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I was looking for a cabinet or table to put next to my BBQ that I could install my outdoor amp and Apple AirPort Express into. This is to allow me to stream music from my iMac to my outdoor speakers.
I found the Bekvam Butcher’s Trolley at Ikea…it was perfect for the
AirPlay Ikea Butcher’s Block Hack!
$69 in Canada.
On to the Hack!
Materials:
- MA2 Outdoor Receiver / Outdoor Amp / Marine Amplifier from www.outdoorspeakerdepot.com $79.95
- Apple AirPort Express – Old version $69.00 http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB321LL/A New Version $99.00 http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC414
- $10 power bar
- 10 feet of grey 1 inch PVC conduit – $8 at Home Depot
- Outdoor Speakers and wire which I’ve also had for a few years
- Stain and Butcher Block Conditioner
1. Before putting it together I had to cut holes for the amp and the wires.
I traced the shape of the amp onto the wood and then used a JigSaw to cut out the hole.
I had some issues with the blade so the hole wasn’t perfectly straight, but I fixed it later with wood filler.
2. I assembled the table top portion as per the Ikea instructions and then dry fitted the amp and power bar.
3. I removed the electronics and finished the assembly following the Ikea instructions.
4. I stained the base, to match my pergola, and conditioned the butcher’s block.
5. I cut the conduit, ran the speaker wires and my IP Camera wires through it and attached it to the pergola.
6. I installed the components and connected the wires.
You can see on the left that I used a piece of steel strapping to secure the amp’s power supply and cables.
AirPort Express installed and connected to my wireless network.
The finished product in place!
The AirPlay Ikea Butcher’s Block streams music from my iMac to my outdoor speakers all controlled by my iPhone and/or iPad.
…it’s also a table…
Homemade pizza about to go onto the grill.
Check out the video.
TheNerdBoard.com 
That’s freekin great! Your wife is soooo lucky
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Mate just where do I plug the cord in outside?…ok I’l get an extension hang on a sec.
I did the same thing, but rack mounted an amp and the airport express in the basement and ran speaker wires from there. WiFi is turned off on the airport as I have a different access point upstairs. Works great. Used an AudioSource AMP 100 and Yamaha Outdoor speakers, both from NewEgg.
@hansonr55, I’ve noticed with my AE and WiFi that there is a lag between pressing play and it actually playing, does direct connection to ethernet fix this?
Hey Brendon – How much lag are you talking about? I haven’t really noticed a delay.
Brian
Cool, I considered doing the same thing, but I didn’t want to have to run downstairs to turn the amp on and off.
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the airport express isn’t rated for outdoors use…how do you overcome that?
Yes, you are right. I’ve actually had it outside for 3 years (in a different setup) and haven’t had any problems. It has no exposure to the elements; the table it’s mounted under is also protected by an overhang on my house.
Brian
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Why did you need the Amp.?
The speakers are passive so they require an amp.
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