Topic: More UA-5 tweaks

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

I've got several COAX splittes, and they all fit tight, work fine..and cost about $4.  Actualy, I dont really know because I've been given all the ones I have.
I use them on my CO2 and it works like a charm.
My co2 broke, and will no longer pass the signal, just convert it.  So it was the same thing as just a sole converter like the hosa.
I understand your point perfectly, but what you want only exists in the CO2 and as you know, it sucks.  Your best bet is the hosa coax splitter on the hosa s/pdif converter.  
or...
tell the patchers to take a hike.

Well, I've been doing more thinking on it...  And I think what I want is impossible or impractical...  The UA5 is digitally bit-accurate...  So any coax input would be hosed even befroe it got to an output...

Look like its time to get off my butt and test the Hosa ODL...  I have a good feeling about it though, I think I bought it from Jason Sobel and he's used t to go Fostex D5>optical>Hosa>coax>Device before...  I have one of his sources done this way...

Oh well, I thought I had a good idea, but shows what  I know!  Hahaha!

Terry

[greenone]

I think this is what you meant to say, but the UA5 is NOT bit-accurate...so the coax input would be hosed before getting to an output. It's fine if you're using it as a pre-A/D because what you master is what you master, but as a pure sound card, it's useless for bit-accurate transfers.

[drewloo]

One thing that sucks about the UA5 -- put a power button on it that has one of those switch covers so that you can't shut it off on accident.  I've had it happen to me a couple of times..

I replaced the power button on my UA-5 w/ a short piece of shrink wrap to prevent this very problem.  I'll post some pics in the morning.  I am deciding between this setup or modifying the stock button by taking about .75 cm off of the back so it sits on the UA-5 a little deeper.  Or, if you want to go a different route one could add an inline switch on the power cable and just pull out the stock button.

Drew

[drewloo]

OK, hope these pics look OK.  I still might cut the skrink wrap a little shorter so I can cover the hole w/ duct tape or something to make it a little less susceptible to beer or dirt getting in.  Another option is to just pull the button off and leave it like that.  You might still be able to reach the switch inside w/out an extension like I made.  

Drew

[drewloo]

another

[drewloo]

another

[BobW]

don't know if this got mentioned,....

Switch the power input to tip hot, ring not (tip +, ring -)

I am so glad that you mentioned this !
Just putting a batt pak together.

[bhtoque]

is there an output level?  I know there is an input level controll on the RCA ins...its been a while since iv'e head one in front of me.  We'll see next week when it

The headphone volume knob controls the levels on all the analog outs. It is another one of the not so great things about the ua-5.

I still love it though.

JAson

[F.O.Bean]

couldnt a single pole, double throw be inserted in the power button place???

i mean an "on" "off" button!!!

[kindms]

My "Ghetto" fix for the power button issue was to modify the cardboard box the UA-5 came in. It just so happens that the cardboard protector has a protective "lip" that covers the power button. I duct taped the hell out of the cardboard and added some extra "Pelican pluck foam" to it so it gave the unit a padded base. I have a velcro strap (that comes on celery from the grocery store) holding the UA-5 in place in case i need to take it out of the holder. I will try to post some pictures later. Not pretty but certainly works

[Scuba Jeremy]

I'm looking for some kind of button cover, like something you'd find over a really important button at a nuclear launch site, something like that.

I'll draw a picture...

Just some cheap plastic cube type cover that I could super glue to the thing so I can open it, push the button, close it and forget about it. Even if I could find a small cheap box and just cut the botton off, that would be fine too. I'd prefer clear, but, whatever. Anyone know where to find something like this?

[BobW]

I'm looking for some kind of button cover, like something you'd find over a really important button at a nuclear launch site, something like that.

How about a double key switch requring two (sober) members of the taper section, each with a unique key,  to turn it on or off ?    

[teajay]

Make sure you match the spec'd polarity!

Second time i heard mention of the UA-5's polarity being different. I'm building a battery pack for mine from http://www.taperssection.com/reference/html/DIY_EdirolUA5Power/
but Radioshack's in canada for some reason don't carry the battery repair kits, so i bought some wire and nylon connector sets to make my own
(http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F004%5F010%5F000%5F000&product%5Fid=23%2D445)

I'm an electrical idiot, that's why i'm not doing anything to special, but following someone elses tried and tested directions. So could someone explain to me if when making these connectors or anything else, what am i looking for, and how do i test if the polarity is fine? The last thing I want to do is take the brand new UA-5 out of the box, plug in the battery and have a puff of smoke come out

Thanks,
Travis

[Brian Skalinder]

The red wire coming off the battery is positive (+).  The black is negative (-).  You want the outer ring of the DC plug to be positive (+), the inner ring to be negative (-).

Two ways to get the polarity correct:

[1] Check the voltage polarity of the DC plug while hooked up to the battery

Wire up the DC plug temporarily to the battery - no solder or crimps, just twist the wires together.  Hook the battery up.  Place the red tip of your voltmeter on the outer ring of the DC plug.  Place the black tip of your voltmeter on the inner ring of the DC plug.  If the voltmeter reading is positive, then you have the DC plug wired up for outer ring (+), inner ring (-), which is correct.  If the voltmeter reads negative, then the opposite is true: the DC plug is wired for outer ring (-), inner ring (+) - in this case, switch the wires so the outer ring is (+), inner ring (-).

[2] Check the continuity of the wires leading to your DC plug

Set your multimeter to check continuity.  Place one multimeter lead on the outer ring of the DC plug.  Place the other on either of the wires leading to the DC plug.  Whichever wire provides continuity is the wire you want (+).  The other, obviously, (-).

[dklein]

And the UA-5 is protected so it won't blow up anyways.  Where in Canada are you - I have a line on some very inexpensive 3000mAh Nimh packs that are way better than Radio Shack Nicads