iCylinder

This inctructable will show you how to make your own iCylinder. An iCylinder is pretty much an iHome,
without the fact that the iCylinder can't use a song to wake you up, or in my case, play radio and have an alarm clock. Because of budget, i could only get a basic digital clock, but you could use an alarm/clock/radio if you want to. Feel free to change things a bit to your liking, just make sure everything will work together. I take no responsibility for anything bad happening to your ipod/mp3 player. This project uses wall electricity, and you will be hacking an extension cord, so be carefull, and dont shock your friends for fun, as they will leave an never return. I take no responsibility for electric shock or fire, which can result in injury or death, so be careful. I'm not trying to discourage you, i just dont want to get sued in the unlikely occasion. if you are unsure of if your iCylinder is safe or not, ask someone who knows some stuff about electricity.

Step 1 Materials

Look at the pictures and picture notes for all the matierials.

Comments

[TSC]

Good job!!!!!!!!!

[tysonscott2002]

i kinda.... fancified my version, has 5 speakers, 4 mini, one large on bottom, charges ipod, also has a working usb port on the side, and has batteries built in, to allow portability, and has a jack on the back to charge it, meaning i never have to open it, for normal use. :D

[TSC]

Sweet COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Good Job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tysonscott2002]

Haha, Thanks! I really need to get the 2.0 pictures up! i got tired of this one, and built a new version, works much better, =D im even using it as we speak! i think this is my longest running idea yet! most other creations get taken apart for salvage parts! lol

[TSC]

www.instructables.com/id/IPOD-NANO-3G-DOCK there is one i did its just a speaker/usb dock its cool  may put a clock in it.

[tysonscott2002]

Haha, Nice! I often like the simpler things, they seem to have lest problems! and when they do, they are much easier to troubleshoot!

[TSC]

  you should do a sideshow of you'res

[TSC]

 yeah I want  put a clock in it so that one i wake up i can see the time

[tysonscott2002]

I put it up some time ago! i mean, after you had said this, but forgot to get back to you! http://www.instructables.com/id/My-iCylinder-20/

[TSC]

 Hey can you VOTE! for me in the DEAD COMUITER Contest here is the one i enter www.instructables.com/id/first-aid-dvdcd-from-computer Thanks!

[TSC]

thats cool!!!

[tysonscott2002]

i forgot to add, that the lights are syncronized to sound, and the jack in the center of the cd case acts as a headphone jack, and can also be an auxillary input to allow for even more universal use. making it less limited.

[ferny121]

WOW :D that looks awsome!

[tysonscott2002]

Thanks! it was worth the work! but at this point. could use some fixing.. :p

[turtleshane]

u have the same solder gun as me

[kid123]

you might want to paint it to make it look cleaner, and get a project box from radio shack to cover the ipod adapter

[ilikegoats]

Why don't you just put a spst switch in line with the 5V (hot side) coming out of the adapter? Safer and easier. That thing can't draw more than an amp max, I'm guessing. Also, you don't need a fan if you just put this in a metal box instead, and bolt the 5v voltage reg (a 7805?) to it. with the above mod, the heat from the transformer will be outside, plugged into the wall, and the 7805 doesn't put out a whole lot of heat. So, this is a much better and safer way to hook it up: 9V AC adapter -> switch -> 7805 voltage reg -> amp, clock, ipod dock Or, if you want the clock to always be on: 9V AC adapter -> 7805 voltage reg -> two wires out, 1 to switch, 1 to clock then wire to switch -> ipod dock, amp

[chrisayad]

you like to waste electricity don't you? i bet you leave ur sink on when you brush your teeth too..

[ilikegoats]

Oh, and in case you didn't know, the grounds of the voltage reg out, the amp, clock, and dock should all be connected together.

[lacrosseislife24]

i couldnt find a ground on any of those, which probably isnt very good, but i didnt have any other stuff to make it with

[ilikegoats]

Oh, no, you DID connect the grounds. The circuit wouldn't have worked if you hadn't. :) i was saying that for other people.

[lacrosseislife24]

Thanks!

[ilikegoats]

Honestly, thinking about it, the 7805 will probably be fine even in a plastic box as long as a heatsink is attached.

[lacrosseislife24]

i didnt know how hot it would get, so i didnt want to risk it.

[The magical duct tape kid]

This is a sweet idea!!!

[kurtman]

hey how do u use a ipod usb plug in for this

[lacrosseislife24]

unless you were some sortve soldering god, i dont think you could. the regular ipod usb cable doesnt have stereo output wires, just data. i used a universal dock connecter. it should have all the power, data(not needed), and output solder points on it.

[Ducky Boy]

Neat idea -- but the cylinder looks mangeled, no offense :P I might try making one and spruce it up a bit, eh?

[i_make_stuff]

when i built my own ipod dock/charger, the materials were about $30! it works well, thanks for the idea

[i_make_stuff]

I must have missed something, but at what point did you add ipod power to the circuit?

[i_make_stuff]

How were you able to solder to the individual pins on the ipod dock? They are so small that it is nearly impossible.

[lacrosseislife24]

i salvage my jack with the pins already connected to the board from an old ipod speaker set. but i see what you mean, and it would be very hard. you would have to be a master at soldering

[i_make_stuff]

Yah, its near impossible. What I ended up doing was a different hack of an ipod nano dock.

[Gazoogleheimer]

Why not just use an amplifier? The iPod has a built-in clock and alarm clock function. I mean, just wondering. I just do not understand why you switch the 110V and you include the clock.

[lacrosseislife24]

i did use an amplifier, so i dont know what you mean by that. i didnt want to have to reach over and click through all the menus just find out what time it was on a small display. the clock gave a bigger numbers and is always on. i put a switch on the 110v because i didnt want the thing sucking power, even though it isnt my bill.

[tomonto]

wouldnt the clock lose the time every time you turned the thing off

[lacrosseislife24]

ooh good point mine doesnt, and i dont know why, but i guess the only way to work around that would be to be able to turn the amp, fan, and voltage reg. off, and just leave the clock on.

[ftgba2244]

great job! thats a pretty cool idea!

[lebowski]

nice. i'll remember to wear my rubber shockproof gloves!