The way to get cheap ports...lol

VR3
VR3 Posts: 27,970
edited December 2005 in DIY, Mods & Tweaks
PVC pipe... and a home made miter box + saw...

I built my a custom miter box for 4" pipe/90 degree angle...

Perfect cuts every time...

And the cool thing is... you can get some reallly* sturdy ports (.25" thick walls anyone)

Just a DUH post for the day
- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
Post edited by VR3 on

Comments

  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited December 2005
    Yep. Lots of speaker manufacturers use PVC pipe. Next time I'll make my own.

    Sid -- how did you flare the ports?
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,970
    edited December 2005
    The design I used dosnt require flared ports... (so I didnt)

    But I believe you can buy the Flares... (like SVS does/did)...

    I just dont know where... lol

    But when you can buy 8 feet of PVC for 6 bucks (4" pipe, 1/8" walls)... and a LITTLE port for the same (if not more)... its worth it, IMO
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited December 2005
    Do they make PVC flared couplers? If so, you can probably buy them cheap at HD or Lowes.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,970
    edited December 2005
    Probally...

    Not sure...

    Will look next time I go there though...definitely

    PVC rocks.
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • michael_w
    michael_w Posts: 2,813
    edited December 2005
    I've never seen just the flares for sale. They always seem to come with the tube inbetween. I personally wouldn't use just normal pvc pipe with no flare for a project I am really into, but if it's just for a random budget project it would be alright. I'm thinking the lack of flare will add to any port noise but I'm not quite sure.
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,970
    edited December 2005
    Well, owning speakers that have no flare or port noise - I would say it dosnt really matter...

    4" ports with smaller drivers wont have that much audible port noise, IMO.

    Now a 12" woofer might be different, of course.

    Polk dosnt use flared ports...

    Their "Power Ports" are not flared on the outter end, atleast the RT35i wasnt.

    Ive seen alot of speakers (not subs) that dont utilize flared ports and all of them sound fine. Considering most midbasses/ranges only sport a xmax of around 3-5MM... they dont move enough air overall to create that much turbulence, even in the smallest of ports.

    Also note you can buy a massive roundover bit for a router and make your own flare on the baffle. (or just a small roundover)
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • michael_w
    michael_w Posts: 2,813
    edited December 2005
    That's very true... not much air to move = very little port turbulance. On the LSi power ports they do use flared ports but the flare is part of the cabinet. (using a roundover bit)

    Using a roundover on the baffle would make it a little more difficult to finish the speaker (say if you wanted to veneer it). Other than that it's a great idea. I might just have to use that for the next budget project because those pre-manufactured ports are expensive. The ones I bought for my sub (4" wide 22" long) were $22 each...
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,970
    edited December 2005
    Eh.. wouldnt be to difficult... would require some triangle sniping...

    Or you could just paint the roundover + port black and cut a perfect circle around the outter lip of the port/baffle. I think that would look fine.

    The way my current project goes... the port setup is odd... very odd. I plan to do it differently this time as I plan to do the entire baffle by a router...

    Last time I did the port setup by a jigsaw then glued the other board under it...

    This time - free hand routing...beatch.

    ASBP10BConstructionPic11Ver1.jpg

    ^^ The ovalish part... I am going to free-hand route that this time around on my 1" thick MDF baffles... w00t w00t...

    All drivers/crossovers recessed with roundover edges... routers are so cool.
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • michael_w
    michael_w Posts: 2,813
    edited December 2005
    Yep routers make things so much easier. Even handier that my dad works for Frued :p

    Those cabinets sure are different... lemme know when you're done as I'd like to see what they come out like.
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,970
    edited December 2005
    The porting system I am... re-creating.. and I dont even know how I am doing it...

    Is apparently a Quasi-TL.

    Def Tech wont elaborate on this at all. So here is my 100% assumption...

    The oval recess around the port "loads" the port in a way that it acts as a TL. How? I dont know.. But I have a feeling the straight port + oval = importance.

    All I know is, it acts EXACTLY like a Transmission line. I mean EXACTLY like one. The midbasses produce very little bass, about all of the bass is the back wave exiting out the port... and its very authorative and clean, but setup wrong - it can be very boomy.

    Those enclosures (pictured above) at the older project, just to clarify... the new one has more, alot more bracing... I hope to get it done within the next few weeks coming up... will try to get ahold of a digi cam to take pics since mine is...broke... :(
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.