Building an amp rack, need help on where to buy stuff..Supra Kid?!

[Bumpin Expo]

I building a custom amp rack because well im grounded and i have so much free time on my hands it not funny. But anyways, Where can I buy that like clear plastic stuff that i can put over the amps. Kind of like what was in supra kids install. I already made the box and have it all cut out I just wanna know where I can buy some clear plastic. I dont want to work with glass though. Also where can I buy fans to vent it all? Does home depot sell any of this? I dont want to go there and find out they dont as they are 25 mins from me. Thanks guys

[rangcrx]

ace hardware is the cheapest place i buy my plexglass from to build the best place to buy a SMALL fan is officeDepot all COmputer FANS are 12volts and very very cheap if needing a larger fan walmart sells 2 kind of 12volt fans

[Kirk]

I have 5 computer fans, both sides CANNOT be blowing in.. must have air circulating.. so you have one side pushing in the air, the other side blowing it out

That is anothe project which I will put up pictures of, I have a box made that covers the 3 fans on one side, with a hole so I can fit a pipe through it and I can either:

1. drill a hole on the bottom side of my fender so the amp gets fresh air from outside

or

2. have the tube coming up and towards the hatch and get air from outside of the enclosure

Plexiglass is the way to go, just make sure its clean because it shows really bad :)

[Bumpin Expo]

well how big are the fans at wal mart compared to a computer fan? Is that what it is is plexi glass or is there some kind of clear plastic? Because working with plexi dont you need a special bit to make holes and stuff. Sorry im so new to this plexi glass stuff?? Also how much does that stuff run for

[Kirk]

Mine are just sheets of plexiglass layed on top, you can use suction cups to pick it up

there are no holes made on the plexiglass at all

[Bumpin Expo]

so on one side i have the fans blowing on, and on the opposite side of the box i have fans blowing out? How do i do that.. wire the fans in reverse?

[aaron1017]

The fans have dual bearinig brushless DC motors that have dioides in them... Therefor you cannot wire then backwards.

Siimply turn the fan around ;)

[93ex]

pleiglass or lexan

thick stuff isnt cheap

fans are just mounted backwards

keep in mind the fun of cuttuing thick plexi

[Bumpin Expo]

do you think home depot cuts and sells that plexiglass? And today i bought 4 computer fans off ebay for $17 so hopefully im going to get that soon. If HD doesnt cut the plexiglass for me how would i cut it myself?

[93ex]

Originally posted by Afboy143
do you think home depot cuts and sells that plexiglass? And today i bought 4 computer fans off ebay for $17 so hopefully im going to get that soon. If HD doesnt cut the plexiglass for me how would i cut it myself?

did you make sure that the fans are 12 volt?

and you cna cut it on a table saw oir with a circular saw it just takes a bit of pateince

[rangcrx]

if your in tampa i will cut it for you Hd and AceHardWare both cut it,it is hard to cut 3/4 1/2" BUt i use my perfect tool the rotoZip cuts it to perfection no burns or chips like cutting butter but yes fans are easy to wire up and if i were DONT WIRE THEM TO YOUR REMOTE AMP WIRE PLEASE run a toggle switch i have seen it to many time it takes so much power from the amp AND YES THE REMOTOE GIVES the amp power also it is not just used to connet and finish the line,good luck

[Bumpin Expo]

hey man thanks rangcrx im going to buy some tomarrow, all today i spent working on the amp rack, and last nite i bought 4 pc fans off ebay for 17$ shipped so I always have to wait for those. Also I was planning on putting it to a switch. Ill keep you all posted later on thanks so much

[Kirk]

I have an incognito switch for my fans :D

You will not see it if you didn't know where it was at. :)

[93ex]

I wouldnt even installa switch, just use a relay

12 volt fans or no

[Kirk]

<-- Relay + switch

[MDIFYTD]

Why would you want to do that? I'm not convinced that using the remote takes anything away from your amp but I do know from first hand expierience that the draw on the HU from multiple sources will cause the remote turn output to blow out. That being said if you use a relay and it comes on when your amps do there's no way to forget to turn them off and drain your battery.

Here's how you do it:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pdf/500-001.pdf

[Bumpin Expo]

thanks MDIFTYD ill look into that. And yes 93EX its 12 V, arent all computer fans 12 v?

[Bumpin Expo]

o god is there like a key on how to read this thing LoL whats the thing in the middle in the box that everything connects to

[Bumpin Expo]

ahhhhh i jus read up on this and found this information quite useful. Thanks a lot guys this is nice to know. So the connectors on it, i just use the little connects i would normally use on a switch?

[MDIFYTD]

the square with all the numbers in it represents the relay itself.

30= 12v constant (+ from your battery)
86= 12v switched source (i.e. your remote turn lead from the HU)
85= ground
87= 12v switched output (the lead to your fans, amps or whatever)
87a= is the removable contact that will connect terminal 30 to terminal 87 when terminal 86 recieves power. Basically you don't connect anything here it just does all the work internally.

[MDIFYTD]

damn I type slow :)

[Bumpin Expo]

i connect to the relay switch using female connectors correct?

[93ex]

Originally posted by Afboy143
thanks MDIFTYD ill look into that. And yes 93EX its 12 V, arent all computer fans 12 v?

I dunno much about computer systems and the voltage they run at...

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Afboy143
i connect to the relay switch using female connectors correct?

correct

I use a switch and the relay because

I can choose to turn it off if I really dont need them on, instead of unplugging a wire, and to be honest I havent used them yet.

[Bumpin Expo]

hey man where did u get that amp temp guage, i really want to get something like that

[93ex]

his is a zapco piece

http://www.dakotadigital.com/products.cfm?Category=5

http://www.dakotadigital.com/products.cfm?Category=4

[Kirk]

looks like mine except mine lights up red http://www.dakotadigital.com/Detail.cfm?Category=4&PartNumber=ODYR-15-1-C

[Jordan Y.]

Originally posted by 93ex
I dunno much about computer systems and the voltage they run at...

The main voltages are 3.3, 5 and 12, along with whatever the core voltage is, somewhere above 1 and below 2 to give far too wide a range. But the fans should all be 12, unless there's some weird 5 volt fans I've never heard of which might be possible. Then there is the "12 volt fan off a 5 volt line" which is much quieter but doesn't move quite the same amount of air, that one stumped me for a bit I have to say.