Hi all,

I thought you might be interested in a small DIY project I have undertaken on my Beolab 2000 to make it more of a portable speaker!

I have attached a carry handle and Beolink Wireless 1. Unfortunately I’m no metal worker, so I had to go with easily available materials and the tools I have.  I purchased 8X8mm aluminium rod and bent it into shape as best I could to form a sort of upside down “U” shape handle. I then attached this to the wall bracket of the Beolab by drilling and using tiny bolts. I then drilled a further hole right where the adjusting screw goes into the back of the speaker, so that I could put the wall bracket in place then screw through the hole to hold it on permanently. I did try the bracket and handle before drilling this last hole, but it was not safe as the whole lot would just drop off when you put it down.

The handle is bent in such a way that the wireless 1 sits between the uprights of the handle and the back if the speaker so is now part of the portable “system”. I have bent the handle so whilst it holds the Wireless 1 in place it also leans forward over the Beolab in order that it is not only centred from left & right but also from front & back. This means the centre of balance is as even as I can get and making the speaker easier to carry as it is not trying to tip forward as it would if attached to a wall.

I then set about arranging the cables and to make everything neater I have had a very short (30cm) Masterlink cable made by Sounds Heavenly and this fits neatly between the speaker and the Wireless 1. I then cut the power plug from the speaker cable to a length of about 40cm that allowed me to feed it into the cable void on the underside of the Wireless 1. I also cut the power cable of the Wireless 1 to a length of bout 8cm and then joined the two using “chocolate block” connectors, the other end of which I ran a single 1.5m power cable to a 3 pin UK plug.

So now I have a totally portable wireless speaker with 1 power cable that I use outside when we sit out but is just as neat in my computer room for the rest of the time. Being a Beolab 2000, the “system” has the advantage of not needing to use a remote control for general use.

Although I am really happy with the result, I wish I had a better ability to form the aluminium rod because although my handle is functional, it is not perfect and resting the Wireless 1 between the handle and the back of the Beolab has cause scratches on the Wireless 1. It was not a perfect specimen but I would have preferred not to cause even more damage.  My original design was for a much more elaborate handle which I shaped using  coat hanger wire, but once I began bending the aluminium I found I couldn’t get tight, neat angles as I could with the coat hanger wire so  I had to go for a more “freeform” look. 

I’ve waffled on a bit but thought you may be interested. I will put up some photos as soon as the short Masterlink cable arrives and is installed. The cable I’m using at the moment is a spare 5m cable so looks a mess.

Regards

Stoobie