Your audio system can never be fully complete without an amplifier. An amplifier takes in a weaker signal via the input and boosts it to give you a better sound.
You can either buy an amplifier from an audio store or build your amplifier at home.
A DIY amplifier speaker is cheaper and you can tinker around with various methods and designs and customize.
You can save money and gain knowledge at the same time by getting your hands dirty a little.
The right DIY amplifier will not take up too much of your time when you decide to make it and all the components you need will cost less than $100.
You can get all the tools you need from electronic stores in your area and create your customized amplifier.
This article will arm you with all the knowledge you need to make a customized, homemade amplifier.
How to Make a Homemade Amplifier
An amplifier is a device the main purpose is to boost the strength of a signal. An amplifier has two ports and uses electricity.
A signal is fed into its input terminals and the amplifier boosts or increases that signal and produces a proportionally greater amplitude at the output terminals.
The boost or amplification given out by each amplifier is measured by assessing the gain in amplitude and comparing the ratio of the input to the output.
I will highlight a simple step-by-step process that you can use to make a homemade speaker amplifier or a homemade amplifier for a subwoofer. The requirements are as follows:
- Soldering iron
- D2012
- C1815
- 100K ohms resistor
- 100 UF capacitor
- Heat controller
- 12v battery
- Speaker
Instructions:
- Use a soldering iron to connect the 100K resistor with the C 1815 (B to C)
- Connect your capacitor to the resistor.
- Take your aux cable and connect one wire to the capacitor.
- Attach the second wire on the aux cable to the transistor.
- Check your work and make sure everything is correct and secure.
- Take your speaker and connect one wire to the resistor.
- Connect the other wire to your 12v battery.
- Clip your battery onto your D2012. Place a small object on the speaker to test for vibrations.
Finally, plug your cable into your jack and play any music of your choice. You should be able to hear clear sounds and see vibrations from your speaker.
You can turn the volume up and down and assess the quality of the sound at each level.
Creating The Amplifier Circuit
The circuit comprises a transistor, which is where the input signal goes in, and a speaker which is the outlet.
Requirements:
- Transistor (Tip 122 & Tip 127)
- Volume – B100K
- Capacitor- 470uf/25v
- Resistor- 150K ohm
- Speaker – 100 watt
- Breadboard
- Copper wire
You can get all these components at your closest electronic shops and your budget for these will be less than $100.
Instructions:
- Use a screwdriver to attach both your transistors to your base/breadboard securely.
- The three prongs on the transistor are the base, collector, and emitter.
- Use a soldering iron to connect Tip 122 emitter with Tip 127 collector.
- Connect Tip 122 collect to Tip 127 base.
- Look over your connection and make sure everything is connected securely and correctly.
- Take your copper wire and connect it with Tip 122 base.
- Use a soldering iron and connect a copper wire to Tip 127 emitter.
- Use your soldering iron and connect the resistor to Tip 122 base and Tip 127 emitter. Snip any excess copper wire off with wire cutters to create a neater look.
- Check all your connections and make sure everything is secured correctly.
- The next step is to connect your capacitor positive leg with Tip 122 base.
- Use your soldering iron to connect volume with the negative leg of the capacitor. Make sure you keep the volume steady.
- Use your soldering iron to connect volume with Tip 122 emitter. Make sure everything is neatly placed and not crisscrossed.
- Take your audio input cable and securely connect it to the volume. One side of the volume should be connected to the negative wire and the other side to the positive wire.
Connecting to Speaker:
- Use the DC 12v as your power source.
- Connect the DC 12v positive cable to the speaker.
- Connect the DC 12v negative cable to Tip 127 collector.
- Connect speaker cable with Tip 127 emitter.
- Check your work and make sure everything is in place. Test your amplifier and circuit.
You can plug your aux cable into your device and play any music of your choosing. You’ll notice that the sound is richer and deeper.
Make an Amplifier More Powerful
At times you might need a little more from your amplifier. Maybe it’s falling short and not giving enough for a live performance.
Here are a few tips and adjustments that come in handy when you need to boost power in your amplifier:
- Set the amp at a higher elevation– this may seem like an unlikely piece of advice but placing your amp on a chair or stand will decouple it from the floor. Elevating your amplifier will result in clearer, high-quality sound.
- Combine the use of built-in effects with the use of a pedal– this solution is only effective if you own a digital amp. A digital amp has a hundred or more different effects. The best effects for boosting sound combined with a boost pedal can add some significant power.
- Change the speakers– this is the best option and it will not cost you an arm and a leg. Getting new speakers is relatively affordable and will double sound output. Invest in a speaker with higher sensitivity ratings.
- Invest in an extension cabinet– you’ll have an extra speaker which translates to more power and more sound.
- Get mercury transformers installed– get this done by a professional. This only works on tube amplifiers.
How to Make a Simple Amplifier With Transistor
Requirements when building a simple amplifier with a transistor:
- Capacitor 22uF
- 3.5mm jack
- Transistor- 2N6292
- Resistor- 2.2K
- Speaker
- Breadboard
You can get this material at your nearest electronics store or on Amazon.
Instructions:
- Take your transistor and carefully place it on the breadboard.
- Take your resistor and insert it at pin 1 and pin 2 of the transistor.
- Take your capacitor and insert the positive terminal into pin 1 of the transistor.
- A single wire of the 3.5mm jack should be carefully inserted into the negative terminal of the capacitor.
- The other wire on the 3.5mm jack should be inserted into pin 3.
- One wire from the speaker should be inserted into pin 2 and the other wire should be connected to a steady +5v supply.
- Finally, plugin pin 3 to the ground of the power supply, plug your jack into an audio playing device of your choice and enjoy.
Make an Amplifier With a Charger:
Requirements:
- Speaker
- Resistor- 1K
- Transistor- C9014 (from old mobile charger)
- Capacitor-25V 100uf/16V 100uf
- Speaker
- Aux Cable
- Battery clipper
- Battery- 9V
Instructions:
- The first step is to carefully connect your 1K resistor to the transistor.
- Use a soldering iron to attach your 1K resistor to the collector and base pin of the transistor.
- Use your soldering iron to connect the positive pin of the capacitor to the base pin transistor.
- Connect the positive terminal/wire of the aux cable to the negative terminal of the capacitor. Use your soldering iron to attach the positive wire of the aux cable to the emitter on the transistor.
- The positive terminal of the battery clipper should be soldered onto the collector of the transistor.
- The positive terminal of the speaker should be connected to the emitter pin of the transistor. The negatives of the speaker and the battery clipper should be soldered together.
- You can now connect the battery to the battery clipper and play music on your device.
Final Word
There are several ways you can make a homemade amplifier, most of which are quite affordable.
With most models, you’ll just need a few components that are quite affordable and will not put a noticeable dent in your pocket.
You can make everything from mini amplifiers, you can build a class-d power amp, and you can build powerful amplifiers that work perfectly for larger speakers and venues.
The type of amplifier you choose to make will heavily depend on the kind of output you need to achieve and it will also depend on your input/power source.
The success of each amplifier is measured by the gain. The bigger the difference between input and output, the more ‘gain’ there is.
The right amplifier will turn your low voltage/weak signals into stronger signals with a higher voltage.
You can also use your DIY amplifier for wireless communication and broadcasting.
