Your existing top panel is firmly glued into place, and cannot be removed/replaced without damaging the rest of the dock.

Cheers

Mark, has anyone sent you pics of a "decked out" dock? I'm thinking of getting the light kit for my empeg and I'm trying to decide what color to finish the dock in. With black, the empeg would blend into the dock. How tacky would a LED 40x40x10 fan be with the same color LED as the facia?

The fan is completely hidden within the dock, and is not at all visible from any angle when the player is docked.

please put me down for an MDF...

I'd also like an MDF one. If available. If not, I'll consider real wood, just let me know.

Okay, many more responses than I'd expected.

Also, there'll be a delay of a few weeks on these, mostly caused by unexpected good weather here in the Great White North. I'm about to log geocache #1000, a kind of major milestone up this way.

Now.. as it happens, I have another project on the go that requires a large order of parts from DigiKey, so perhaps I could order many of the dock bits'n'pieces at the same time. Especially the fans and docking connectors/pins.

Having me supply those will raise the cost of the dock shells (still unwired) by perhaps $30 each, depending on how many of the bits and pieces I get. Each dock needs: fan, docking connector/pins, DB-9M serial, RJ-45 coupler, 2xRCA audio, power-jackl, and 500ohm VR.

So an unwired MDF shell will cost about US$115 delivered; and more for solid wood docks.

Sound reasonable? I figure I'll get 10 sets of parts, and any shells beyond that will be completely barebones and go for $85 or so, delivered.

Cheers

I would prefer all components supplied.

Thanks
Gleep

My wish list...Two real-wood finished docks, with components.

I would like a mdf shell with parts if possible.

Well, FWIW I know you're probably out of parts now, and you have said repeatedly you don't want to make them anymore (I'd imagine they were probably tedious as hell to make) but I'd sure love to have a complete one. I'd try and make my own but I'm far better with XEmacs and a compiler than I'll ever be with routers and drills and such.

I was out of work (laid off from Sun Microsystems) for a good long time when you were selling them originally, and couldn't justify the expense. I'm a programmer, but spent the last 3 years painting houses, selling coffee, mowing lawns and pulling down the occasional short term contract. I'm back at work at eBay now (after 3 long years, sheesh) and now that I have an income again everyone has stopped selling empeg goodies (boo).

If you could be cajoled into making your famous home docks again, even for a limited run, I'd definitely buy one. If you really want to be quit of them I'd sure love to see you pass the torch to someone so that I might possibly get a chance at one. If not, well I respect your right to make your own decisions and I'm sure I'll survive I just wish I'd been in a better position earlier.

-- Gary F.

I would like an MDF dock w/ supplies please.

Perhaps I've arrived @ this thread a little late but, I would most definitely want a complete MDF dock w/electrics if you could. I've been patiently waiting for another batch not realizing you planned on getting out of it altogether. I just thought you were taking a break from the last run.

Okay, if all goes well, these should happen in May 2005.

Cheers

The Home Docks page has now been updated with a current shop photo and status.

The dock shells in this run are constructed entirely of MDF (sorry, no ordinary wood tops/bottoms here), and are almost ready for glue-up now. I estimate first payment/shipment to happen within 10 days or so, unless my new Dell notebook computer arrives before then..

Cheers

I would love to buy a dock if any are still available.

Okay, it appears that I have sufficient good parts now for a total of about 15 MDF dock shells. Glue-up began today, and there's an updated photo on the Home Docks page showing some of the progress thus far.

Once I have some docks ready to sell, I'll post again here and begin accepting payments etc.. Those who have already expressed interest in this thread will likely get first crack at them.

This time around, the limiting factor is the number of "inner back" pieces.. these were the most difficult parts to create, as every cut (and there's a lot of cuts) has to be pretty much exactly in the right place, with sub-millimetre tolerance. I don't know if I'll ever want to make more of those parts once this lot sells out.

Cheers

Okay, I'm not going to be supplying anything other than the bare MDF shells, plus the internal ethernet cable.

So that means that there will be a need for someone else to supply 10-20 parts kits for wiring up these suckers. Either that, or each purchaser of a shell will then have to source their own parts in "quantity 1", raising the end cost somewhat.

As before, if we have a volunteer that others are happy with, then that person could order the parts and then remail kits to others etc, lowing everyone's costs. And that person will have the option to purchase as many of this run of shells as they want.. (corner the market!).

Perhaps they might even buy the lot, and wire them and then resell.

Anyone interested?

I have 10 all-MDF dock shells (unwired, except for internal ethernet patch cable) just about ready to mail. These shells are priced at US$80, shipping + paypal fees included. Overseas shipments will cost $20 more (airmail) and likely arrive sooner than USA shipments.

The following users get first dibs for the next 24 hours, after that it becomes first-come first served:

ladmo (got email, thanks)
caseyse
Rod
Gleep
elico (got email, thanks)
treize (got email, thanks)
BAKup (got email, thanks
Terminator (got email, thanks)
longhorn (got email, thanks)
banghi (got email, thanks)
l0ser (got email, thanks)
Foz
Snowshoe
smithj

If you are on the list above, then email me (mlord at pobox dot com) and identify yourself with name and mailing address. Do NOT send payment until I reply to you asking for Paypal.

A few extra shells will also get built sometime later this spring/summer, but we'll be scraping the bottom of the discards bin for those!

Cheers

Thus far, eight people from the original list have now replied by email, as noted in the edited posting above.

I can now take additional requests by email.

Today I stopped by the local electronics depot (tiny) to see if they had *any* of the electrical bits and pieces in stock, just toying with the idea of perhaps wiring up a few full docks. No luck. Nothing, nada.

Not even the special RJ45 crimp-on connectors I like -- which may mean a slight delay even on this first bunch of dock shells, since I do prewire that portion regardless (and there are NOT even 10 sets of connectors on hand .. oops!).

I will be sending out payment requests for the first of these shells as soon as I can wire up the internal ethernet patch cables (those RJ45 gizmos) and pack'em up for shipment.

Cheers

Oh yeah, everyone please note:

These are bare MDF shells, with only a small internal ethernet patch cable installed. These do NOT work as-is. You'll have to purchase elsewhere a docking connector, RCA jacks, and a DC power jack (for use with your AC Adapter) to make them usable. Plus a DB9 connector for the serial port if you want that. Plus wire it all up (not difficult).

Thus the discounted price. If I could still talk SWMBO into ordering all the parts here and wiring them, they'd cost an extra $100 or so each. No go.

Wiring instructions are on the Home Docks page.

Cheers!

A parts list that I put together.
The serial connector is missing from the list. If anyone can provide a link for that, and perhaps the AC Jack at Digikey, I will update it. Does someone here (USA) want to source these parts for distribution, or should we try to fend for ourselves?

Also, does that list look right?

There's a parts list (with many Digikey numbers) linked-to from the Home Docks page.

Yep. Which is what I went off of. But, it didn't have pricing or nice convenient links to the parts.

Ah, okay. But your list looked shorter than mine.. did you miss something from the original list?

Cheers

I didn't add the bits of wire, and I couldn't find the exact DB9 piece. I also didn't include the felt pads and I appear to have overlooked the Power Connectors.

Added Power Pins for Docking Connector.

Good. I just noticed my own list was missing "RJ45 data coupler" for the external ethernet socket.

Cheers