Underwater Amplified Headphones Project...

[kac]

My Sea Hunter MK2 doesn't have a menu or volume control :(

[Joe D.]

You all are blowing me away with your mods lately!

   I'm going to have to sit down with my Dr. Frankenstein hat on, and do some mad scientist mods too!! (I did a counterweight for my Nox that i thought was pretty snappy!!)👍👍

[pjrough]

5 hours ago, kac said:

My Sea Hunter MK2 doesn't have a menu or volume control 😞

Understood. ... is quite complicated then. Especially if you use it for diving.

I heard somebody did the amplifier for infinium, but I have no further info on that.

 

 

[Skull diver]

8 hours ago, pjrough said:

There is no need to do the amplified headphones for CTX, ones there is amplified output available inside the detector: the loudspeaker output has built in amplifier, so you can hook up you headphones to this output, SGD.

I did it some year back for my waterproofed Etracs and forgot about weak sound problem.

Really interesting...

I think the output is available right behind the speaker door on the control pod...Maybe I can do a straight wiring with a strain relief and use it like an Eqx...

Or, I can solder a secondary audio output connector cable from there to the rear area where the headphones are now connected....🤓

[pjrough]

I have never had any of CTX, so all this are just my thoughts.

CTX main board is located in the upper box. There is a cable connection that runs from the box to the display unit, there the loudspeaker is placed.

So you just have to figure out which pins are responsible for the loudspeaker and wire these to the stock headphone connector. 

And that's it.

You will have stock looking CTX with amplifier output.

Sure, the headphones has to be replaced by the custom ones (>= 8 ohm).

Should I've been selling this idea instead of giving it for free 😉

The connector is neither a problem. It should be M12 8pin type. You can use amphenol plastic one or brass one from chinaexpress.

[Skull diver]

41 minutes ago, pjrough said:

you just have to figure out which pins are responsible for the loudspeaker and wire these to the stock headphone connector. 

Thanks for sharing the idea!This is the cleanest way to do it!

Unluckily I had replaced out of warranty the entire rear end, due to the ruined coil's connector and I don't feel comfortable opening the "hearth" of the system to bridge the connectors together...It seems easy to do but usually a couple things can always go wrong...Sh...happens and safe better than sorry...I'm more oriented to open the screen box rear side, where the speaker is sleeping without to even work anymore (silent by years and doesn't work if headphones are disconnected) and try to solder the - + and G to another single speaker just to try the output...At the first trouble I can always close everything again and proceed with the original project🤣

[pjrough]

There is no too much space incide the display unit. I can't see the way to do reliable connection for the headphones.

Your story is a good example why I am not a fan of any stock underwater detector.

Then it fails, you have to sell It for small amount of money and get yourself a new detector, but the story will repeat in some years. There is no easy way to source parts of the housing for repairing it by yourself....

That's the reason I have started my waterproof etrac project back in 2014. I am literally able bare hands open and fix my detector straight at the parking lot at the beach.

All parts except PCB itself are manufactured by me, so no problem with the spares....

 

[Skull diver]

4 minutes ago, pjrough said:

There is no too much space incide the display unit. I can't see the way to do reliable connection for the headphones

There's a video on yt on how to replace the lcd screen on the pod...

I've seen partially the speaker side cause in the footage that part wasn't the interested area to film, but I think to open the curved door from the outside just to have a sight of what's under that piece...So my idea is basically to wire the negative, positive and ground desoldering it by the ruined speaker and apply a male M12 8pins on the cover to couple it with an external female on the headphones...

The transformation will appear like an Equinox headphone plug behind the control pod, to make an example...

I'm only supposing this mod in my mind, to skip the internal bridging of the two outputs...The rear end is the last part I want to open for now on my machine, Wich is turned again the most effective due to the crazy erosion I'm assisting... 

[cjc]

On 8/25/2020 at 6:07 AM, Skullgolddiver said:

 

Very cool project have been interested in the idea for a while. Im sure Joe could offer a few suggestions.  

rgrdz clive

 

Hi all of You!

I want to share the first toughts on my new project for a waterproof amplified headphones need...

As usual, I'm pissed by a number of things, not to be boring, but at a certain point my patience has a limit and with people legs between my search pattern, swimming at dawn over me...What can I do to relax myself until the summer ends?

So I started a long research for a real tiny, cheap and effective amplifier board to install inside the headphones and hopefully to pump decently the audio on my Ctx3030..

I'm probably the last of the tribe that discovered this item, but hey! I'm impressed by the things can  be done with this little toy...

The board name is Pam8403 and is dirty cheap, to say a lot you can find it for 3 bucks in some cases...
There are multiple variants of this board even with potentimeter already wired!
This is however a digital class dual channel stereo amplifier and the audio source by the ctx is mono...
So I'm still looking how to manage the wiring scheme to don't make a mess...
I bought a pair of anti noise headphone frame to apply the speakers and the board and right now studying a way to get some power with an internal dedicated battery...The downside is that these boards need a specific tension of 5V and to be powered solely..
In my case, I need to waterproof the entire system with silicon gum (same type for epoxy moulding)...Wagnersil 22NF will cover completely the stuff inside...When it is time to replace the battery, the problem will arise of having an isolated compartment for it
Once I'll be able to master this thing, I'll show if it works properly...
I'm looking for the right speakers too...

As usual, any thought or suggestion will be greatly appreciated!

 

 

[kac]

Something inline on the audio cord seems like the best way to pursue it provided you can find the connectors. I am hesitant to start ripping a machine apart and whipping out the soldering gun but thats me, I'm gun shy.