Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why

[Evan F. Hunter]

Re: Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why

This has been a decent read for me. Im in the same situation and starting fresh on my amp racks. Mainly Im splitting them up do to weight, but I finally want to build my I/O panels and set them up properly, neat and efficiently. Ive wanted it all on the front bottom for a while now. However Im with Shane, My amps are old P3000s and weigh a country ton so Im weary about having to support the backs. So now I am thinking two 10U racks with all I/O on the back for cleanliness and space/weight issues. Decisions decisions.

 

[Tim McCulloch]

Re: Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why

This has been a decent read for me. Im in the same situation and starting fresh on my amp racks. Mainly Im splitting them up do to weight, but I finally want to build my I/O panels and set them up properly, neat and efficiently. Ive wanted it all on the front bottom for a while now. However Im with Shane, My amps are old P3000s and weigh a country ton so Im weary about having to support the backs. So now I am thinking two 10U racks with all I/O on the back for cleanliness and space/weight issues. Decisions decisions.

You should *definitely* support the rear of your amps regardless of where you i/o or power inlet goes. Trust me... and don't ask how I know.

 

[Rich Frembes]

Re: Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why

You should *definitely* support the rear of your amps regardless of where you i/o or power inlet goes. Trust me... and don't ask how I know.

Absolutely! I've had a Powersoft K10 chassis sag and start to separate from the front panel. And this was in a rack that was always transported on its back on a pallet! Not good.

 

[Evan F. Hunter]

Re: Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why

You should *definitely* support the rear of your amps regardless of where you i/o or power inlet goes. Trust me... and don't ask how I know.

I agree, But sitting flat on the bottom is a pretty sure fire way of doing it. Just finalized how I want my panels built and Im thinking I Want it on the front again. But who knows. What is the best way to support the rear of your amps if they do not have rear brackets? Not to curve the thread.

 

[Evan Kirkendall]

Re: Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why

I agree, But sitting flat on the bottom is a pretty sure fire way of doing it. Just finalized how I want my panels built and Im thinking I Want it on the front again. But who knows. What is the best way to support the rear of your amps if they do not have rear brackets? Not to curve the thread.

I always just put a pair of 2x4's under the amps in the rear. My amp racks never flip, so this works well.



Evan

 

[Josh Millward]

Re: Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why

What is the best way to support the rear of your amps if they do not have rear brackets?

Assuming your amplifiers normally ride right side up:
1. Cut a 2x4 to the appropriate length.
2. Use sticky-backed velcro on each end of the 2x4.
3. Use the rest of the 2x4 as a lever to lift the back of your amplifiers so you can wedge the 2x4 between the amplifier's rear corners and the bottom of the rack.

Normally, the weight of the amplifiers will be adequate to hold the 2x4 in place, but for the odd times that it gets flipped and whatever, the velcro will help hold it in place.

The 2x4 should be cut to the full length of the space you are trying to span so the velcro is getting smashed as tightly as possible when the amps are just hanging out. There should be no wiggle and wobble at the back of the amp when the rack is rolled around.

 

[Evan F. Hunter]

Re: Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why

I had seen the 2x4 method that Evan and Josh mentioned. Didnt know if there were any other tricks. 2x4 is probably just as effective and cheaper than any other options I suppose.

 

[Josh Millward]

Re: Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why

Yes, I've been using 2x4's to hold up the back end of my Crest Audio Pro 10004 amplifiers for a long time and it seems to work great! Though I have mine gaff taped into place, but I think the double sticky velcro would work better and look cleaner.

It happens to be very convenient that a typical 2x4 is about 3.5" tall on edge... yet you can cut them to any length you need for any number of rack spaces PLUS the 1/8" to 1/4" of dead space at the bottom of the rack. Be SURE to measure the height you need and don't just assume you need 3.5" when you really need 3.75" to make it fit right.

 

[Tim McCulloch]

Re: Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why

I had seen the 2x4 method that Evan and Josh mentioned. Didnt know if there were any other tricks. 2x4 is probably just as effective and cheaper than any other options I suppose.

You need your rear rack supports to work in 360°, not just straight down. When the helpful volunteer rolls your amp rack to the van, hits a crack and tips it over you want the amps supported in such a way that they can't move up, down, or sideways. This is why installing rear rack rails and amp mounting hardware is a good idea. It's also fiddly to get right (read Frank Koenig's post about racking up Powersoft amps) and can be pricey. If your amps have rear flanges, measure the distance between them and the sides of the rack, rip your 2x4 to the appropriate size. Bolt the wood to the inside of the rack and use screws to fix the amp flanges to the wood. Mark and Liz at Audiopile.net have generic rear flanges, as do Middle Atlantic and others.

Assess your risks and evaluate the packaging required to minimize the consequences from those risks. This is the attention to details that separates the hobbyists from the pros.

 

[Tim McCulloch]

Re: Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why



Okay, this is what we did... custom rack distro. L-21-30 inlet; 2 Neutrik G series with captive nuts; Edison convenience w/breaker; LEDs for phase conductors & neutral; 3 20 amp breakers for 20 amp Edisons on back.

We ordered 13 like this and 3 with L-21-30 thru instead of the Neutrik punchings.

 

[Josh Millward]

Re: Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why

View attachment 7033

Okay, this is what we did... custom rack distro. L-21-30 inlet; 2 Neutrik G series with captive nuts; Edison convenience w/breaker; LEDs for phase conductors & neutral; 3 20 amp breakers for 20 amp Edisons on back.

We ordered 13 like this and 3 with L-21-30 thru instead of the Neutrik punchings.

You are going to drill holes at the top and bottom of your convenience outlet for appropriate support, right?

I know I've found my quad boxes stay healthier longer when supported top, middle, and bottom, instead of just in the middle.

 

[Evan F. Hunter]

Re: Amp rack patch panel - front or rear & why

Well I dont mean to revive this thread if it is dead but I did finally want to show off an amp rack for once. I FINALLY found two matching racks near my and I got them for an awesome deal, a steal actually. They are larger then I want but work perfect. Because of the size it decided for me that power and I/O will go on the back. I should have all my amps mounted tomorrow to look into exactly the best way to brace these so its an ongoing project. Thanks for the input above and if anyone is interested I will share the backs when I am done.