Build my first StereoStim unit with AI help, followed all instructions and it won't work. What step did I miss?
Thanks to AI, I ended up discovering the middle ground between cheap $30 TENS units that scale badly and dangerously, and dedicated, but unafordable, bdsm industry made units like Systems 2B ($800-$1000+): StereoStim. So I set on a quest to build one for my own and spent an entire day driving around. This is what I purchased, based on the AI shop list:
- Mackie HM-4 Headphone Amplifier
- Ground Loop 3.5mm jack Isolator
- Five 6.25mm Male to 3.5mm Female adapters (4 Headphone sockets + INPUT)
- Four 3.5mm Male to 2.5mm Female adapters (to plug on the 4 previous adapters
- Apple Lightning to Female 3.5mm dongle
- Male 3.5mm to Male 3.5mm cable (to bridge Isolator and Lightning Dongle
- The Temu kit electrode accesories already came with their own splitters (like 2.5mm conector splits into 2 positive and 2 negative pin cables). So in theory, by using those, I was ready to start playing with single-channel bilpolar stim
A rather powerful setup for only $120 CAD or so, right?
I hadn't received the Ground Isolator yet, so I followed these instructions to safely use the setup with iOS in the meantime:
- Do not Disturb and Silent Mode enabled (to prevent sudden shocks from notifications or apps)
- No sound or keyboard haptics
- no headphone volume reduction
- iPhone volume locked at 70%
On VLC:
Manual Equalizer (no preset)
Preamp set to 0 dB
Frequency 31: 3dB
Frequency 62: 0dB
Frequency 125: -6dB
Frequency 250: -12dB
Frequencies 500 to 16K: all set to minimum (-20dB)
This supposedly helps to protect against any kind of trebble that could accidentally spike from not having the Isolator yet.
Uploaded all the ElectraStim sound files to VLC to have a try.
I place my two monopolar loops, the bullet, plug them in the 2.5mm audio jacks, I connect the MH4 to AC, settle down in my bed for a fun night, slowly turn the corresponding knobs
Nothing happened at all. No matter how much I turned the knobs, not even by liberally using the dials, or disabling the Equalizer.
Something is being blocked at some place in the hierarchy, and I don't know what.