before everybody asks all at once, the docks are being shipped parcel post. This means delivery to the USA will take 7-10 days typically, possibly less or more if you get "lucky" (remember, luck can swing either way..).

Cheers

can we guess again?

61
73

.. i need my dock at work! =]

Wait, you mean luck can be good? Since when?

How about 1)28 or 2)36

how about.....

1) 22
2) 55

Your dock is on its way already, Loren!

(your guesses were close, but nada..)

Okay, no winners, but here's the answer.

Each dock I construct (with the exception of unit #003), has exactly 75 parts that I must deal with individually. The four rubber feet I am supplying count as a single part, since I leave them stuck together for you folks to install after painting.

The parts consist of:
5 pieces of MDF
1 piece hardboard
2 laminate skids
2 strips of double-sided tape for skids
4 case screws for the bottom
2 screws for the latches
2 screws for the docking connector
2 screws for the fan
8 wood biscuits
1 fan
1 docking connector
1 RJ45 coupler
1 pre-made RJ45 patch cable
1 resistor for slowing down the fan
4 pieces of wood to hold RJ45 in docking position
1 sticky pad of 4 rubber feet (counts as one item here)
10 lengths of wire
11 contact pins for docking connector
9 pieces for power jack, and L/R audio (3 jacks, 3 washers, 3 nuts)
7 pieces for serial port (1 jack, 2 posts, 2 washers, 2 nuts)
=====
75 pieces

The attached photo shows all of the pieces, except for the 4 screws for the docking connector and fan, and the 4 pieces of wood for the RJ-45 are already glued into one piece.

Cheers

Here's the photo

7-10 days? Wow, do your mail carriers ride horses up there the way your police do?

Dock unit #003 has 76 parts, because it uses two resistors instead of one (I was still fiddling to get the values right).

Ooops.. forgot to count the resistor first time around.

The post has now been corrected: 75 parts, not 74.

Cheers

Woohoo!


Name = Tony Cebzanov

Model = Works, Shipped!

Total number of units ordered = 1


Which dock # did I get? And should we infer something by the fact that the dock serial numbers have 3 digits?

No, actually, it takes about 2 days to get to the USA from here, and then up to 14 days to travel the pony express across that great modern country to our south!

-ml

In the end, the only dock with a serial number was #002.

I still have #001 in use here, and the others didn't get labelled simply because there was already too much time/labour going into them.

But you are welcome to add your own numbers..

Cheers

Okay I was just curious if I got one or two resitors, just for trivia purposes.

Okay, seven lucky people will be receiving their docking stations over the next week or two.

There's nothing in the box other than the dock, some bubble wrap, two crumpled newspaper pages, and FOUR BLACK STICK-ON RUBBER FEET.

VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY TIPS:

1. Try not to lose the rubber feet in the excitement of unpacking it all!

2. Do not tip the dock forward or upside down with your Empeg/RioCar unit inserted.. it may slide out and hit something hard.

3. There are two small black screws underneath the lid, just inside the front opening. By adjusting these, you can loosen/tighten the fit for your specific player -- making it easier/harder to slide in and out (on purpose or by accident..). The best way to adjust these screws is with a bent right-angle philips screwdriver. The Borg (Home Depot) sells these handy items. The other way to adjust them involves removing the four silver screws from the underside, which allows the underside to be removed for access to the internals.

4. Do NOT play with the wiring at the back. I am using whatever random hookup wires I have on hand here (lots of different kinds), and some of them do not take to repeated flexing as well as others, and may break off if the wiring area is overly disturbed. Easy enough for you to fix with a soldering iron, but better to avoid the need for fixing.

5. On all units after #002 there is a tiny adjustable resistor for the fan speed. I have already set this optimally for the lowest possible fan speed. If set any lower, the fan may not spin up every time, which could allow things to get overly hot. If you really want to screw around with it, use a small flat bladed jewellers screwdriver to turn the small white centre disc on the resistor. But be very careful -- it is soldered onto the back of the power jack, and might come loose if played with too much (it can take a little tweaking, but be very gentle with it). It is not necessary or even a good idea to remove the rear panel to access it.

6. Paint the exterior BEFORE sticking on the rubber feet! And use masking tape to keep paint out of the interior and off of the rear panel connectors.

7. Put on some nice tunes and veg out.

-ml

WOohooo! I can't wait. Thanks Mark... I've gotta go pick up some black paint!

How do we know what numbers to add?

Personally, I'd start with zero and zero, and then work my way up from there. Yes, I know this is a radical break from historical precedent, but ..

For dock units #003 through #007, tracking numbers are now available from the queue status page.

-ml

Let's try again.

Ok, how do we know what number we're adding those zeroes to?

Enter your email address onto the queue status page. It now assigns serial numbers to docks which have been shipped.

So I guess I got the one with 2 resistors? Wow, I'm special.

Based on the first few docks shipped, here is what I am charging to recover packaging and shipping (Postal Service) costs for the docking stations.

1. within Canada: ?? dunno yet
2. to USA: US$12
3. rest of the planet US$15

Within the USA, this gives a tracking number for www.canadapost.ca; for the rest of the world, I don't know about tracking/tracing yet.

Cheers

I got the one right after it, apparently. Did someone get 002?

Well, to be honest, I don't know which box that particular unit ended up in.. so it may no longer be "dock #003" that has the two resistors instead of one.

Cheers!

#002 went out last week, to the new owner of my original 18GB Empeg Mk2 player.

Cheers

Oh, the excitement of it all!!! We're all kept in the dark until it shows up on our doors and we find out who's got the "special" dock!

If somebody can figure out a URL to go directly to the canadapost tracking window WITH number inserted, then I'll happily update the script with that convenience!

A "POST"
http://204.104.133.7/scripts/dc/DCWeb.dll to
with the following variables set:
MfcIsApiCommand to "Trace"
ItemNumber to the tracking number

No can do, it's a POST form and the target doesn't accept GET requests. Maybe they have an alternate URL but it's not immediately obvious that they do.

Also:
Referrer=CPCPopup
AppLanguage=En

This works:

<form action="http://204.104.133.7/scripts/dc/DCWeb.dll" method="post" TARGET="_blank">

<input type="hidden" name="MfcIsApiCommand" value="Trace">

<input type="hidden" name="Referrer" value="CPCPopup">

<input type="hidden" name="AppLanguage" value="En">

<input type="hidden" name="ItemNumber" value="***TRACKING NUMBER***">

<input type="submit" value="***TRACKING NUMBER***">

</form>

Yeah, but I thought he wanted a *URL* that does it. No such monkey.

That looks close to what I've done (which works).

Thanks, all!

Yeah, but if he can insert a URL automatically, then he can insert that block of HTML automatically, too. Too bad there isn't a friendly site out there that will take a GET form request and rewrite it into POST form and redirect you to it.

i got lucky number 7. It's like empeg christmas! Tuners, Docks, Fascias Oh My!

Got mine today.. All 75 pieces assembled to perfection.

Now for some black paint. Great job Mark.

Your unit (#002) is one of the few that predate my bulk purchase of variable resistors for the fan speed. Instead, yours has a single 120 OHM (1/4watt) resistor. If you find the fan too loud, it can probably tolerate changing that resistor to as much as 250 OHMs.

The resistor can be accessed by removing the bottom panel, and then peering into the wiring section --> it has a tie-wrap around it. Just snip the tie-wrap, undo the tape underneath, and there it is.

Best done only if necessary, and WITHOUT removing the back connector panel (which might disturb the other connections unduly).

If you're happy with the fan level as is (seemed quiet enough to me), then leave it alone. I might mail you an extra 120 OHM resistor if you think you'd like it quieter -- just wire it in series with the one that's already there.
------

Background: I trialed several different fan types for this project, and it came down to two models in the end. Somehow I got confused as to the resistance values for the two kinds. Dock #001 has the OTHER fan kind, for which 120 OHM is nearly perfect. Dock #002 onward have a better model of fan, with lower current draw, permitting larger resistors. Since I wired #001 and #002 at the same time, I used the same resistors in each, forgetting about the two different fan types. Both docks are pretty quiet, but.. being a perfectionist at times, I eventually decided the added expense of a variable resistor (potentiometer) might be less fuss for me in the end. there ya go.

Cheers

Thanks for all your hard work and thought that went in to puting these together,I no the money you are charging for these does not cover all the hard work you have done on them.

Waiting Impatiently For Dock #6. I'm curious as to the best way to paint these buggers. I want to go a gloss black but have never painted a thing in my life!

I recommend black spray paint. Spray enamel will give the best finish, but has more fumes than spray acrylic paint. Use masking tape to mask (cover) the things that must remain paint-free, like the docking connectors, and the entire rear panel (holes and all). Suspend the dock in the air, by a wire or string looped through the two side vents. Then keep the spray can horizontal, and move your elbow/body and NOT your wrist as you coat the dock on all sides with a VERY THIN coat -- just enough to make it look shadowy. Wait a while (read the can label for how long) and then spray again.. repeat until the dock is evenly covered. Should take 2-3 spray coats for a very nice job. After each coat, CLEAN THE NOZZLE of the spray can, by simply holding it upside down and pressing the button for two seconds.

Cheers

won't you have marks where the string was then?

Run the string in a loop through two of the ventilation holes on the back, and knot them well above the docking station. This way, you can suspend the dock from the rear, and the only contact the string will make on the dock would be along the opening of the air holes.

I'm not sure what Mark had in mind, but you could just bring the string in the vent hole and then tie it something larger than the vent hole, a pencil, an old stick of ram....

Well, there are a total of 71 dock orders so far (not including my own!), and seven of them have been shipped out so far.

Based on the enthusiastic responses, I have decided to make at least 75 of these now -- I have purchased sufficient quantity of most of the parts for that many, excluding the docking connectors, which I will re-order once my remaining stock of them is used up (about 43 left).

Production is crawling along -- in the workshop there are about 90 sets of wooden blanks now cut to size, and machining has begun on those. I have also purchased a proper crimping tool to speed wiring of the docking connector pins -- no more soldering on the connector ends of the wires.

I'm busy with a Linux contract (and tuner assembling) this week and next, but by mid-March the docks should be rolling through the post office again.

Cheers!

Got my dock last night. Wow Mark. The pictures don't do the details justice... you put a ludicrous amount of thought and detail into the design man. I'm very impressed. It's well worth the $ if anyone is on the line. I just hooked it up here at the office... perfect! No more scrambling with cables dropping behind the desk and having a mass of wires on my desk.

I can't wait to get it painted.

Thanks again for your efforts Mark. This dock kicks ass.

I keep meaning to ask: is there any facility for attaching a security cable? I'd be fine trailing one through a hole in the back of the dock, but I really need security at the office. I'm in an office with, I'd guess, 1500 people (gub'mint), and I know something on the order of 25 of them.

Just loop the security cable through the airflow slots at the back.

When an Empeg/RioCar is inserted, you'll also need to loop the cable through the handle on the player.

Cheers

What I mean is that I currently have a security cable that attaches to the security slot in the back. (Actually, there's this screw-on nut that attaches to the slot and then the cable attaches to the nut.) I'd like to keep that configuration. Is there space in the dock for it, and is there a hole the cable can go through, or free space to drill such a hole? The whole mechanism, when attached sticks off of the back of the empeg by about an inch and a quarter, which is significantly deeper than the docking connector, at about five-eighths of an inch, so another five-eighths deeper, give or take.

Actually, it looks like that's exactly where the ethernet connection is going through the back, so I'd have to reroute that. Sigh. Special orders? (Not that I have any cash.)

I think it would be much much simpler to just obtain another steel cable, with loops on each end. Just thread it through the handle (and rear of the dock if you're really concerned), and loop it around something BIG and HEAVY and lock it with an ordinary lock..

Cheers

Too tacky for me.

Part (most?) of the reason I'd want it is to avoid having cables strewn about when I'm not here. Having something like that going on while I am here isn't going to happen.

Being a cheapskate and not wanting to spend $$$ on a cool box (I really need two) when you get tired of making these units up will you come up with a set of plans available with the docking connector with pins (the rest looks like its readily available)?

Edit: I just noticed the sled connectors are available from Digikey (read the parts list thread), so even just making the plans available for a reasonable price would do.

Greetings!

I can relate. Is that fix to make the insertion tighter in the first few units? I was just doing "show and tell" at the office for another person with an empeg, and the same exact thing just happened. Unfortunately, mine is not booting at the moment - disk not found errors. I did the first set of troubleshooting (checking connections, jumpers, each drive individually, etc.), but no luck so far. More testing when I get home. The display board and everything else looks good.

To add insult to injury, this is the exact same unit that was just repaired for the dry solder connections. I suspect that some more pins came loose, but I will need a magnifying glass to verify that.

I think, after I get this fixed, that I might retire this unit to the quiet life of a spare... It has been through a lot - dry solder, display cable fraying, stripped space, buttonhack, digital out, multiple hard drive upgrades, etc...

Aw, Paul, my condolences on your loss. Had you adjusted the two screws where the handle clicks in? I tweaked those a little bit to make sure it's in tight.

In my case, not tightly enough... I will adjust them a bit more.

Well, not that it makes you feel better, but at least you have the wherewithall to solder anything that might be busted. Perish the thought, but if my empeg were to have any such problems, I'd have to send it out to someone with electronics experience beyond the Radio Shack 120-in-one project kit.

You mean the empeg's innards aren't all connected together with springs?

I honestly think this player would do better with springs! It has been through a lot.

Actually, I am inept with a soldering iron. I usually request or obtain the services of others in order to do this. For example, Mark did my button hack and Stu did my digital out installation and dry solder fix last time. Worst case, I could always attempt it or send it in for servicing.

That is why backups are so important!!! Always back up your data. And redundant hardware is a must if you demand high availability!!!

Ouch! Yeah, as noted earlier in this topic (somewhere), DO NOT TILT THE DOCK WITH A PLAYER INSERTED!

The player's latches are not really designed to support the full weight of the player, but rather to just keep it from casually coming loose when near horizontally inserted into a car's dash.

The two black screws just inside the dock opening can be adjusted to provide more friction to make it safer, but still..

Hope it comes back to life!

heh, i almost did this last week when showing it off to fellow empegers here at work... i had the dock 2 inches off the desk with empeg inserted when i remembered your mishap and quickly set it back down, removed the empeg, and continued the display. =]

Well, the drives are okay, but it looks like the IDE header may have lost a bit more solder. I can hear the drives attempt to spin up, but it never gets far enough to autodetect them. So, I will be running on the spare for a little while.

got mine today very nice.gona go hook it up to my b&k right now.Thanks agian.

I'm curious what everyone's going to use to cover the unit? I guess paint would be best but I would really like to get a su per glossy black finish. Anyone have ideas? Maybe some sort of enamel? I guess I'll start looking into these things before mine ships

Thanks

if you find anything please post info/pictures. I'd love to get mine covered in a piano black lacquer type of finish (like nice expense speaker cabinets).

Just spray it black with a can of black enamel spray, maybe 2-3 coats for even coverage. Then spray a nice clear laquer finish (or even clear glossy polyurethane) over it all and it will look incredibly glossy.

-ml

Sherwin Williams sells piano black lacquer in gallons . You will probably want to use a primer or sanding sealer compatible with lacquer before proceeding to the lacquer. The surface needs to be absolutely smooth prior to applying the lacquer or the imperfections will show in your finish coats. You will need a spray gun, 8+ coats of lacquer, and will have to rub the finish out multiple times (wait at least a week after the final coat before rubbing out) to achieve the sort of effect you see on pianos and high end speakers. Many finishers use 3M and Meguiar's auto polishing compounds for the rubbing process. I don't know if it is worth it to you or not, but the above is a lot of work.

Stu

I was just curious how queue numbers can go backwards?

Depending on the model you ordered, your position may change radically from time to time, as I will tend to batch-build units of the same type.

ISTR that Mark further clarified this, and that your position within the list of people that ordered the same type will not change.

Doh!! I guess that I just need to learn how to read.

Thanks

Let's cover them with Formica! Any chance of these being sold as kits to lower build time, shipping (?) and cost?

Or this. I knew a guy in OK that covered a whole jeep in the stuff...

My friend has a similar "Rhino Coat" on his, but it has a sand paper like surface texture to it. That would eat away at my TiVo that rests under the empeg after a few weeks .

First of all, what you've done here is outstanding. Second, if what I'm about to ask causes you to fall over backwards, then just tell me to forget about it.

Here it goes. What would it take for you to add a place in your docking station for the PCATS tuner module, complete with a small attachable antenna, all wired up and ready to go? I realize that this would add a considerable amount of space and engineering to the unit, but hey, it never hurts to ask, right? I don't know about anyone else, but I'd personally be willing to pay hansomely for this additional capability even if it made the unit twice as tall/wide/long/expensive.

Im planning on reworking my mlord dock to add tuner functionality.

I have obtained some pins from Shonky for this very purpose. It would be cool if these was present as standard.

Right now, no -- I'm too busy with the remaining 70+ docks currently on order. It's possible that I may offer custom built one/two of a kind docks later on, but those would be much more expensive than the current ones.

By the way, work on the current backlog is progressing, but I'm building the next 50 all at the same time, thus the slight pause in visible activity.

The first of this large batch will likely begin shipping in a week or two, and most of the rest of the batch should be in the mail by mid-April.

Cheers

Man, I have not been this excited since I received my shipping confirmation form SonicBlue... If the docking station is anything like Hijack then it will be another perfect complement to my Empeg/RioCar.

Mid-april huh... oh, that is only 5 weeks...

Maybe even sooner.. I just got the first phase of my new (Linux) project flying.. and the second phase can wait a week or so..

Okay, I enlisted some assistance for this project from She-who-shall-remain-unamed over the past few weeks, so things have been moving forward (mostly) while I've been kernel hacking to pay the bills.

There is a huge stack of pre-wired back panels for docks sitting here, and more of those getting completed each day.

I have purchased additional docking connectors and pins, and ordered more fans from my Supplier-Of-Things-That-Run-Silently.

Down in the workshop are huge stacks of cut-out MDF bits and pieces for the shells of about 85 docks. Unfortunately, the local Borg is now stocking a slightly lighter variety of 1/2" MDF than before, so the tops/bottoms will be mostly darker than the sides on this batch of units, so they will definitely want an opaque topcoat of paint rather than a clear finish. Your choice on that.

But one problem that arose is the tablesaw has at some point shifted ever so slightly out of alignment (it's had tons of heavy use with no readjustment for over five years now, and only once in the five years before that.

The result is that we need to re-mill about 270 pieces to square them up ever so slightly. Fortunately, the original dock dimensions have enough slack in that particular dimension that the re-milling will actually improve the design overall.. it just means a slowdown while I get it right (me this time, not She-wsru).

Today I stumbled across a nifty new system for crimping RJ-45 cables, and I'm considering taking the $100 up front plunge for the cutter and crimper to save some cost/labour in that area.

Each dock requires a 1' cable with RJ-45 connectors on each end, threaded through a wooden block. Previously, I purchased pre-made cables (to save labour) and glued up the blocks around the cables from separate pieces of wood.

With this new system, we can simplify the blocks to a single piece with a slot and centre hole, and then crimp a cable threaded into place through the centre hole. I think the labour ends up being less for each dock, and the cost probably about the same overall -- accounting for the equipment purchase and slightly more expensive RJ-45 connectors.

For anyone interested, I don't have a web link (yet), but the crimping system is from "Platinum Tools", and is called "EZ-RJ45".

Cheers

EZ-RJ45

Personally, I never thought that it the benefits of that product would outweigh the additional cost, as my cables are good probably 98% of the time. Of course, I probably made a lot more cables than you do, and there's little good reason to become an expert at cable making.

You probably have -- I've only made maybe 30-40 cables myself, but now I'm staring at the need to make about 80 more, which then get shipped to other people and which are not 100% easy to replace (but still possible).

I need 100% success here.

My cheapo RJ-45 crimper that I have right now (C$25, Radio Shack) does a barely adequate job, leaving the contacts slightly crooked after crimping, and requires considerable attention to ensure the wires don't shift around at the last instant as they are inserted into the connector.

This tool looks like it might solve those problems, in a revenue neutral way for me! Tool is US$50, plus US$12 for a cable stripper (which I'd get regardless), and then the connectors are perhaps twice the cost of ordinary ones..

Cheers

Are you sure you're using the correct heads for the type of cabling that you're using? Solid core wire requires different connectors than stranded wire does. The crimper shouldn't have any great impact on how well the connection is made (unless you're unable to apply enough force, but I'm guessing that grip strength isn't a problem for a rock climber).

Some new heads have dual-mode conductors so that they work on either solid or stranded wire, but it's easily possible that you got one of the ``older'' styles.

She-who-shall-remain-unamed

while (1)
while? uname -a
while? end

Naw, I've got the right heads for the type of cable. Just cheap crimpers, that's all.

Cheers

while (1)
while? uname -a
while? end

csh Junkie!

while (1)
while? uname -a
while? end

csh Junkie!

You people scare me.

Mark, i thought you might want to see the docks new home at work. I'm gonna try and paint it this weekend. See attached.

(and ignore what's on the screen! )

Dude, with all the millions of dollars LucasArts has, the least they could do is replace that broken keyboard of yours. How'd that happen, anyway?

(and ignore what's on the screen! )

Methinks Loren's switched projects. That ain't no gladiator model.

the least they could do is replace that broken keyboard of yours

/me wipes screen again...

Methinks Loren's switched projects. That ain't no gladiator model

god i wish i had... but alas, i haven't.

That Iron Giant has captured your girlfriend and he's about to crush your empeg!

Very cool, Loren

Thanks!

Okay, production has resumed, and should continue steadily at the rate of a few units each week for the forseeable future.

The owners-to-be of the next 11 docks from the queue have now been sent payment requests for shipment next week.

Cheers!

Just payed for mine ;-) 40mins not bad eh Mark ???

Just cleared a space on the desk for it.

BTW for those interested it cost approx £110 including paypal fee and postage.

Mark - will these 11 units be put together with your new crimping tool ???

Cheers

Cris.

40 minutes is good, but the record is under one minute!

The wiring is done already for these ones -- crimped with the new tool on the docking connector side, soldered joints on the back panel connectors. I have also switched from "whatever I have on hand" wiring to using newly purchased 24g 7-strand hookup wire for the signals, and thicker stuff for the power lines.

The ethernet connections are now being done with the EZ-RJ45 crimper and special RJ-45 plugs -- cost works out about the same as using purchased pre-assembled cables, but the dock design is slightly improved because I can now "crimp in place", which helps out with the way the cable is mounted/positioned internal to the dock. Labour works out about the same as the earlier design, end result is slightly better.

These docks are the first ones of the "final" design, which features (in addition to the new ethernet cabling method) a much tighter tolerance fit for the player. Hopefully there won't be too much variance in player dimensions.. My own three remaining units all fit the new dimensions just fine, but there's not much margin for error!

These are also the first docks to be using the "new" 1/2" MDF supplies that seem to have supplanted the "original" MDF in all stores in this area. The new stuff is lighter in colour, and a little less dense than the older stuff I had been using. New docks are now a mix of the old/new types of MDF. So far, it seems to make no difference (other than a few grams of mass) in the final product. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to being able to ship more of these soon.

Cheers

Okay, dock assembly is moving more quickly now that parts are completely cut out and ready for assembly into a few dozen of them. So I have just sent out additional payment requests to the next few names on the list.

In all, about 20 of these should ship within a week or so of now, and perhaps five or so more each week thereafter, until I run out of something.

In total, production will likely be limited to no more than about 90 units total, or possibly a few more above that for "Basic" models without fans. So there's still a few empty spots for new orders at the end of the queue.

Cheers

In reply to:

---

So there's still a few empty spots for new orders at the end of the queue.

---

I'm glad you're pointing this out. I put in my order just the other day, but for a while I was under the impression that you only planned on making a small number of these and once you were done they were no longer being made. That part may be true, but I also assumed (wrongly) that the queue was full.

Yeah, we're up to 88 docks total now (including those already shipped), and I also need to enter myself into the queue for at least three Works models. Plus two or three others for "special" purposes .. I'm thinking of raffling one off at the Euro-meet this summer..

I have purchased a total of 100 docking connectors plus sufficient pins for that many, and most of the other components are easier to restock than those. Fans are an issue -- cheaper in quantity, and 85 of them have been purchased already in two lots. I think that when I run out of those, I'll stop making docks.

However, people are welcome to order more docks beyond the current "limit", -- I'll gladly add you to the list, but there's no guarantee you'll get one (beyond the first 90 or so). If sufficient back-orders pile up, then I'll do another quantity order of parts and make another batch. I think at least 25 (and preferably 50) would be necessary to reorder stuff.

I have over 100 sets of the more difficult MDF parts already machined -- those are the really time-consuming items, due to the number of steps and the precision required of them.

Cheers!

Okay, I've inserted "me" onto the list for four more docks. So if you just saw your queue position drop by four, then I'm the culprit!

Meanwhile, a small rash of new orders was just now appended to the queue..

If fans are the only thing holding things up in the future, maybe just drop the fan from the list of features? Or do most of your sales include the fan?

I think that, out of 97 ordered, only six are without fans..

Cheers

Okay, I've inserted "me" onto the list for four more docks. So if you just saw your queue position drop by four, then I'm the culprit!

Hey! That legal?! You keep doing that, people are going to be pushed off the back-end of the queue!

Me.

<start of rant>
Me pissed. Never..

Could somebody PLEASE tell me why EVERY SINGLE overseas buyer thus far has been unable to send Paypal creditcard payments to the correct email address for them... ????? And it's not because English is their second language (NZ, UK, UK, ..).

Paypal "CASH" (only!) to [email protected]
This is the correct option to use if you already
have sufficient "cash" in your PayPal account.

If using a CREDIT-CARD with Paypal, then add 3% extra
to cover the extra fees they charge me to receive it,
and send payment to me at [email protected] instead.

<end of rant>

Question:

Do you still get hit with those fees for bank transfers?

I don't think so, just the creditcards.

And the problem with CC is that, to receive such payments, Paypal requires that I "upgrade" my account -- which then means that ALL future payments, including "cash", get the 3% deduction applied.. Ugh!!! So that's why I have two accounts: one for cash, one for the 3% paypal tax.

Cheers

I KNOW for FACT I sent the payment to the correct address, I copied and pasted it to PayPal. Maybe its a problem at the PayPal end as I'm 100% sure I sent it to [email protected] as stated in your message.

See the address in my attachment, I entered the e-mail as you requested.

Cheers

Cris.

Maybe I'm talking out of the wrong end here, but I thought that you can only have one paypal account. Possibly if you've verified 'both' accounts with the same information (bank details), they've merged the two?

Yes, and thank-you thank-you for bucking the trend!

Cheers

Genixia, how about trying to paypal me at both addresses and we'll just see where the money ends up..

Hehe. Since Cristian's payment ended up in the right place I don't think that's required.

But I was tempted to send you a couple of bucks earlier - if I hadn't needed to rush somewhere you'd be $2 richer

Twenty-four docks have been built this week -- four of them mine, and the rest will be mailed out between now and Friday. Recognize yours?

Uh-huh. I think you just wanted to show off your plane collection. Stanley? Record? Lie-Nelson?

Lots of Lie-Nielson, five Records, some antique Stanley's, and a Millers Falls. They pretty much all get used, though not on this particular project.

Cheers!

And, oh yeah, I am really happy with the fan non-noise levels on these now. Whisper quiet.

Cheers

Okay, I've sent out a couple more payment notifications. We'll be shipping 22 docks out this week.

So if your name was near the top of the queue (in the top 30 or so), then please check the website to see if it says "notified" on your order. If so, that means I have emailed you asking for payment, and if you don't pay soon, you'll be dropped to the bottom of the queue.

I'm not getting 100% response rate so far, and suspect overly zealous spam filters may be getting in the way.

Thanks

In reply to:

---

I'm not getting 100% response rate so far, and suspect overly zealous spam filters may be getting in the way.

---

You really are expecting 100%? What in this world is ever 100% ? Back when we had a queue, we got about 50% response.

Stu

Ooops.. an error in the parts list. There are 12 crimp pins (not 11) for the docking connector, and 3 pieces (not 4) for the block that holds the ethernet cable in place. Total was still 75, though.

The newer design now uses custom-made ethernet cables (3 pieces instead of 1), and a single block of MDF for holding the cable (1 piece instead of 3). The total is still 75 pieces now.

Cheers

Mark, after 'notified' comes 'paid' which is what mine is at. Does it then go to 'posted'?

It then gets a tracking number.

Tomorrow..

People should now notice a significant jump in queue positions. 18 boxes just hit the mail this afternoon. I am still waiting for payment/replies from the next four on the list, but will give those spots away in a day or so if there's no response.

Cheers

Don't believe him -- he is obviously trying to perpetrate some sort of fraud! No woodworking shop can possibly be that clean and tidy. Heck, my kitchen floor isn't as clean as that!

C'mon Mark, 'fess up: You made that picture with PhotoShop, didn't you?



tanstaafl.

Damn it. First it's "New Yankee Workshop", now it's Mark.

It's not healthy to have workshop envy.

Okay, no responses received from the following would-be dock owners:

Carl Tam
Jeff Melcher
Philip Arnold

So, for now, their names are going to the END of the queue, and I'll be sending out emails to the next three from the FRONT of the queue.

EDIT: Well, actually, the next three were from quite a ways down the list, because these three docks were Cool and Basic models.

If/when the original three ever respond (after spring break?), I'll bump them back up for the next Cool/Basic models that get built. The vast majority of orders are for Works models, with the fan and serial port pre-installed.

Cheers

I finally received the email to send in my payment and did so within minutes of getting it. I'm looking forward to receiving it.

Thanks Mark for doing these for us that don't have fantastic workshops and wouldn't know what to do with them if we had them

Well I hope they look and work as nice for y'all as they do for me here.

As Laura just reported, more payment notices have gone out today, for docks that should be ready to ship next week. Check your queue position just in case your email is dysfunctional.. if it says "notified" beside the "Works/Cool" model name, then you should have received a payment request email from me by now.

Cheers

More gluing today, and I also prep'd the FINAL batch of tops/bottoms for the docks. By my count, we can make about 106 of these in total, though I don't actually have that many docking connectors for them..



Cheers

Still can't quite get over how organised your workshop looks.

It's not healthy to have workshop envy.

Workshop envy? I'm still in the Garage Envy stage. Once I get a garage, *then* I'll worry about Workshop Envy.

ditto on that one my friend. just gimme a garage and i'll never stop smiling.

I recently moved from a house into an apartment above downtown. The thing I miss most that I never thought about is my garage.... I mean I moved out of may parents house into a house. I had no idea what living without one was like...

Yeah. my car is in the shop right now thanks to some [censored] who smashed into the fender while it was parked, and just drove off. I hate street parking. That and just having a place to work on my car would be heavenly.

For those of us (like me) who have other types of docking stations with tuners installed, I may eventually extend this test to look for a specific tuner-ID (that little rotary switch on the tuner module) when a real tuner is connected.

Okay, this has now been implemented, in parallel with the loopback test. Hijack v321, under the "Force AC/DC Power Mode" entry on the Hijack menu.

-ml

And more and more payment notices went out again today.. quite a few docks will soon be ready to ship.. putting this project *beyond* the midway point for docks shipped!

Also, a certain amount of list reordering has been done, to help clear out a pile of preassembled wiring for "Cool" docks.

Cheers

-ml

Have you considered making a digital out on there? or if i buy it with your current kit, would it be pretty easy to add the digital out later?

At least two people are running the Digital out on the microphone pins of the docking connector. They then just add a mic jack to the rear of the dock (drill a small hole, and insert connector, with two wires running to pins on the docking connector.

How common are these?

Cheers

Is there room for another RCA on the back? That's probably how I would do it, well that or BNC. No reason really to terminate it with a mic jack of any kind if there's room for a proper connector.

Stu

Yes, there's room for even a couple more RCA jacks, or a BNC. Not too much depth on the inside for largish connectors which protrude internally, though, but most of them should fit fine.

If we were to standardize on something here, I could ship it prewired in the dock to those who ask for it. Cost would be a few bucks extra.

I could help standardize something if you like. I suppose RCA is the most commonly used for coaxial outputs, so you should probably use that. 75 ohm BNC is better, but larger and less compatible. I guess just a black or orange panel mount RCA would work fine.

In reply to:

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I could ship it prewired in the dock to those who ask for it.

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So you would crimp a cable to a pair of contacts and install them in the mic in line postitions? It would probably be best to use 75 ohm coax or video cable between the contacts and the connector on the back of the dock, if that is what you are planning to do.

Stu

Let me know how this pans out... The only place I'd really get use out of a digital out board is the same place I'd use a docking station. What else would need to be done to the empeg? Just a standard digi out board?

ps - I'm more of a Toslink kinda guy, but I'll take what I can get. And I'm queued up in Mark's workshop at 40 or so, so we gotta move on this!

Please see this thread for details on what is involved internally. Most of what I did is optional, but it makes it more reversable. You could skip the external connectors entirely and just route the signal through the Mic In lines. This would make it 100% reversable, ie. no holes in the Empeg case. Yes a standard coax board (DIG-C) would be fine here.

In reply to:

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ps - I'm more of a Toslink kinda guy, but I'll take what I can get.

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Coax is better anyway. If you have to have TOSlink, then just buy one of these.

Stu

I just received mine today and it's very beautiful Mark. I was wondering how they might look stained? Everyone has mentioned painting but I kind of like the natural wood look if it would turn out decent.

I have two of mine that have just a blond shellac finish on them, and I like the look. You can do something very similar yourself. Just hit the home center and pick up a spraycan of clear polyurethane -- ask for the solvent-free stuff (mostly solvent-free).

Use masking tape to cover the rear connectors, and stuff some newspaper into the front opening to protect the docking connector, fan, etc..

Hang the dock with a string or small piece of wire through the side or rear holes, and spray on a nice LIGHT coat. Let it dry, and do it again.

After each spray session, turn the spraycan upside down, and press the nozzle for about 2 seconds -- this clears the spray nozzle so it doesn't gum up and waste the rest of the can.

You probably knew most/all of that, but..

Cheers

You probably knew most/all of that, but

No I didn't, so thanks. I may try that myself.

If you are ever ready to tackle making a MKl box, let me know

Mark, can you post a pic of the final product?

It looks just like dock #001, as pictured on the web site http://rtr.ca/docks/
The only changes since then have been mostly internal, though the dock is about 1/64" narrower now, and about 1/16" shorter in height. No photo would show that, though.

Well, usually like #001. Because there are two varieties of MDF being used in the shop right now, some docks have a "two-tone" appearance, with slightly lighter coloured side panels, and darker tops/bottoms. But those few from the "transition period" (between MDF stocks) are pretty much all out there now. New ones are mostly being made from the lighter colour MDF stock now.

When I run out of the current stock, I'll be getting the darker MDF again for one final run of docks -- I recently found a place 20Km from here that still carries the darker stuff.

Cheers

thank you very mutch!
i just got it.
what a well done product.
everybody should have one!!!

cheers Tim 303

[copied from the General thread]

Thanks to some horse trading with Rob, I now have a limited supply of the original RioCar USA-style 120VAC power adaptors (the ultra-small ones!) for sale along with the Docking Stations.

Anyone who purchases a docking station, can opt to have a new AC adaptor (power supply) shipped along with it for US$11 extra, S&H included. EDIT: Or more than one, if you like, at US$11 each.

This is only for new dock shipments, so if you want a power supply, just sign up for another dock!

To reserve a power supply for your dock, email me at [email protected]

I will NOT respond to your email. Instead, I will just make a note on your dock order, which you can verify by viewing the status page with your email address: http://rtr.ca/docks/

Cheers

Mark,
Thanks for the hard work and design on these sleds. Pretty slick. And the fan is whisper quiet...

I really like that Empeg self detects that the unit is at home, even though it is using the rear connector for power... Again Pretty slick...

Here's a quick poll...

How long has it taken for your dock to arrive?

I'm still waiting patiently for mine... shipped on March 27th... today is April 11th, which is 15 regular days or 11 business days later and it still isn't here!

According to canadapost.com, the delivery time is 6 to 9 business days. On Mark's tracking website it says 5-10 days.

still waiting for mine, but hey, I'm in South Africa, the only thing you get quickly here is aids.

I'm hoping mine arrived before 15th May, which is when I depart back for the UK. Although if it doesn't it's not that much of a problem, as it just means a friend will have to forward it on to me.

From what those who have received have said, it's going to be a wonderful day when it arrives (even if I have ordered 2 more to go to the UK).

I think Mark should start signing the remaining docks as he sends them out, as they are works of art (well he can sign mine if he wants).

It's gonna depend on where you live. I'm in Texas and it took 15 business days.

-Chuck

Now remember rednecks, y'all are at warr rat naw! Sah thangs is guna be slowere then thay mayght normallys be. Y'heeere?

And for the humour impaired, the point is that, with the current threat levels against the USA, packages crossing their borders are taking a little longer than normal these days.

Cheers

I never knew you canucks had the redneck lingo in you, "a"?

From the sounds of it, I'm sure it will be well worth the wait and anticipation.

effen ah dud n no budder. ah wud tank yu wuz makn fun uf us her en Texas.

Quoting the great Christopher Walkin from a recent SNL appearance, "wow. wowee wow wow".

My docks arrived today (12 business days after shipment). I must compliment Lord on the superiour crafstmanship and manufacturing. This guy definately knows his tools.

Now to figure out if what finish will compliment best...

-lothar

wau? yoose fokes sveeks phunnie doun thar two?

Add me to another happy customer. Got my dock today and it's beautiful. Now I need to stain it cherry...

- Jon

Excellent!

I am fast running out of the pre-milled wood parts, and will soon have to get more MDF and hardboard to run the final batch of 100 more docks.

The wiring and hardware stuff is trickling in, and SWMBO is busy crimping wires now for them.

I think there'll be a lull in shipments for a week or two while we get the next batch through the pipeline, after which thinks should start moving again at a good pace..

Cheers all!

100 more docks? Does that mean there's room at the end of the current queue? About how many of those 100 aren't accounted for by current orders?

There's about 20 sets of dock components that are as yet unclaimed by anyone.

Cheers

Well, I wasn't even sure you were going to be finishing enough docks to accomodate your current number of orders. But after reading that, I'm optomistic. Thanks again for providing another quality empeg extra to the community.

Mark,

Have you given any thought to using black acrylic for the back panel, rather than pressed board? I think it would make the dock look a bit nicer, not that there is anything wrong with them the way they are.

Stu

Naw, acrylic gums up the machinery too much. Not an issue when making 5 or 10 of them, but 200..

Thermoplastics can be a bit of a pain I guess. Plastic specific blades and bits maybe?

Stu

Greetings!

I know that Steve (DarkStorm) was making some acrylic / plexiglas docks, but I do not think they had the wiring - just the bare case. Perhaps a combination of the two... In any event, there are some photos in his thread.