DIY: My take on the Cotton Dock (56k if you dare) - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

joneeboi · 11-12-2006, 11:59 PM

Presenting the

joneeboi Cotton Dock

Recently, I've been noticing some clipping on my portable rig as I'm walking around the university enjoying my music. At first I thought one of my cables was being bent too hard and ruining the signal but that didn't end up being the problem. I only heard the clipping while walking with my fanny pack (yeah, that's right, A FANNY PACK! I prefer to call it my booty pack, though) zipped up inside my jacket. I suspected the problem was some static being produced on the inside lining of my pouch. Being the cheap guy I am, I tried to DIM.

This is my Qables Zen LOD

I used the legs from a pair of 100% cotton jeans I converted into cut-offs in honour of one of my top two favourite TV shows, Arrested Development.

Cut-offs, booty pack, et al.

Tobias Funke, when will you shed your layers and let your goods flap in the wind?

Felix, my cat, wants to play with the thread.

He delivers a powerful elbow smash into the LOD. Fortunately, it can take his fierce feline power.

Silly cat, this LOD is not for mortals.

I cut strategically so as to reduce work later on.

Yep, right length.

Felix in another glamour shot. So vain. Observe the intensity. I taught him that.

Observe my leet stitching. I hem it so the threads don't fray as badly as on my cut-offs. Who says head-fiers can't sew?

A hem. Your attention please. Muaha. (pun definitely intended)

I add another layer of electricity absorbing power.

The cotton is wrapped around the LOD and stitch some more to cover the cable completely.

Some of that wrap-around strategy. Wewt.

My finished product. Voila.

Some more leetness.

How do you like your pwnage? Would you like it with some leet-sauce?

FINAL RESULT:

The experiment is controlled in that I put my rig in my booty pack inside the same jacket I wear when experiencing the static. Walking a few laps around my house confirms that the joneeboi Cotton Dock is a complete failure. I still hear the crackling and now I'm out a thumb and some thread.

Anyways, thanks for reading about my misery. This is the worst day of my life. Anyone have any ideas as to how to prevent the crackly?

JLai · 11-13-2006, 12:14 AM

What in the world...?

TheMarchingMule · 11-13-2006, 12:30 AM

Nice shorts

JahJahBinks · 11-13-2006, 01:11 AM

is the cat included in the price?

Samgotit · 11-13-2006, 04:08 AM

You've lost me here sparky. You made little jeans for you cable, you tudor you cat, and you wear a fanny pack?

toastmaster · 11-13-2006, 05:09 AM

I think we should take up a collection for an actual ALO Cotton Dock. I mean, seriously, he has the grapes to post pictures of himself in cutoff jean shorts and a fanny pack online, then admit defeat.

You have my respect, if nothing else, good sir.

joneeboi · 11-13-2006, 05:59 AM

My intent was to somehow prevent the decrease in music enjoyment caused by static in my booty pack (not called fanny pack. Real men call them booty packs). In the meantime, I thought I might just have some fun with it.

JahJahBinks: Unfortunately, the cat is not included in the package. He has too much meat on his bones. >=D

AtheisticFreedom: Maybe I could put the shorts on sale. Would anyone buy it?

Further, no one has addressed my main question: how does one prevent the static-crackle-pop? I thought this cotton dock was sure to win, but it didn't help.

edit: toastmaster: Thank you. It's about time someone appreciated the cut-offs.

...You do appreciate them, right?

toastmaster · 11-13-2006, 06:41 AM

I always called them belt-pouches, myself.

And I appreciate the cut-offs in the same way I might appreciate a really awesome bad movie, or Duggeh's creations. So yes, I do.

But getting to the issue, I think this would be triboelectric noise but anyone correct me if I'm wrong. The issue is more shielding on the cable itself, I think. Maybe adding an outside layer and grounding it might help.

joneeboi · 11-13-2006, 06:54 AM

How might I go about grounding the cable? And what kind of layer would I add?

toastmaster · 11-13-2006, 07:08 AM

From what I know, which is open to correction I may add, you'd need a conductive layer on the outside, grounded to the sleeve of the 1/8" plug or to the ground on the dock connector. From what I read quickly at Qables, your line-out is made of solid core silver in a dielectric, with no shielding.