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DIY Mono Subwoofer Amp Projects

A subwoofer is an amp specifically designed to handle troublesome bass frequencies. A well-designed subwoofer provides crisp bass fidelity in the 45-to-100-Hz range. Bass amplifiers or subwoofers are expensive. However, DIY musicians or audiophiles can build their own subwoofer from scratch. A subwoofer with drive and fidelity at 80 Hz is appropriate for both live music performance and use in home theaters.

Things You'll Need

  • 25-watt soldering iron
  • rosin-core solder
  • blank circuit board
  • resistors
  • capacitors
  • ARF449A and ARF449B RF transistors
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Instructions

    • 1
      Sawtooth lines represent resistors in a schematic.

      Download a bass amplifier schematic that employs ARF449A and ARF449B RF transistors from an Internet resource. The ARF449A and ARF449B RF transistors provide the best bass drive for the cost and are widely available. An amplifier schematic uses symbols to represent electronic components and solid lines to represent how they are wired together.

    • 2
      Transistors drive the bass sound.

      Collect the electronic components represented in your schematic by ordering the parts from an Internet resource or purchasing them at a local electronics or hobby shop. Typically a bass amplifier will include a series of resistors, capacitors, ARF449A and ARF449B RF to provide peak bass performance and audio-in and audio-out pins. Your schematic provides the technical specifications of each electronic component.

    • 3
      Insert connector pins into your circuit board.

      Begin assembly of your bass amplifier circuit by inserting the electronic components' connector pins through the holes of a blank circuit board. Arrange the components in the positions your schematic suggests. After inserting each component, flip the board over and bend the pins at a 90-degree angle.

    • 4
      Solder the components to the circuit board.

      Solder the connecting pins of your electronic components directly to the circuit board with a 25-watt soldering iron. Place the tip of your rosin-core solder coil against the bent joint of an electronic components connecting pins and the circuit board. Melt a small amount of solder direction to the pin and board by touching the heated tip of your soldering iron to the solder. When a small amount of solder melts into a bead at the joint, remove the solder and soldering iron.

    • 5
      Wire your components together with a wiring pencil.

      Use a wiring pencil to draw the wiring among electronic components directly to your circuit board. Wires are insulated lengths of copper, and a wiring pencil melts a small amount of conductive copper directly to your circuit board, circumventing the need for wires. Follow the solid lines representing wires in your schematic.

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