Usually the position is initially reserved in the cabin the vehicle for the placement of the front speakers, left to be desired, and some. On the line speakers with a persistence worthy the best application, set either too low or too shifted back towards the listener, or even the devil knows how. The signal is radiated in the direction of the legs, back or that its lower, but not where its supposed to go. As a result of any adequate sound the stage can not speak, but standing waves, phase withdrawal pains and other negative effects, it is not conducive to comfortable to hear, occurs abound. Automakers can understand: they the first and second locations, the design and reducing the cost of production, and the sound... Well, probably somewhere in the sixth-seventh. We have a situation to fix that.
In- last time outside the Russian borders become increasingly popular is installing drivers in front kick panels. First, as usual, were the Americans who have mastered potochechnye area of the salon more years five ago. Then he pulled himself up its European allies. The evidence not far to seek.
Here and at the last exhibition in the German mobile electronics the city of Inchime, where a group of our installers last year went on a tour, similar acoustic solutions there was a pond-pond. And installers all testify that mid-bass and the tweeters are in the legs, and the scene, as it should be, right before your eyes. Other words, kick-panel the promising thing, although the appropriate skills when working with them required.
First of all, the client should to warn a particular space in the car reserved for lower the limb may have to donate. Himself that his more "warm" sound or the spaciousness. But in any case, if you design a podium place should to save, because if everytime during landing (landing) driver (passenger) speaker is a bit leg, it's unlikely someone will like it (first all, of course, dynamics).
Next. Podiums can be done themselves and you can buy them for a certain amount of money. Some American companies (in particular Q-Logic) is a business, and if you have them out, you may, for adequate remuneration (from your side) СSW will help. Us money was sorry, so we in the short term business trips to the States ran into a highly respected and installation center asked to show the whole process from beginning to end. We can say, appealed to the roots. The Americans people are polite and not long resisted. The demonstration occurred on the area of Mitsubishi Eclipse when eight years old, he had yet to write a couple of 4-inch coaxial speakers are MB Quart QM 100.03 KX. In General, pass the word to the authors.
Family nest
The first and very important step is to identify the best from the point of view radiation signal and comfort listeners position to install the drivers. For these purposes use ordinary clay, securing with it on speaker the future site of the podium. Next plug the speaker to the head unit, and listen (who has a spectrum analyzer does not hurt), changing the angle of inclination. Thus, we can determine the optimum orientation of the radiation, and, in principle, to decide whether this car use a kick panel to the acoustics or do the front doors or what else. After the position of the speakers calibrated, produced to construct podiums measurements accurate to millimeter.
Most of the cars (produced abroad, of course) is initially equipped plastic sheathing in the area of the kick panels. So there are two installer options: use a regular trim or make a duplicate of optical fiber. The second is preferable, as native parts are saved car in case its possible sale and dismantling of the system.
The originals can be used in as a template for duplicates as follows. First regular trim covered with a layer of lubricant to later, can be separated template from the duplicate. Cut large pieces of fiberglass fabric (sufficient width and length so that they can completely cover the surface original skins) and impregnated with a mixture of resin and hardener. Then the form is wrapped in resin impregnated fiberglass with all its repetition the contours. After the resin is cured, you get absolutely precise duplicate staffing kick-panels. The form is easily separated from fiberglass, and after a short treatment with needle files and sandpaper platform under the podium finish.
Banding
Further stages in principle not depend on whether you are using regular plating or their duplicates. The main tool in the manufacture of the rings - the grinder (the Americans call it "router"). You can also use a special saw. Determine the diameter of the speakers, from a 0.5-inch MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) cut out two circles for each driver: shielding and for attaching the protective metal grilles. Rings should grills to be about 3 mm smaller in diameter in order that they could to fit inside the created design. For these purposes, use 1/8-inch cutter.
In turn 3/8-inch cutter is used to remove the top layer inner radius of the ring of MDF on the diameter of the metal protective the lattice. The latter is then attached to the ring using a sealant. After as the sealant has hardened, the edges of the grids are processed skin. More one 1/8-inch cutter will need to cut the grooves on the bottom the side of the ring for the subsequent fastening of a decorative fabric, closing the metal bars.
Shielding
For further processing podiums under the dynamics of the wafers are made from waterproof hardboard, width exactly match the total width of the two rings MDF (in our case, 1 inch). Plates secured small nails along the entire circumference of the ring-screen with pneumatic or electric "gun". Sheathed ring stick with feet made of hardboard joiner's glue (glue better to spare) to a previously made kick-panels. The main thing here "fall" in those measurements that were obtained at the preliminary stage, as from the point of view of the radiation direction and the size of the basket and magnet speakers. Therefore, at this stage it is better to check how the resulting construct correspond to them. In other words, can I intermediate test by placing the "catwalks-semi-finished products" together with the speakers in the car. In addition, time to think about how ready the catwalks together with speakers will be attached in the car. For example, you can use the standard plastic latches that secure the original plating and for which reliability should be glued with epoxy. But it must be done at this stage, until the mounting holes.
Now proceed to the wrapping actually kick panels in Assembly with the two rings. A suitable material here is radiating because it is stretchy enough to repeat the most fancy shapes podiums. The fabric evenly processed adhesive spray and also evenly tensioned on kick-panel. Then the design is covered (with a brush) two layers of polyester resin mixed with hardener.
When the resin is cured, cut holes for the speakers, opening access to the interior of the catwalks. The inner wall structure profusely in several stages processed all the same resin to make the podium stronger and get rid of possible unwanted overtones. Naturally, each portion of the resin should be allowed to harden before pouring the next. The outer surface podiums are processed putty, and then kuratsa to almost mirror Shine.
Decoration
Further making podiums may be different. You can just paint them, and you can tighten it in vinyl, the skin or any material at the discretion of the installer and the customer. Upon completion of covering (or painting) the runway is almost ready, it only remains to close the grille acoustically transparent decorative cloth. To do this, cut two pieces a little larger than themselves grills, fixed to the ring and wrapped the edges so that the material closed carved on the bottom surface of the groove. Now the fabric should fasten. No problem. Take the wire 16-gauge desired length and inserted into the groove on top of the material. Advantages such decision that in consequence you can easily replace the fabric, if it unusable (stained, torn) that in places the placement of the lower limbs is not uncommon.
Here we are almost finished. The speakers are inserted into the catwalks, connects to the source or amplifier, closed ovens, and the entire structure is mounted in the car. The difference, as it was, and what happened, you see in the pictures. In our opinion, turned out not bad at all.
Author: N. Zubkov; Publication: www.12voltsmagazine.com, www.cxem.net