BillFitzmaurice.info

Well done. I like the stands a lot. I've had a similar idea for a long time, just never did it. Nicely executed.

Thanks guys! The help and encouragement I received from the BFM community really got me through this. These tops took a lot longer to complete than I thought they would. Good thing I wasn't working against a deadline.

And please; go ahead and steal/reuse/remold what few original ideas I managed to think of! If I owed a dollar for every idea I've swiped from you guys, I'd owe Bruce about $14 and the rest of you a few bucks apiece. LOL! It's all good, my friends.

The mounting platforms have been done before, but most folks use the external tophats; I think using normal, internal hats looks a lot cleaner, but it is more work to build the platforms my way. Personal preference. The key to the mounting platforms is using 3/4" material (good ply, not OSB/particle board/MDF crap...I used Oak ply), doubling it up where the tophats mount and brace the crap out of the box. It really is just a "sealed cargo skid" with tophats in it. Also, getting the tophats aligned with the cabs' center of gravity is of the utmost importance. I found the COG on one cab and went with that measurement. Which is why my COG is not perfect; stacking that second cab changes the COG...I didn't know that while building. I got it close though. I'd say if my hats were about 1/2"-3/4" more forward, it would be perfect. That said though, a lot of times, the "floor" on which the tripods sit is not perfect. My backyard being the perfect example. In that case, you have move the tripods this way and that way to get eveyrthing to sit level anyway, so I guess a PERFECT COG is not mandatory. You have to get as close as possible though, b/c that's what centers all that weight, directly above the stands, pressing straight down, instead of coming down at an angle. Hope that makes sense. Too bad I'm a complete idiot at math; I think I'd have made a decent engineer.

OH, and the recesses on the platform for the cab's feet is mandatory. The feet "lock into" the holes on the platform and the cabs are solidly located atop the platforms, preventing any side to side or back to front motion. Strap the whole thing down and you would have to literally knock the stands over to get the stack to come down. Not planning on testing that anytime soon, but you get the idea.

If I knew all my DJ gigs would always be indoors, I'd build some collapsible wooden platforms...sorta triangular in design...think "Oil rig tower" and you'd be close. But something like that would absolutely need to always be on a concrete/wood floor. With my fledgling business, I'll be playing a lot of "Barney's Happiest Sing-Along Songs" (kill me now...) at backyard kiddie parties, so I need the flexibility that tripod stands offer. It is a quick setup though. Most time-consuming part is the straps. I'd say opening up four stands, throwing the platforms on, stacking the cabs and strapping them down took me 20 mins yesterday and I was in no hurry. When it comes to safety (and getting sued) I don't cut corners.

For anyone curious, I bought the black cargo straps from here. They ship quick too. Six bucks each; you cannot go wrong. http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Ratchet-S ... ted-S-Hook

You did a good job, Mike.
And now you have more skills that can be applied in many other places.

Thanks Tom, I couldn't agree more. I learned a lot building these OTops and the stands. It's just ironic that in order to be able to build anything "in half the time" you first have to go through the rigors of learning how to do it in the first place, which takes 4x the time of anyone else's build (so it seems at the time.)

I'm staring at the T48 plans right now....the wheels are a'turnin'.

miked wrote: With my fledgling business, I'll be playing a lot of "Barney's Happiest Sing-Along Songs" (kill me now...) at backyard kiddie parties, so I need the flexibility that tripod stands offer.

Yeah but just think how good those songs are going to sound!!

While Barney, The Wiggles and Fresh Beat Band are worse than nails on a chalkboard for me, parents will pay good money for someone to entertain their brats while they sit down and catch a breather. I also view it as another way of networking/expanding the business. Mommy brings Junior to little Alex's BDay party. Mommy hears and sees "the big, loud speakers" and asks "I'm having a BBQ party at my house next weekend...how much would you charge to play some adult music for a few hours?" I will have Mommy call my booking agent (my wife, who is sitting at home) and book said engagement. It's all in the plan...at least in my small brain, anyway.

Well done Mike

They look awesome and glad all turned out well

PulseMan

just to throw it out there,would it be possible to fit the top hats directly to the bottom of the speaker cab positioned as shown in the platform pics

PulseMan wrote:Well done Mike

They look awesome and glad all turned out well

PulseMan

Thank you, my friend. I'm very pleased with them. I didn't get to construct Towering Stands of Awesomeness like yours this time around, but the idea/possibility is definitely still in my mind.

AFA putting both tophats directly into the cab: It would be a tight squeeze, but it could be done. However, the COG would still be off...at least with the ceramic magnet drivers like the Delta Pro that I'm using. Having the cab balanced on the tophat was a priority for me with this build. I got to the "90% Solution" with the platforms I made, so I'm happy.

That said...with the Neo drivers, there is more room (more free space) in the driver chamber due to the substantially smaller magnet. The cab is also lighter and possibly, the COG would be shifted. It's definitely a possibility and one I didn't think of when building my cabs. It's an idea worth exploring for someone in the future.

The COG on mine with the 3012HO was right underneath the baffle; maybe a little further back, but definitely some of it (the top hat) would have been under the baffle. I'll probably make a setup like yours. Looks good!