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How to mount rack equipment.


bitofagiggle

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So I'm buying a 10U rack case because I'm sick of carrying a graphic EQ, 2 amps and a crossover separately.

 

My question is, how do you actually mount the amps? Obviously they bolt in on the front, but what holds them up at the back? There's two holes on either side of my amp at the back but nothing to attach them to. Surely it's not just held up at the front? It's far too heavy?

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Normally yes you just put bolts in the front of the rack. You will need cage nuts for the rack also. Sometimes heavy kit like amps have a set of rear supports but your case may not have matching rear rails.

 

Rear rack rails can be easily added if you are ok at woodworking. Just bolted or riveted to the case.

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By rear rails, do you mean in a case like this where it's the same on both ends?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OSP-10-Space-10U-Molded-ABS-Rack-Case-19-Wide-Front-Back-Rails-Stackable-/130888577572?pt=US_Rack_Cases_Hard_Cases_Bags&hash=item1e79913224

 

 

Or do you mean a separate rail on the inside wall of the case? I only ask because the rear supports on my amp are at 90 degrees to the front supports (as shown in the picture) and I don't wanna buy the wrong rails to install.

http://http//www.cookies.co.uk/files/ecomproducts-image-23804.jpg

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Put amps at the bottom of the case and you'll find that in lightweight cases the aluminium racks trip lets the rear of the amp sag slightly and the amp will sit on the rear rail. Sharing the weight on front and rear. Where you have to mount the amp in a higher position, the simplest solution is to buy a blank 1U panel and use that at the rear to support the rear. For anything other than amps, front mounting only is fine. If there is a chance the rack will be turned upside down, maybe loading it into a tight space, fit an extra blank panel above.
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Where you have to mount the amp in a higher position, the simplest solution is to buy a blank 1U panel and use that at the rear to support the rear.

 

With 99% of amps ever made that won't work.

 

People often want to put patch panels on the back of the amp rack so therefore it's important the amp doesn't stretch back far enough to prevent having the amp plus cables in the back. Most deep amps have 2 plates which stick out of the back, which serve 2 purposes. 1) They allow you to stand it on the floor, front panel up, without the connections touching the floor; and 2) they bolt to the sideways rack holes in racks with 'double strip'.

 

OP I don't know if your rack has a double strip, a double strip is one with the rack holes facing the front plus some more about 2 inches back, at 90 degrees facing into the case. it is these holes, at the back, that you can sometimes bolt the amp into.

 

http://www.penn-elcom.com/Part-IMG/SML/Racking/Strip/R0883-00.jpg

 

 

What you more often have to do is buy strips which mount from front to back in the back and support the amp under the sides.

 

http://www.penn-elcom.com/Part-IMG/SML/Racking/Drawers-Shelves/R0855-R0858-01.jpg

 

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Top-Cat, YES! That double rack strip is exactly the solution I was looking for. I was sure a rack strip of that shape must be available but just couldn't find them anywhere because I didn't know what they were called :P

 

Using the patch panels to support the back would be an easy fix, Paulears, but as much as I trust myself to keep it upright, I don't necessarily trust the people in bars I hire my rig out to :L

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The rack strips and support rails that top-cat linked to are the right way to do things. However, you should note...

 

1) If there is a chance that the rack will end up upside down you need a pair of rails on the bottom and a pair on the top of any heavy kit.

 

2) Most manufacturers of rack mounted kit are morons. Just because 1U is 44.45mm IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN MAKE YOUR KIT 44.45mm HIGH AND THEN HAVE SCREWS STICKING OUT THE TOP. (and relax). Because if you do, you can't use those nice support rails.

 

3) Those rails only come in certain depths so you'll need to get a rack made to fit them.

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