Jason's notes

Enclosure - Bluetooth Speaker

Assignment: Build an enclosure for an electronics project using any tool(s) or technique(s) you like.

Inspired by the class blog, I bought this electric box from homedepot for only one dollar. I planed to make a wireless speaker out of it.

handy box by RACO

I first remove one of the back knockout to open some space for the power connector and on/off switch.

electric box and the knockout

Two wood panels for the front and back were laser cut with every hole for screws and ports, etc. The front panel was two layer of plywood with one squared hole and a circle hole to fit the speaker.

front panel with two hole

front panel connect to the speakers

front panel screwed to the electric box

The power would be from a 2000mAh LiPo battery with a charging board for protection. It should support more than 10 hours normal usage.

a lipo battery with charging board

For a better view of the charging state, I replace the smt led on the board with a regular one so it can be connect to the back panel.

replace the smt led with a bigger one

There are three parts connect to the back panel:

  • Red LED showing the charging state
  • USB-C port for charging
  • On / Off Toggle Switch

glued everything to the back panel

back panel with usb-c port / charging led / on-off switch

The front and back part are connected with a 2 wire JST connector for easier installation / repair. I also added insulation for some exposed wires.

speaker and bluetooth board on the left while the power on the right

It’s time to put everything inside. The back panel was placed at the back with screws and the battery was secured on the inner side with velcro tape.

power part inside the electric box enclosure

This is what it looks like at the back. The led lights up when charging.

back of the speaker with every port and switch

the led lights up when charging

After placing everything inside and screwed the front panel on, The speaker is finished and ready to use. With the metal body and screw connections, it is pretty robust and has a very unique look.

connect everything together

finished speaker