Rack-mount kits

[josko]

I got a 24U 19" rack for all my stuff, and am wondering where to find the rack-mount 'ears' to attach components to the rack. It seems kind of pointless just to place components loose on 5rack shelves.
Do manufacturers make rack-mount kits for their components, or do most folks go the aftermarket route? (If so where?) I've got a couple of Levinson 334 amps, an Adcom 5 chan. amp, Yamaha receiver, Levinson stereo preamp, Oppo player, Comcast cable box, etc.
What's the best way to mount all this stuff? I assume the heavy amps will need shelves attached front and back, but I'd also like to attach them to the rack face. Can the rest of the stuff mount with only front attachments?
Thanks in advance.

 

[adk highlander]

Middle Atlantic has custom face plates for almost every component made.

Go to this page: Link

and it will give you the part number you need. Each one of these is around $100 bucks. Many manufacturers do not have rack ears for standard components. Even some gear that has the ears still do not support the weight and you will still need a shelf to hold the gear. My ATI amps are a good example. There may be rack kits from Levinson but I would think the MA stuff is cheaper.

I am in the process of doing this as well. Keep an eye on ebay as once in a while you may get lucky and someone is selling a kit for your component.

 

[josko]

Interesting. I'm used to instrumentation equipment, which one can bolt from the front and expect to pass 'shock 'n vibe' testing with no other support. But I see that consumer electronics simply don't have cases strong enough to be racked from the front - it would seem they have to be supported on shelves and either bolted to the shelf or screwed to the flange to keep from sliding.
So am I right that A/V consumer gear is meant to be bolted to the shelf and not directly to the rack?

 

[highfigh]

Interesting. I'm used to instrumentation equipment, which one can bolt from the front and expect to pass 'shock 'n vibe' testing with no other support. But I see that consumer electronics simply don't have cases strong enough to be racked from the front - it would seem they have to be supported on shelves and either bolted to the shelf or screwed to the flange to keep from sliding.
So am I right that A/V consumer gear is meant to be bolted to the shelf and not directly to the rack?

The case is strong enough on most equipment for rack mounting- it's just not meant to be in a mobile installation and that's why pro gear is available. The equipment is also not meant to be racked from the front, the ears are attached using the screws at the side, just behind the face. If it's extremely heavy, it may have a flange that goes under the bottom edge for additional support. The reason most companies don't offer ears is because the vast majority of users will never use them. No, it's not meant to be bolted to a shelf- there's not enough space between the bottom and the circuit boards most of the time. Some of the Middle Atlantic shelves have L brackets that are used to clamp the piece in place.

I would avoid the Dayton shelves from Parts Express. The ones I ordered weren't wide enough to allow a Denon DVD player to slide in and in fact, it was narrower than the player and definitely less than the dimensions given. I went with Penn-Elcom shelves and they're fine.

 

[josko]

Thanks folks - those MA custom shelves are just what i was looking for.
I had planned to put my turntable on top of the rack; now I'm tempted to use a slide-out drawer but wonder about vibration for a fully extended drawer. Can anyone point me towards a rugged rackmount (pullout) shelf that's been used succesfully to support a turntable, maybe something like MA SS-VTR-CVR5? Thanks in advance.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

The reason most companies don't offer ears is because the vast majority of users will never use them.

On top of that, precious few home audio components are even built to the standard rack space H x W protocol (1.75” per rack space x ~17” wide).

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

I had planned to put my turntable on top of the rack; now I'm tempted to use a slide-out drawer but wonder about vibration for a fully extended drawer. Can anyone point me towards a rugged rackmount (pullout) shelf that's been used succesfully to support a turntable, maybe something like MA SS-VTR-CVR5? Thanks in advance.

Don’t know if it’ll meet your requirements are not, but Googling '19” rack mount turntable shelf' got this and a few other possiblilties.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt