Okay, the first two units are ready to go, and, work permitting, I can produce more at the rate of one or two a week until demand is satisfied. Click here for a detailed description with photographs.

Pricing for the Home Docking Stations:

US$115 Basic: with audio out and ethernet, but no fan or serial port.
US$130 Cool: dock with integrated fan, on only when Empeg is on.
US$150 Works: dock with fan (as above) and serial port.

Shipping is extra, likely about US$15-20 for fast mail, perhaps less for slow mail (we'll find out more exactly when after the first few go to the post office).

To order one, send an email to docks@rtr.ca with your name, mailing address, telephone number, and details of exactly which of the three options you want ("Basic", "Cool", or "Works").

Do not send money until specifically instructed to do so. I will maintain a queue, servicing requests as units are produced, and will contact you when your unit enters final assembly. At that time, you will have the options of "PayPal cash", or "PayPal CreditCard" (3% extra) for final payment.

The first two units are already reserved for whoever sends me the two wireless items requested in the original thread. But there are six more docks from the initial batch awaiting assembly in my workshop right now. These could ship as early as next weekend.

Cheers

Mark Lord

PS: Of course, wouldn't ya know it, I just got two Linux contracts in my inbox today, so production might be slow after the first batch goes out..

PS: Of course, wouldn't ya know it, I just got two Linux contracts in my inbox today, so production might be slow after the first batch goes out..

That's good news for those of us that want two or three, but don't have the cash at the moment. All of a sudden, I'm hoping the tuner kits keep being delayed, too.

What kind of fan did you end up using?

The fan is a 0.06A 12VDC 4.7CFM 40x40x10mm fan, with ball bearings, and a resistor in series to slow it down even more. The manufacturer claims 24dBA at full speed in free space, and the added resistor drops that number quite a bit.

In some of the units, it's just a very quiet swoosh, in others there is a slight rumble that can be heard when the rest of the room is quiet. The fan is connected to the remote AMP output, so it switches off when the Empeg is absent or in standby. This part (like everything else inside) is user-accessible, for anyone who wants to fiddle with it.

Cheers

Do you think that you would be making any for the MKl in the future?

I am willing to make a couple of Mk1 docks in a similar style.

But the problem is that I don't have a Mk1 to measure and test fit with.

For this to happen, somebody who owns one (Laura?) will have to first acquire the docking connectors (there's a thread somewhere on where to get them from, and a note in the FAQ, I believe). With those in hand, the Mk1 owner could make some detailed measurements for me (I'll specify what I need), and then send the measurements and the connectors to me.

The types of measurements are the usual side-to-side and front-to-back dimensions of the Mk1, plus front-to-dockingconnector measurements, and locations of any protruding screw heads from the Mk1. The Mk2(a) units have four screw heads on each side of the unit that protrude significantly enough that the currrent design had to incorporate machined channels in the MDF to allow them to slide in/out without scraping.

First step.. get a couple of Mk1 docking connectors and then contact me again.

Cheers

Would it be more helpful to mail you the sled? If not I will track down the connectors.

Oh.. so do you just want an enclosure for your existing Mk1 sled? Yes, in that case, you could just send that to me, and I'll build a box around it.

The current Mk2(a) docks I am making do not use/need a sled to work.

Cheers

(I have a vague tingling that maybe we discussed this once or thrice already, but my memory is rather poor at times..)

Sent you an email We did discuss this so you must be getting old or all of that mountain fresh air has gotten to you.

lol

Mark,
How are you getting power to the player? Are you using the original dc transformer included with the Empeg originally?

Hey Mark, did you get my email? Did I secure a spot in the first batch? I need to know so I can load up my Paypal account with some cash.

The dock has a 12VDC power input jack on the rear, into which you can plug any 12VDC supply, such as the original AC adaptor that came with your player.

Cheers

Yup, got your email, Tony. And LOTS of others.

I'll be posting a group acknowledgement of some kind in a day or so, with queue positions and whatnot.

Hang on folks! I probably got ALL of your emails (over 25 docks ordered thus far, and counting..).

Cheers

-ml

PS: Why do I go near nuts with idle boredom for a couple of months, start up something interesting, and then suddenly get flooded with work from all angles all at once!?

PS: Why do I go near nuts with idle boredom for a couple of months, start up something interesting, and then suddenly get flooded with work from all angles all at once!?

Sounds like another corrolary of Murphy's Law, to me.

PS: Why do I go near nuts with idle boredom for a couple of months, start up something interesting, and then suddenly get flooded with work from all angles all at once!?

I dunno, but it's good news for me. Any idea how long you'll be offering these for? I assume that now that you have the pattern, you could theoretically whip one out at any point in the future, provided you have a supply of connectors, of course. Just curious, since I want a couple, but what with pca's tuner, and my upcoming vacation, it's going to be a few months before I'll be able to earmark some funds for them...

My bulk order of docking connectors (the most critical component, much cheaper in volume) was for fifty (50) sets. I'll be making docks until I run out of those -- there are about 30 requests in the queue already, though.

Cheers

Hmm... guess I'll have to take my chances, then, since I didn't leave pca's tuner up to chance. Worst comes to worst, I suppose I could order a few connectors to send your way with a pleading request for a few more.

Okay, the webpage for the docking stations ( http://rtr.ca/dock/ ) now has a small form at the top, where you can enter your email address to see what your current position in the build queue happens to be.

Depending on the model you ordered, your position may change radically from time to time, as I will tend to batch-build units of the same type.

Cheers

Cool!

coool, number 14 :-)

#23 I can't wait. Thanks for all the effort Mark!

Woohoo!

Model = Works, Queue position = 2



Total number of units = 1

.

Although my suspicion is that once I get mine, I'm going to want another one for my office. Unfortunately I can't afford it right now.

I'll probably want another 1 or 2. Gonna evaluate the 1st one before ordering 2 more. Hopefully mark will keep making these for a while.

I second that. I'm hoping to purchase a second one but can't right now.

Is there enough room for an empeg with an aftermarket fan installed to work properly? (another way: not burn out from being shoved up against the top of the MDF box)

Any chance of info on the hardware mod you've made that will allow Hijack to determine dock/car status? Presumably it's something to do with the sled connector, but it would be handy to know how to implement it for people who have built, or plan to build, their own docking solutions.

Cheers!

A.

Yes, a fan installed inside the Empeg player itself WILL vent properly when installed in this docking station. There is an air channel on the underside of the top which directs air to the rear vent holes of the dock, with or without a fan installed in the dock itself.

Cheers

Okay, I have just finished hacking dock unit #001 and Hijack v311 to allow detection of "docked" operation, so that it selects the AC/Home user settings instead of the DC/Car settings.

Here's what I am doing for these docks:

Since they do not have, nor have room for, a Tuner module.. all that I am doing is looping back the tuner's TX/RX serial lines on the docking connector. That is, I am simply connecting pins 6 and 7 together on the docking connector.

Hijack v311 does a quickie loopback test on the TUNER serial port at boot time, and if it finds the two pins connected together, then it forces AC/Home mode.

For those of us (like me) who have other types of docking stations with tuners installed, I may eventually extend this test to look for a specific tuner-ID (that little rotary switch on the tuner module) when a real tuner is connected. Later.

Hijack v311 will be released shortly.

Cheers

That's a cool little solution.