I mentioned long ago that when I get bored, I do some crazy things. The latest in my (what my better half calls "crazy") tech projects was to solve one of my home's deficiencies... no entertainment in the garage. Seriously, for the common man the garage is a temple. It's a place where guys go to be guys, and do things like work on cars, watch the game, play darts, smoke cigars, and any number of other things. In our case as townhome dwellers, it's a common area for lots of other things, like when we light up the outdoor fireplace in the driveway with the neighbors or even do a cookout and eat outside.
Long ago, the lady thought it would be neat to have some music in the garage. So, to keep things simple, I started with a CD player and set of portable speakers. Yeah, it worked, but it sounded terrible, and was a pain to play all the music we have since most of it is stored on a home server. Besides, what kind of geek would I be if THAT was my final solution? Thus, the idea for the garage entertainment system (what I refer to now as the "G.E.S.") was born.
Sure, anyone can go to the store, pick up a TV and other gear, then install it in the garage. But where's the fun in that? In the end, we're still talking about a GARAGE. I'm not about to go spend $1000 on equipment to put in the same place I park my car and keep weed killer. So here were the criteria I came up with for the G.E.S. project:
Designing the System
1. Must all fit on the shelving unit I have without moving any of the shelves. I'm limited on storage space, so it's got to slip in there as is.
2. Must occupy no more than one shelf. (again, space issues).
3. The G.E.S. must be able to play CDs, Digital MP3/WMA audio files, AND tune AM and FM radio.
4. It must use real speakers and a separate receiver, providing adequate sound quality at a decent volume.
Here's the kicker to make it more challenging:
5. All components must be used (can't buy anything new).
6. Nothing can be purchased from a retail store
7. The total cost of the system must not exceed $25
8. And because I like to torture myself, things I currently own can be used, but the total value of all components used (whether bought used elsewhere or currently owned) do not exceed the budgeted value. That's right... I have to budget in the amount I spent on anything I already own.
The Hunt Begins
I made a compromise in the design of the system up front. I deemed it okay to use an MP3 player not in the budget as the source for digital audio. Let's face it, we all have an iPod or other MP3 player anywhere we go, so some means of playing it through the system was good enough for me unless I find some kind of miracle deal.
So here's what I needed: A receiver, speakers, CD player, and some cables. I already had a lot of extra cables from other things, but was short on speaker wire.
With the system scoped, it was time to go hunting...
Click here to continue to Part 2, or click the link below:
http://www.techlore.com/blog/entry/19...
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