The Apple diyMod: My Take on the Famous iMod [56k killer] Featuring 3G, 4G, 5G and nano 1G!

[Hayduke]

Originally Posted by joneeboi

Parts ConneXion is pretty good for price and speed. One of my favourites actually, but that could be because I'm in Canada. They have cheap shipping that's more than proficiently packaged and protected, and they've got a good reputation to boot. So, A++, highly recommended, great seller!!!

Thanks. Question though...

If you recommend them so highly, how did you miss putting them on page 1?

Edit: I ended up ordering from soniccraft. I wanted to try their caps in the same configuration as CAvanessia. I'm going to put them in an enclosure with sockets so I can roll caps. The BGs (47uf 6.3V) I plan to build into the dock connector of an LOD.

I'm hoping I can also squeeze a mini USB connector in there too for charging and possibly PC connection. My pda phone uses a mini USB, so I already use those cables a lot. This would make my electronic life easier hehe

[qusp]

Originally Posted by jordanross

........ By the way qusp nice job on your mod.

thanks jordan

Joneeboi: OK so the 6G is a PITA to get open, but my main question was; is the SQ improvement as worthwhile as with the 5.5g?


Hayduke: there is room for caps and a mini usb in the large type dock connector; the slimline and medium sized ones wont have enough space. the medium has enough space for just the caps but its a VERY tight fit. so i'm afraid you are stuck with the monster slightly wedge shaped one. This adds functionality put make sure you can fit it through the hole in your skin/case or that you can modify the case without reducing the structural integrity too much.

[joneeboi]

Originally Posted by Hayduke

Thanks. Question though...

If you recommend them so highly, how did you miss putting them on page 1?

Hm, I thought I put it there. Better check 9.4.5 again.

qusp:

If I had done the mod, maybe I could tell you.

[qusp]

Originally Posted by joneeboi

Hm, I thought I put it there. Better check 9.4.5 again.

qusp:

If I had done the mod, maybe I could tell you.

hmmm.. Sorry jon I took that you had been asked by other people to open their 6g and how difficult you said it was to mean that you had modded someone elses. Guess you just changed a battery for them or something.

Anyone here done it? I had read that it's not worth it for anything past 5.5g because of the already good SQ but maybe it was just because they have to bend the case to get it open?? Who knows u guess I might leave it until I know. Anything else I need to know if I do do it jon? Is the layout pretty much the same? Excuse me if it's already on the first page but I don't remember it being there. Just saw the iPhone 3g as a new addition I really have to stop talking about that and just so it problem is I live my phone too much to risk losing it ATM looks easy enough but I'm not to sure if I want to be the trailblazer probably just need a stiff drink before hand certainly wouldn't be covered in my extended warranty do you think I could claim manufacturing defect. LOL my manufacturing defect thy is. I'll see how the iPhone sounds with my pico this week when it arrives sing I've already got a working diymod for transportable and the iPhone will me designated for true portable use the difference while out and about probably won't be worth the trouble it's linenput is already very clean sounding. Perhaps I'll just take the diymod as far as it can go. We'll see

[suicidal_orange]

Sorry, no news on the 6g modding - just another question.

Having been reading around about capacitors and modded ipods one thing comes up time and time again - caps in the signal path are bad. With this is mind I decided to try using a standard LOD with my PA2V2 (it's a nice little amp, but cheap enough to replace in the name of research ). I noticed no smoke coming from it, and the music had no noticeable distortion. I didn't listen for long or with decent headphones for fear of damage, but having read that if an amp has input caps putting an imod straight in would be fine (and that having caps in series reduces their capacitance, thus increasing bass roll-off) it's tempting to try it properly. I then tried the same with my total bithead and again, no smoke or distortion. This would remove 4 solder joints as well as the caps themselves and the wire so surely it's a good thing to not use caps?

PS: I take no responsibility for anyone who fries their amp/headphones trying this

[joneeboi]

The fact that no smoke or distortion shows up and that capacitance is lowered with two series caps instead of one doesn't mean that everyone should go without the capacitors. It comes down to every mod and what it's intended for. If you are going to always use it with an amp with input caps, then there's no need for output coupling caps. If you're going to be moving around from amp to amp or you're going to lend out your diyMod, then for safety's sake, put the caps there. The problem with a DC bias at the input of most amplifiers is that they amplify the DC along with the AC (the music), and that can fry your speakers' and headphones' coil wires by running too much current through such high gauge wire; think thinner than 32AWG. With certain amps, you don't even need to have coupling capacitors because they zero the DC at the output with a DC servo. Even then, there's a level of DC you can safely have at the output, anything lower than 20mV. As long as you're okay with that, then do what you like. It is DIY after all. =)

[suicidal_orange]

Oh to have a DIY portable amp where I know what is going on inside!

Sounds like it was a good idea not to try with nice headphones, wouldn't want them burning up in my ear My multimeter is behaving strangely so I'll stick with the caps for now, thanks for the quick warning joneeboi

For future reference will it just be switch multimeter to mV and measure with no music playing to see the offset? If it's well below 20 it's good, if it's over 20 you saved my headphones?

I may seem rather careless from my posts in this thread but I'm not really, I'm just trying to learn by experimentation - one day something will go really wrong but hopefully not anytime soon

[qusp]

I bent the cable for the battery in my DIYMOD a bit too much when I was frustrated the other night and for a bit it was being tempermantal; it would power on and then when I put it all back together again it would go off because the snap of putting it back together again would shake it out of the socket. took me a while to realize thats what the problem was, but since I put a bit of tape over the connector holding it in place its been fine.. I had a look at the cable and its bent, worn and a little mis-shapen in the area where it contacts the terminal; would it still work if I just snipped the cable just a little bit shorter (about 1-2mm) so it contacts in a fresh new place. my other option is to get a new battery of course but if I can avoid it that would be cool. funny thing is that for a bit I thought I had screwed the logic board up, (lots of swearing and shouting was evident), so I ordered a new one; that wont be here for a week or so and it turns out I didn't need it. I didn't cancel the order even though I could have, I thought that seeing as I am planning some more radical and experimental modding that it would be handy to have it on hand anyway.

[suicidal_orange]

The cable is just 3 flat wires - the connector looks to be long enough to remove at least an mm so I'd think it would be fine. Probably not something many people have done, and if it works as-is why "fix" it though? It shouldn't go wrong till you next open it, which hopefully wont be anytime soon as you have a spare board to play with

[joneeboi]

If you're going to be cutting the battery wires, make sure you cut them one at a time. No need to short them by cutting them all at once and causing any unnecessary explosions.