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.

[qusp]

Originally Posted by 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

thanks for the replies guys Yeah I figured it would be cool and yes I had thought of the shorting thing. was going to use a scalpel blade so clean and one at a time i'm already on thin ice with the good woman without having to worry about explosions and electrical fires also wasn't going to do it unless I needed to; but since its just a bit of tape holding it there and a small one at that, it more than likely it wont be too long before it stretches or moves from being carried around. then again maybe it wont. I'm keeping the new board pristine and in its wrapper for when/if its needed; no sense doing my modding on that because I would have to then take the other one out to test it properly. I realize you're probably joking though

hey guys check these new ultra fast and large capacity (up to 100GB) CF cards; they're pricey, but blindingly quick; apparently the world record holder for speed and capacity; and they are going to release an interface to allow you to combine up to 4 CF acrds into one HUGE SATA or PATA interface. I wonder if it will be small enough to put in an 80GB 5.5G ipod back-plate if its small enough that could mean a 400GB CF ipod!!! with a read write speed of at least 50mb/s of course tha ipod would come in at about $2800

[joneeboi]

That reminds me of the iPod mini someone connected to a 3.5" HDD. I don't remember what the transfer speeds were like, but the battery only survived for something like 7 minutes. That would be an interesting iPod to have stolen.

Something I'd recommend is to test out our logic board before it's too late to return it. I've received a bunch of dud logic boards that I couldn't replace when I found out. Test it and then put it on the shelf.

I'm so excited for myself. I just installed a new car deck, scratch that, two new car decks (one for the boys' car, one for my parents' car because my dad wanted the same thing) this weekend that control iPods and my iPhone. That's right, no more FM transmitter clipping at perfectly reasonable sound levels. I got a Pioneer DEH-P4000UB that now plays all my music without clipping. I'm so very happy. I learned a bit about car stereo, and now I have sweet, clipless audio in my car. I should have bought this before the summer. And the neat thing is I can control my music with a remote so I don't have to shift my eyes between road and iPhone as much. Safety and sweet grooves. I'm so excited.

[qusp]

Originally Posted by joneeboi

That reminds me of the iPod mini someone connected to a 3.5" HDD. I don't remember what the transfer speeds were like, but the battery only survived for something like 7 minutes. That would be an interesting iPod to have stolen.

LOL did he hook it up outside the ipod or did he build some sort of frankenmod enclosure? if this thing can actually be set up as a raid (not sure if ipod linux could do that but more than likely) then you could be looking at 150-200mb/s

Something I'd recommend is to test out our logic board before it's too late to return it. I've received a bunch of dud logic boards that I couldn't replace when I found out. Test it and then put it on the shelf.

good idea I can always seal it up again if I ever end up selling it. It's supposed to be new and not used/reconditioned; but your right, better to be safe than sorry.

I'm so excited for myself. I just installed a new car deck, scratch that, two new car decks (one for the boys' car, one for my parents' car because my dad wanted the same thing) this weekend that control iPods and my iPhone. That's right, no more FM transmitter clipping at perfectly reasonable sound levels. I got a Pioneer DEH-P4000UB that now plays all my music without clipping. I'm so very happy. I learned a bit about car stereo, and now I have sweet, clipless audio in my car. I should have bought this before the summer. And the neat thing is I can control my music with a remote so I don't have to shift my eyes between road and iPhone as much. Safety and sweet grooves. I'm so excited.

wow jon!!! sounds like a sweet stereo, your dad must be wrapped

[joneeboi]

Well, I haven't actually cased up his car again because I didn't have a dash kit at the time (still don't). I recommend he not drive the car when he needs to park for extended periods because I fear someone would be encouraged to steal the darn thing. Plus he's been bothering me to get him another USB+line out dock. Either way, it seems to be a pretty sweet deck. What more could I really want? Actually, having album art would be nice, but I suppose I can't have my cake at the same time. It was a pretty good buy from Best Buy. I wouldn't necessarily say it was my best buy, but it was quite good.

[Lil' Knight]

Anyone in the US has 2 pairs of BG 47uf caps? I'm finding them but stuck by the minimum order from Percy Audio