Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Discussions › The Apple diyMod: My Take on the Famous iMod [56k killer] Featuring 3G, 4G, 5G and nano 1G!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

The Apple diyMod: My Take on the Famous iMod [56k killer] Featuring 3G, 4G, 5G and nano 1G! - Page 26

post #376 of 2514
12/22/07 at 3:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KoKoKrunch View Post
But iMod uses headphone out. Line out already = no volume control. My headphone out is preserved. Even so, it should not affect anything.

Jonee, do you see anything wrong with my bridges??? My DIY iPod mod endeavour - 10+ huge images - BAMod!
There are more detailed pictures there. I'm feeling confused and a lil disappointed now, doubt there's anything wrong though...
well, maybe it's time to let BG caps to burned-in...

Quote:
Originally Posted by vvs_75 View Post
I just finished my 1 gen nano mode. Comming very soon!
oh, picts please...

Quote:
Originally Posted by ruZZ.il View Post
Success This is an iMod of a nano first gen. I bypassed the whole internal wiring and maintained all original functionality. I cleaned it up a lot since the pic of the inside (forgot to take another one..). Soldering the wires internally to the dock pins was really difficult, so I don't recommend anyone do this (naturally, some will anyway). as I mentioned before, I used a little bit of teflon tubing to duct the wire through and hold it in place. I used hot glue to keep them in place. I used some multistrand wire I had lying around. I cut most of the strand at the end, leaving just one. I put a little solder blob where I cut just to keep it all together. The single strand is about the width of the pins, and it took me many attempts to get this right (admittedly, I believe it would have been easier with a good iron). I had some issues with the wire sticking out at first, that effected the screen. I router the wires a little better than seen here and that was solved. I still have some internal pressure somewhere thats slightly effecting my clickwheel. I will probably open it again to smooth it out even more. I got good at mating the little cables back into their sockets, but this was a bi... at first. Sound? it sounds great! better? I can't tell yet. I'm waiting for the epoxy on the dock to dry and will give it more of a listen. BG burn in starts now (and I believe in it too, my MAX showed me their way).

Thank you to everyone who's contributed to this thread showing me the way.
aha, this are exactly what i want to do with my Nano...nice mod, ruZZ.il...can you give us pict (macro or super macro) from your pict HERE which route that you'd used from C53 and C54 to which one for dock connector ? many thx...
Reply

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Apple 30 GB iPod with Video Playback Black (5th Generation)
iPod Nano Headset Music Player
Powered by NexTag
Apple iPod classic 160 GB Black (6th Generation) OLD MODEL
post #377 of 2514
12/22/07 at 4:00pm
the bypass looks great! it might have been easier on the internal pressure if you used some smaller gauged wires. (my nano mod used 30-32 awg, soldering to the pads was alot easier.)
Reply
post #378 of 2514
12/22/07 at 4:37pm
Dude, your dock is clean!! Nice job!
Reply
post #379 of 2514
12/22/07 at 4:52pm
@ ruZZ.il:
sorry if i'm wrong but i see your dock then i'm wondering what pins that you using...it's look like it's not pin 1/2, 3, 4, or is it ?
Reply
post #380 of 2514
12/22/07 at 5:18pm
I used the unused pins 14 and 17, hooked straight up to the output of the DAC, its basically in parallel to the whole existing output, so I've still got normal headphone out, normal line out with a normal dock, and iMod line out with the custom dock. but I reeeally would have had an easier time with the right wire and solder iron.. and would have had a lot harder time if I had any less steady of a hand. Ultimately, I'm not sure its even worth trying to keep the current line out.. it would probably have been easier to solder into the current line out pins somewhere accessible and just jumper the internal caps.. just making sure to always use an iMod dock.
Reply
post #381 of 2514
12/22/07 at 5:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by iQEM View Post
@ ruZZ.il:
sorry if i'm wrong but i see your dock then i'm wondering what pins that you using...it's look like it's not pin 1/2, 3, 4, or is it ?
Good question! I just saw that...what pins are you using? Hey, you should tell us exactly the steps you took to mod the nano....cause like CAvanessia said, you didnt remove any caps?! So what did you do? It looks as if you tried to build a parallel circuit to your dock(at the same time). If so, im not sure how that would work.
Reply
post #382 of 2514
12/22/07 at 5:20pm
This is just a guess, but it looks like ruZZ is using pins 14 and 17. If apple did not put any inductors there, that might be a better solution.
Reply
post #383 of 2514
12/22/07 at 5:21pm
Lol, you already answered....im reading your post now!

Edit: Nice call CA! If CA is right about the inductor thing then you have a very good idea! That way you have a bunch of options (seeing/hoping again that those pins are 'unused')
Reply
post #384 of 2514
12/22/07 at 5:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ruZZ.il View Post
I used the unused pins 14 and 17, hooked straight up to the output of the DAC, its basically in parallel to the whole existing output, so I've still got normal headphone out, normal line out with a normal dock, and iMod line out with the custom dock. but I reeeally would have had an easier time with the right wire and solder iron.. and would have had a lot harder time if I had any less steady of a hand. Ultimately, I'm not sure its even worth trying to keep the current line out.. it would probably have been easier to solder into the current line out pins somewhere accessible and just jumper the internal caps.. just making sure to always use an iMod dock.
i c, pins 14 & 17...this was interesting...how about the bypass wires from C53 and C54 ? where the spot that you'd solder it to conneck to your iMod dock ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by wgr73 View Post
Good question! I just saw that...what pins are you using? Hey, you should tell us exactly the steps you took to mod the nano....cause like CAvanessia said, you didnt remove any caps?! So what did you do? It looks as if you tried to build a parallel circuit to your dock(at the same time). If so, im not sure how that would work.
you mean me ? i dont go any progress at all cos i & CAvanessia (hi sis) haven't sure where to put the spot from C53 and C54...it's seems ruZZ.il had clear the path, that's why i'm curious for the spot that he had used for his nano...
Reply
post #385 of 2514
12/22/07 at 5:35pm
Yeah iQem I was referring to you question...but nevermind about my question now, cause he answered it.
Reply
post #386 of 2514
12/22/07 at 5:35pm
I'm not an electronics expert, but to me having parallel signals might be suboptimal. I mean "in theory" we have the DAC signal traveling through the Z caps and the traces all the way to the original line-out pins, AND we tapped the DAC through the wires to two unused pins. While this is a really creative idea, does this "splitting" degrade the sound at all?

Suppose we find out where the line-out pins are (I'm still working on it ). We have the wires going from the DAC through the traces to these pins, AND we have wires going from DAC to the same pins. How is this different than ruZZ's setup in terms of quality?

These are questions. I'm not trying to infer anything about our different approaches. I just want to understand a little more.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wgr73 View Post
Lol, you already answered....im reading your post now!

Edit: Nice call CA! If CA is right about the inductor thing then you have a very good idea! That way you have a bunch of options (seeing/hoping again that those pins are 'unused')
Reply
post #387 of 2514
12/22/07 at 5:35pm
well, as long as nothing is plugged into the normal dock, what I meant by 'parallel' is kind of misleading.. its basically an alternative branch, and only one is used at a time. does the existence of the old caps effect the functionality of the current ones? maybe marginally.. maybe I'll jumper them sometime to find out.. but I doubt I'd be able to notice the diff. it does sound good right now though clean as hell.. I'm dreading the BG harshness phase though..

.. though with caps, there probably is some sort of reactance by its mere existance in an open circuit.. there are voltage swings on one plate, and the other side tries to catch up, retarding the first plate capability to swing so, it really depends on how the DAC performs. if the DAC voltage swings as its intended to, I dont really care about the voltage swings on the other side of the internal caps anymore, I do care about the voltage swings on the other side of the iMod dock caps though, as those are what my amp sees and responds to.. and thats why we all choose to use better caps..
Reply
post #388 of 2514
12/22/07 at 5:43pm
@ ruZZ.il:
so 2 pins only that you've used for the iMod dock ? please guide me cos i really wanna have a try it right now...
Reply
post #389 of 2514
12/22/07 at 5:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ruZZ.il View Post
Ultimately, I'm not sure its even worth trying to keep the current line out.. it would probably have been easier to solder into the current line out pins somewhere accessible and just jumper the internal caps..
This conclusion is precisely what I was saying before. Can you check if CAvanessia's L6 and L7 are the correct inductors for the regular line out? If so, you can completely avoid all the unnecessary multistrand wire splicing, epoxy, hot glue and general frustration with your method. If your iron isn't any good, how did you solder such thin wires to such thin pins on the dock? If you could pull that job off, removing the caps and inductors should be cake.

As for shorting C53 and C54, why bother when you could just remove it? ruZZ.il, I really don't understand why you went with such a complicated method when all you needed was to remove the two caps and two inductors, and then solder two wires between them. The method is the same as with the 5G, take the signal and send it straight to the dock. Unless I'm missing something here, why are you guys trying to complicate it?

And Christine, did my suggestion help you find the right inductors? About the signal paralleling, theoretically it's worse if you don't remove C53 and C54, though it may be audibly negligible. You can leave it, or take it out for completeness' sake.

Again, since it doesn't seem you guys are hearing me, keep it simple. Disable the regular line out by removing C53 and C54, and send it to the regular line out pins where the inductors are, supposedly L6 and L7. If it's not L6 and L7, could SOMEBODY please help me, CAvanessia, iQEM, et al out here?
Reply
post #390 of 2514
12/22/07 at 6:05pm
After a big lunch, I am determined to test L6 and L7 before I need to go out for dinner again (in 3 hours). =)

Jon, I am going to tap the L6/L7 after "the stock amplification" and hook it up to a headphone jack. If I can hear anything (indicating that I've tapped the original line-out signals), then we are gold. I will remove the Z caps and L6/L7 inductors, etc.

I will keep you guys updated.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Apple 30 GB iPod with Video Playback Black (5th Generation)
iPod Nano Headset Music Player
Powered by NexTag
Apple iPod classic 160 GB Black (6th Generation) OLD MODEL
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Discussions › The Apple diyMod: My Take on the Famous iMod [56k killer] Featuring 3G, 4G, 5G and nano 1G!