ROIO Jukebox

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http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/jdbnsn/worklogbanners/jukebox.png


I've been kicking this idea around lately...alot. I've gone so far as to figure out what OS, what programs, and have put together a possible parts list.

As some of you know, I enjoy collecting and trading fan recorded audio concerts, which are also known as Recording Of Independent Origin (ROIO for short, hence the name of the build). While this is not the time nor the place to discuss the legality of these so called 'bootlegs', I feel that a computer designed and built for my collection (currently numbering 70+ concerts) is somewhat warranted. I say somewhat due to the fact that my wife and I are expecting our first child.

Moving on--what I am looking for is a semi-headless box that is stylish enough for an area such as a kitchen or den. My original plan was to build a trapezoidal shaped box out of MDF and make it luggable, but I have since scrapped that idea...for now.

Parts List

Rosewill RFA120L-R 120mm 4 Red LEDs LED Case Fan (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16835200006)

Rosewill RFA80L-R 80mm Red LED Case Fan (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16835200002)

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD4000AAKS 400GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16822136076)

Creative Sound Blaster SB0570 Audigy SE 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102002)

ASUS Black DVD burner with Lightscribe (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16827135156)

Here's where this will get...tricky. I'm planning on running Linux for the OS, and a few programs to get the FLACs (and possibly MP3 files) to play. The centerpiece of the program list is IrMP3, a program that allows for remote control input and (if I am reading the sourceforge page right) this program also sends output to an LCD display (artist, song, etc). Said LCD screen would reside in the 3.5 floppy bay.

So the fun begins. You can see the beginnings of this mod here (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13692). I've still got to buy the fans and the hard drive (which is why they are not italicized yet). I have also acquired my parents old entertainment center since their new HDTV (http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/lg-32lc7d/4505-6482_7-32385735.html) doesn't quite fit in this old thing. And of course, it'll be modded a bit as well. Once I get the rest of the goodies that I need from estreetplastics I will get some pictures up of it as well, most likely in this thread.

So sit back and grab a drink, the show begins NOW.:D

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One thing I forgot to add--the LCD module for the 3.5" drive bay.

Crystalfontz CFA-631 USB LCD (http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/631/index.html): $72.40

I wish I would have seen this before I made my trip to Spokane--these guys are in Spokane Valley. D'oh!

And the Mrs. gave me the ok to buy this in pieces...so I might just save up the cash and make one big order from Newegg in the future.

EDIT: I'm toying with the notion of using one of the 5 1/4 inch bays and getting a tad bit bigger of a screen. More on this at a later date.

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I received the case that I am going to put this system in and will not be needing the low profile cards. As soon as I get more parts, I'll ask that this be moved to the worklog section.

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I've updated my parts list to reflect what's left. The two items that are italicized will be here on Monday.

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Alright, first post for the actual worklog. This will make mod number 4 in progress (which makes me think I might be either crazy or borderline ADD). Here's a few links of odds and ends and how-to's that I will be following for this particular mod:

How To Build an IR Receiver (http://lnx.manoweb.com/lirc/?partType=section&partName=parts) by Alessio Sangalli. I will not, however, be building this in a D-Sub box like she did. Rather, I will be building this on a small PCB and placing in a similarly small project box which will reside on the top half of my M40, with the IR chip somewhere on the front (I have a couple ideas for placement).

Speaking of the IR chip, here is a linky to it (http://www.newark.com/20M1628/optoelectronics-lamps-displays/product.us0?sku=VISHAY-SEMICONDUCTOR-TSOP1738). I'll be buying a large portion of the needed electronics from Newark.com, as their shipping is a bit on the high side. Eck, if you have any other leads on one of these bad boys, lemme know!

Software:

Ubuntu Linux. Undecided as to which build yet.

IrMP3 (http://irmp3.sourceforge.net/). The meat and potatoes on the software side.

FLAC123 (http://flac-tools.sourceforge.net/). As I have stated, this is for a ROIO jukebox. Plus I am most likely going to rip all my CDs into FLAC. No more lossy MP3 rips for me thank you very much.

LIRC code (http://lirc.sourceforge.net/remotes/aiwa/RC-AAT11)for my remote (which is in transit).

I have a PSU that will fit this case, but it's one of those dreaded rat's nest PSUs. Sadly, my modular will not fit. So I will be busting out the split loom and sleeving away soon. I'm thinking I'll use the red loom for this mod, as it'll fit nicely with the red LED fans that are going to be ordered soon.

Pics are in the review page, no need to double post them here. I will, however, post pics of the LCD screen in action hopefully sometime this weekend.

And finally...AGP cards are getting a bit hard to find. I've got a couple picked out, just waiting for newegg and zipzoomfly to (hopefully) get one of them in stock.

Hmm...Dsub to RCA...I wonder...

More to come...

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Update time!

Brown showed up on my doorstep with a big ol box from newegg. And after some consideration, I have decided that the ASUS dvd burner is going to go into Blue, the DVD burner from Blue is going to go into my wife's machine, and the dvd burner from there is going to reside in the jukebox. Why am I doing it this way? Simple--I originally swapped her DVD burner out of her system for temporary use on the server project that I'm working on. Plus, my machine is the beast, therefore it gets the goodies.

Plus, there's a copy of Nero that came with the ASUS drive, and since I don't have Nero installed on Blue...

So anyways, a couple of quick pictures:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0052-2.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0053-3.jpg

Also, I've been doing some research on application specific OS distros and came across GeexBox (http://www.geexbox.org/en/index.html). So I'm scrapping the ubuntu OS and will be installing this. The best thing about this lovely little piece of OS software is the small footprint--less than 10 megs. I've also found documentation that shows how to change the splashscreen, so I'll be working on a new logo as well.

And finally, the remote that I listed earlier is in transit, I was able to find all but two parts for the IR receiver circuit down @ radio shack, and have found suppliers for the two missing parts. Those will be ordered this week, and hopefully I'll be able to snag the HD and fans soon as well.

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A bit of an update, some more goodie pics and a little bit a drama...

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0054-3.jpg

The goodies I bought down at Radio Shack over the weekend. The funny thing is that I went in there looking for a 9-volt lead and didn't even buy it.

Anyways, that PCB board needs to be mounted. I'm not going to get into how I tapped the aluminum (it wasn't pretty, and if my dad or my high school shop teacher had seen me doing it, I'm pretty sure I woulda gotten an ass chewing. Makes me glad I'm 13 years out of high school!). And this is where I ran into a bit of a problem:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0057-3.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0056-3.jpg

Those two bottom holes don't line up. So...I've got a plan on how to make em line up. This aluminum board is going to get a bit more perforated.

Also, I think I'm going to go ahead and order the rest of the IR setup today. Two pieces left to get.

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I would just tape the PCB to the plexi and re drill the bottom holes again, just widen them.

EDIT: Oh I see now, you have mobo spacers underneath, disregard my comment.

Very close bud, + rep for thinking along similar lines. I do intend on taking 1/2 of the board and taping it to the the aluminum (not plexi) and drilling with an acutal drill press this time around. This way I won't be having the variance of a wobbly drill, a missed mark...well you get the point.

Edit: Jon, thanks for the header. Top notch work like always!

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Update time!

I spent a good part of the afternoon sheathing the rat's nest of PSU cables with what I had on hand, installed all available hardware, and fired ROIO up today. After messing around in the BIOS a little bit, she was operational.

I've still got a bit of work left to do, and a few pieces left to order, but as of right now, I have this box sitting in its new home out in the living room. I don't have it hooked up yet, due to the fact that I still need to finish up and install the IR circuitbox.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0059-3.jpg
This is where my circuit project box is going to sit. As you can also see, I've half-assed the cabling, for two reasons: This is a no name brand PSU, so I'm not too sure if it is trustworthy, and two, I'll be ordering some sheathing from xoxide this weekend.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0062.jpg
The backside of the soundcard. And yes, Geexbox recognized it. One less problem there (and there's a few, shall we say 'issues' that I need to work out with Geexbox still).

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0063.jpg
What a freaking mess.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0066-1.jpg
This was from the first go-around. I needed a cheap, quick, and dirty way to try to manage these cables. So I zip tied em to the top half of the chassis.

So I fought and fought and fought to no avail...couldn't get the beast to boot. The problem lied in how I had my two hard drives from my server build hooked up. So I uninstalled those drives, pulled an 80 gig from storage and hooked everything up properly this time around. Here's a before pic:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0071.jpg

I had to pull all the PSU wires back up and do a little bit of rearranging to get everything to play nicely.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0072.jpg

It works for now. If I decide to keep this PSU in here, I'll be chopping a whole bunch of unused wires. That rat's nest is NASTY.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0073.jpg
The OS getting ready for it's maiden voyage in this machine. However, I ran into a problem with the false front. The button that is 'supposed' to hit the eject button on the optical drive just wasn't wanting to work. It didn't have enough of a prod on it. So in a stroke of ingeniousness, I cut the head off of a zip tie and tried three times to trim it down to size.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0080.jpg
It worked, as long as I didn't mind the eject button constantly held down. Too big, and since it was a bit cramped on the backside, I couldn't really move the optical back any further. So I ended up chopping a very small piece off of this:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0085.jpg
And glued it into place. Works like a charm now.

So that leaves the following:

Build IR circuit and install. -- Built, needs sleeved and installed
Look into Geexbox documentation and see if I need to add IrMP3 to the mix (I don't think that I have to).
Rebuild Geexbox with a custom splash screen.
Format the 80 gig drive, install Geexbox, install audio files.
Wire management. Lots of wire management. -- 95% done. One fan and USB leads are all that are left.

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One more photo to share, and if this doesn't make you chuckle, you better check your pulse to make sure you're still alive.

I'm in the process of running DBAN on this hard drive that's installed in ROIO. I've got the front panel up and running, and I notice that the ambient temperature inside the case is getting a bit on the hot side. 97 degrees Fahrenheit to be precise. And rising.

I don't have all my fans yet...

So, true to my redneck roots, I present to you the redneck computer case fan:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0086.jpg

Ambient case temp is now 82.5, ambient room temp is 68 or thereabouts. Hey, say what you want, form follows function in my book.

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One thing I forgot to mention last night--my remote showed up. While waiting for a CD to burn (was testing out my lightscribe drive and I'm not too overly impressed), I busted out the masking tape and here's what it looks like:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0088-1.jpg

Top side is ready to be painted. The bottom however, still needs a bit of work before it's at the same juncture.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0090-1.jpg

I didn't realize what a cheap remote this is until I received it. I'm hoping that I don't mess it up too much when I paint it. But if I do, I'm out $8. I'm willing to take the chance.

And yes, I will be covering the LED as well.

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Not quite the update I had in mind, but I would much rather give a full day or three to frankenstripe rather than a few hours. Too much to do there.

So...I worked on the project box a bit, and as soon as I get the rest of the circuit, I'll be soldering.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0100.jpg

It wasn't pretty, but I got the little board on the standoffs.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0101.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0102.jpg

After a little bit of loc-tite, these won't be going anywhere. Thankfully, I hadn't hit em with the loc-tite yet, as I had the standoffs of the wrong side of the aluminum board. So I flipped em around and tried to mock up the box with the pc board installed...and hit a minor problem. Seems the board a bit on the wide side and wouldn't fit. I could have busted out my sander and just sanded the sides down a bit, but that would have meant a trip across town, and since it's still a bit on the cool side here in Montana, I decided to go the next best route and broke out the x-acto knives and a heavy duty pair of scissors. It ain't pretty:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0103.jpg

but the damn thing fits now.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0104.jpg

I also decided it might be a good idea to drill a couple of holes in the box itself for wiring purposes. 1/4" at one end, and 3/32" (for now anyways) at the other end.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0105.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0106.jpg

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Small update.

My cousin stopped by (who happens to work for UPS). Had a package for me. From Newegg. Nothing too fancy in there, just some fans:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0107.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0108.jpg

I was a bit worried about those rosewills--they're pink when not in use. But damn, are they RED when the juice is going through the LEDs!

So I slapped em in the case, and replaced that flimsy POS 120 mm fan that came with the case as well.

A couple of day shots:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0110.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0111.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0112.jpg

I'll get some proper night shots up tonight. And I'm hoping I can find the one last part I need for the LiRC receiver here in town. If not, it'll be another week before I build that part.

And I haven't said anything to the wife yet, but there's one of these (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16882108193) in our future as well. And one of these too (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16889005008). But that's gonna be a ways down the road.

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Yep, that's a Zalman F3. I didn't hook up the resistor that is included.

From the back of the package:



Fan speed: 1,000 rpm +/- 15% - 1,800 rpm +/- 10%
Noise level: 20 dBA +/- 15% - 32 dBA +/- 10%


The three 80mm's are a bit on the loud side. I might have to put the fan controller that's currently in my Frankenstripe mod in here just to quiet stuff down a bit.

The 120 seems to be very quiet, but without unplugging the 80s, how quiet is a mystery.

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Night shots:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0114-1.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0116-1.jpg
As you can see, I accidentally left my flash on.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0117.jpg

Video 1

ZOitbQhfm_k

Video 2
dE1YvYnZ81M

I'll be working on Frank (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7283) Friday. Going to clean up the window and hopefully bondo the new front panel in.

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Since these case designers seem to think we need a country mile of USB/front panel/switch wiring, I shall do my best to hide it. Now bear in mind, I've got some black sleeving picked out, so the ugly beige crap is gonna get covered, as are the loose wires for the switches.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0026-2.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0020-2.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0021-2.jpg

Now that I got a general idea of how I want the cabling to go, as soon as I get my sleeving, I'll take the mobo out and rerun the cable to the appropriate place. Snaking it under the mobo was a bit of a bitch to say the least.

And here's an idea I had for the two 80s on the back of the bottom half:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0024-3.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0025-4.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0023-3.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0022-2.jpg

It looks good, but is damn near impossible to get connected. So back to the drawing board. I might just wait till the sleeving is here to attempt this again.

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Just ordered the voltage regulators from Newark. I only need one for this mod, but I like having extras on hand--never know when you might want to add another LiRC receiver to a different computer lol.

I've also ordered some sleeving, colored heat shrink, and some molex connectors for both this mod and Frankenstripe. And I'm going to be going down to good ol' Radio Shack and getting a D-SUB (aka serial) connector and possibly some other toys and/or tools.

I imagine the next update will either be Wednesday or Thursday.

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Truth be told, I'm almost ashamed to post this:

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0033-2.jpg

But I gots a bit of a problem:

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0034-3.jpg

This is why I ordered more than one though. I knew this would happen.

It's late and I'm getting irritable, so I'll leave it as is...for now. I'm concerned that this 18 gauge wire is too damn heavy for this application, so I might be switching it out tomorrow regardless.

It's been too damn long since I've done any electrical work, and it shows. I give myself a D.

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http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0037-1.jpg

IT WORKS!

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/winlircITWORKS.jpg

:banana::banana::banana:

Lemme say that again!

:banana::banana::banana:

So now, I gotta get the damn thing to play nicely with GeexBox.

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I got an email yesterday, my new hard drive is being shipped from Seagate and will be here on Monday. Therefore I've got no choice but to strip this case down to bare bones and commence sleeving. But it's 2 am here, and this is hell week with college, so I'll try to get some of it at least started later today when I get up.

ALTHOUGH: I've got a bit of a problem--Geexbox does not support my remote natively, which means I've got a distro that'll be getting rebuilt at least twice, since my first revision will most likely just involve changing the splash screen.

Larger update coming soon.

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This is the first post from ROIO. I've installed Ubuntu 8.04 on here just to see what it is like. Plus, if I am going to make a custom geexbox build, I need the proper tools since it cannot be built in a Windows environment from what I have gathered. I'll get some pics up later tonight of my new and improved testing station, since my server is going to be sharing space here as well in the near future.

As for my wife's computer, it was nothing more than a loose cable thankfully.

And I am also very glad to report that my current ambient temp inside of ROIO is 31 C. And she's been running for about an hour now. :banana:

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Very nice work buddy. You should be proud.

Yep, all that is left to do is sleeving, and I'm planning on knocking that out tomorrow. I might even leave Ubuntu on here and see if I can snag a different video card and turn this into a pseudo-HTPC. I've just got an 80 gig hard drive in here but for now that's all I really need.

And there might be a few other minor mods in the future for this case, we'll have to wait and see.

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So, in the last week, I've more or less scrapped plans to use geexbox (even though it is some really cool software) and Mythbuntu 8.04 due to the fact that I cannot get either of these builds to play nicely with what very well could be my downfall--an ATI All In Wonder card that I should replace with something a bit more current, but we can never look a gift horse in the mouth, now can we?

Besides, I'm more than up for the challenge. I'm currently finishing up a SuSE 10.3 install (yeah yeah, bloated, I know) due to the fact that there might be a bit of hope according to this page (http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/ATI_All-in-Wonder_HowTo_(English)). If I cannot get this to work within two weeks, I'm going to scrap this little excursion into scope creep (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scope_creep) and get this machine back to what it was originally intended for.

Here's hoping I can get some work done on this this weekend.

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HR 4279 (http://www.dailytech.com/PROIP+Bill+Sails+Through+House+Appoints+Copyright+ Czar/article11762.htm).

S.O.A.B.

All of a sudden, I've taken a strong interest in Government procedures.

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And so the mod continues on. I've begun the very beginning of sleeving...and I realize I need more of it! 4 ft of sleeving ain't gonna cut it:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0006-4.jpg

As you can see, I still have a bit of work to do--this might get done later today, it might not. Time will tell.

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Well...with Photobucket having some 'issues', I'm going to try this ImageShack approach. If all goes well, I'll start hosting the other files (and there's a ton of them) on IS as well.

The good news is that I got the fan array sleeved. The bad news is that I only have maybe a foot of the red sleeving left, and that's a generous estimation.

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/7118/img0002vr7.jpg
Hooked up to Blue for testing. I also found out that I've got a loose cable on one of my molexes within Blue by doing this. No worries, Frank will take care of that!

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/8948/img0004tx5.jpg
And the fruit of my labors! The red and the black coexist nicely. I'd love to put a window in this case, but am not sure if it would even be necessary, since once it is in its home, it won't be seen all that much.

I've ordered 20 feet each of 1/4" and 1/2" sleeving. I'm thinking it *could* be here by next Monday.

So, onto the next little project while I wait--modding the PSU. I've drained the cap, so I'll be opening that bad boy up and chopping away at the wires I do not need.

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Double post time.
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/7561/img0005kw4.jpg
The Victim.

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/582/img0006xf4.jpg
Unneeded appendages removed, ends taped up to prevent shorts.

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7246/img0007de4.jpg
New and improved zip tie holding the rat's nest together.

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/5966/img0008cw1.jpg
A much sleeker non-modular PSU. More hacking to commence on the wires once I get more sleeving.

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/3677/img0009nf5.jpg
The dearly departed.

I'll be taking this apart again and adding a couple holes to the side to accommodate another zip tie--the chopped wires inside are too close to the heat sink for my liking.

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Three things that I feel the need to mention:

#1: I may or may not be coming into some money tomorrow, and if the cards fall correctly, it may be a decent amount--decent enough to warrant a wide screen television.

This money may or may not be coming from a very legit source--the ball is in their court and I am at their mercy. I wish I didn't have to be so vague, but the situation deems it necessary. I will say this much--a phone call was made last month, and the results of that phone call led to the current state of affairs.

#2: If #1 comes to frutition, I will be buying a different AGP card that supports either S-Video or HDMI (if even such a card exists, I need to do some searching), and will be using this system as not only a ROIO box, but also a Myth Front End (I'll work on the back end at a later date).

#3: According to UPS, I've got 50 foot (25 feet each 1/4" and 1/2") sleeving arriving tomorrow. The PSU will get completed over the weekend, and then I'll start on the IR receiver.

I wish I could share more information regarding #1, but I can't.

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The is always work to be done lol.

That always seems to be the case. The unexpected pops up far too often. Case in point, I ran out of heat shrink, so I had to improvise and bust out the electrical tape:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0012-4.jpg

But the good news is, the PSU, with the exception of drilling a couple of hole to accommodate a zip tie, is done.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0011-5.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0013-5.jpg

Next up, the USB and power cables.

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I removed the 4 pin molexes with one of those universal molex pin remover tools that you can find for sale at jab-tech, xoxide, et al. Once I got the molexes off, I slid the sleeving on, and then the heat shrink and hit it with my heat gun. Then I reattached the molexes the wrong way (flipped 5V and 12V), realized what I had done once I got to the end (which is the way it always goes lol), and just got done fixing that little problem.

The 24 pin and 4 pin connectors going to the mobo have split loom on them.

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you got the space to work on 2 mods... im working from my rented room which is now looking more like a dumpsite...

o/t: man a customer just bought a CM Cosmos 5 casing to the shop.. first time saw such a big case

Actually, I'm working on three mods. ROIO, Frank and the Filing Cabinet Server.

Speaking of which...perhaps I'll throw some paint on that this weekend as well...

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1 fan and USB cables to sleeve and this is done.

I thought I lost my pin remover tool, but recently found it, so this will be done possibly tomorrow, if not tonight.

Done enough for Gov't work anyways. I kinda buggered my IR receiver, but it's nothing some quality time with the soldering iron won't take care of.

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ROIO Jukebox is finished! The last bit of modding that I had to do was finished not even 5 minutes ago:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0068-2.jpg
The last fan that needed sleeved.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/IMG_0067-2.jpg
And the front panel. I removed the header cable for the audio ports, as they won't be used, nor is there any hookup on my board for them.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/SleevedM40.jpg
All sleeved up. I love it when a plan comes together!

I've got a bit of cosmetic work left, and then it'll be on to some glamour shots! But as far as I am concerned, this is my first completed mod.

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Nice man, fire her up.

I did...and somehow, the motherboard got fried. But that's alright, I'm more of an AMD fan anyhow.

I'll transplant a board and give it another go.

EDIT: $86.97 to get a new setup. I can have that saved up the rest of the way in about a month.

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I did...and somehow, the motherboard got fried. But that's alright, I'm more of an AMD fan anyhow.

I'll transplant a board and give it another go.

EDIT: $86.97 to get a new setup. I can have that saved up the rest of the way in about a month.

On a whim, I decided to try adding a video card instead of using the onboard video. Needless to say, preliminary reports that this (yes, THIS) motherboard had been fried were exaggerated due to lack of sleep and not thinking clearly.

Yay, $86 I don't have to spend!

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Alright, the final shots. I didn't set this up on my desk, as my wall is a bit busy with posters and my dry erase board. So I cleaned off my workstation and set up there.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/Jukebox/IMG_0070.jpg
Decided to give Xubuntu (and my Lightscribe drive) a go. It was too bloated. So, I read a bit, and found out that MythBuntu has audio capabilities. Since this could get turned into an HTPC in the future, I thought this would be a good approach to go.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/Jukebox/IMG_0079.jpg
Like I said, I've been playing with my Lightscribe. The top disc is a 64 bit build of Ubuntu to be installed on Blue so I can dual boot, and the bottom one is MythBuntu. All three disks are 8.04 (Hardy Heron).
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/Jukebox/IMG_0071.jpg
The remote that never got painted. Notice the nice sheen.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/Jukebox/IMG_0074.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/Jukebox/IMG_0073.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/Jukebox/IMG_0075.jpg
My homemade Ir receiver. I know I planned to have this in the system, but I was getting too much interference from the front panel.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/Jukebox/IMG_0076.jpg
At this point, form is following function. I had both sets of cables sleeved, but was picking up some nasty radio interference with this end of the cable sleeved. It was so bad that the receiver itself was sending ghosts (I think that is the right term) to any program that was remote capable. As you can see, right now, it is duct taped into place--this will be addressed in the near future.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/Jukebox/IMG_0077.jpg
I live in an apartment complex, so I had to bust out the headphones. Plus, I'm too damn lazy to move my speaker system across the room. The wife and I are looking at buying a house, if it goes through, this will be replaced with most likely a 5.1 speaker system.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/Jukebox/IMG_0078.jpg
There's the end result. Once I get the bugs worked out, this system will ultimately go headless.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/Jukebox/IMG_0080.jpg
MythBuntu going on its maiden voyage.

And the night shots:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/Jukebox/IMG_0086.jpg
I never did get around to switching out that green LED.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/drumthumper5150/Jukebox/IMG_0085.jpg
And the glow from the fans.

Thanks everyone for following along. Not every mod needs a window, or water cooling. Sometimes, you just have to bust out your soldering iron and git'r'done.



Link To Original Worklog (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13513)