A friend emailed me a few minutes ago and I think his story is worth repeating. He has been out of contact for about a week and I figured he would email soon enough. Here is the most recent:
"Last week my place took a serious lighting strike: Surge went right through my PC power supply; smoked motherboard, all drives, Da&n thing jumped off the floor; rattled like a tin can. Lost TV set, ALL light blubs, stove,refrig, most every thing else in the front of the house: Except (thankgoodness) my stereo; I'd just unplugged it. Never seen any thing like it. The grounding lesson was about something more problematic than 'earthing'. Well ,I told you about the separate lines, and copper rod I had added due to the 2-prong outlet situation! After, a lot of investigating, and diss. with fire marshal and electrician. My 'enlightenment' was due to lack of "Bonding" ( term where a safety bypass grounding wire is installed to insure that ground is maintained when for ex. 'Electric Meter is Removed' ' Water meter is removed" etc. Anything that could be removed to break main ground. There have been cases where the water co. has removed meter due to non-pay in thus removing mains ground, house just heats up and burns down. You'll notice all electric meters have a bonding wire.
What happened here was I had a great ground going, I did it myself, Overkill. UNknown to me the rest of the wiring was grounded randomly to the copper water lines, which ran 200 ft to street, All copper, Cool right? Well some *expletive* plummer had installed a PVC shutout valve in the line right as it came out from under the house(without 'Bonding' it. *another expletive*. So my 'ground central' was 'shortest path', not sure a lightning rod would of helped cuz, 80 percent of power in house was 'searching' for mother earth on a clear day..
Bonding should be in any grounding lesson, Read the Red Book building code! Appears this is a rather common thing with the advent of plastic pipe and 'expletive' non-licensed contractors. Anyway, I'm in process of putting a new computer together, Thought I'd touch base, seeing how neighbor let me on line.
Happy Campers on the GB, CONGRATS Stud. Hell maybe take a vote and put you and Peter in charge of all GBs. Read horror story, DIYAudio, 'SElling B1 board's.: bad economy sure brings out the theives. Two comments on new thread, Some one said "Applying Flux on a PCB board, (yea i've done that(when I was 12)) WRONG! Maybe in special case, but a real newbie will surely screw that up. The grounding thing (really on my list lately); suggest that outlet wiring be verified, tell em how; too frequently it's just 'assumed'. Electrocution is when your a$$ becomes ground. What about 'bonding' for potential breaks in Ground, Just seeems (from reading) you've got a few real starters that are 'digging' your GB, man. And I sensed concern in your tone, speak up.
Sparky
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
So, I dont think he will mind me relating this story to you guys.
I have found in my attempts to build amps in this last year that almost every single problem I have had had to do with goofy grounding and poor soldering.
My friend suggests verifying that your actually have ground. This really is a good thing to do. This was around Christmas for me when I plugged in a power strip with a ground verification light on it and it did NOT light up. Hadnt vefore either but I hadnt noticed. Went around the entire house and most of it was NOT grounded even though I had the appropriate plugs leading me to believe I did have ground.
"Last week my place took a serious lighting strike: Surge went right through my PC power supply; smoked motherboard, all drives, Da&n thing jumped off the floor; rattled like a tin can. Lost TV set, ALL light blubs, stove,refrig, most every thing else in the front of the house: Except (thankgoodness) my stereo; I'd just unplugged it. Never seen any thing like it. The grounding lesson was about something more problematic than 'earthing'. Well ,I told you about the separate lines, and copper rod I had added due to the 2-prong outlet situation! After, a lot of investigating, and diss. with fire marshal and electrician. My 'enlightenment' was due to lack of "Bonding" ( term where a safety bypass grounding wire is installed to insure that ground is maintained when for ex. 'Electric Meter is Removed' ' Water meter is removed" etc. Anything that could be removed to break main ground. There have been cases where the water co. has removed meter due to non-pay in thus removing mains ground, house just heats up and burns down. You'll notice all electric meters have a bonding wire.
What happened here was I had a great ground going, I did it myself, Overkill. UNknown to me the rest of the wiring was grounded randomly to the copper water lines, which ran 200 ft to street, All copper, Cool right? Well some *expletive* plummer had installed a PVC shutout valve in the line right as it came out from under the house(without 'Bonding' it. *another expletive*. So my 'ground central' was 'shortest path', not sure a lightning rod would of helped cuz, 80 percent of power in house was 'searching' for mother earth on a clear day..
Bonding should be in any grounding lesson, Read the Red Book building code! Appears this is a rather common thing with the advent of plastic pipe and 'expletive' non-licensed contractors. Anyway, I'm in process of putting a new computer together, Thought I'd touch base, seeing how neighbor let me on line.
Happy Campers on the GB, CONGRATS Stud. Hell maybe take a vote and put you and Peter in charge of all GBs. Read horror story, DIYAudio, 'SElling B1 board's.: bad economy sure brings out the theives. Two comments on new thread, Some one said "Applying Flux on a PCB board, (yea i've done that(when I was 12)) WRONG! Maybe in special case, but a real newbie will surely screw that up. The grounding thing (really on my list lately); suggest that outlet wiring be verified, tell em how; too frequently it's just 'assumed'. Electrocution is when your a$$ becomes ground. What about 'bonding' for potential breaks in Ground, Just seeems (from reading) you've got a few real starters that are 'digging' your GB, man. And I sensed concern in your tone, speak up.
Sparky
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
So, I dont think he will mind me relating this story to you guys.
I have found in my attempts to build amps in this last year that almost every single problem I have had had to do with goofy grounding and poor soldering.
My friend suggests verifying that your actually have ground. This really is a good thing to do. This was around Christmas for me when I plugged in a power strip with a ground verification light on it and it did NOT light up. Hadnt vefore either but I hadnt noticed. Went around the entire house and most of it was NOT grounded even though I had the appropriate plugs leading me to believe I did have ground.
What he said! I live in an old house, see my earlier post about my commode falling into the basement. Half the wiring in my house is "knob and tube" look it up, scary, one quarter is by some rummy, the last quarter is by me; all up to code and includes the kitchen, bath (all GFI) and my computer and stereo wiring, with a very long copper rod into the soil as my mains ground.
This old house I am living in has two solid core copper 10ga. wires running from THE breaker (One 40 amp breaker) down the middle of the house to the back.
Each room has a pair of 12ga. copper wires that are "wrapped around" the main line and taped for power to the lights and the wall outlets of the respective room. Yes you are imagining correctly.. Two 10ga. wires with the insulation stripped and a 12ga. wire twisted around it and insulated with tape. No junction box, no wirenuts, no solder...
It was a single main circuit with parallel feeds. OLD school.. When housed were first retro-fitted with electricity. They had no idea now 60-70 yrs later that we would have SO MUCH stuff plugged into these outlets.
I ran 12/2 (Hot, Neutral, Grnd) on a 20 amp breaker to the office for my rack and PC's and a 12/3 (Hot, Neutral, Spare, Grnd) on a separate 20 amp breaker to my stereo. I used 12/3 because that is the only way I could get twisted power cable. The "extra" red conductor is not used on either side and is cut back at the sheath.
They added a 200Amp breaker box on the other side of the house for the dyer, central heat and air and kitchen appliances. That is where I got the new circuits for my stuff. This breaker box is properly grounded to the utility ground right next to it and I Ohmed out the ground between the service feed and the breaker box.. it was less than 1 Ohm.
Each room has a pair of 12ga. copper wires that are "wrapped around" the main line and taped for power to the lights and the wall outlets of the respective room. Yes you are imagining correctly.. Two 10ga. wires with the insulation stripped and a 12ga. wire twisted around it and insulated with tape. No junction box, no wirenuts, no solder...
It was a single main circuit with parallel feeds. OLD school.. When housed were first retro-fitted with electricity. They had no idea now 60-70 yrs later that we would have SO MUCH stuff plugged into these outlets.
I ran 12/2 (Hot, Neutral, Grnd) on a 20 amp breaker to the office for my rack and PC's and a 12/3 (Hot, Neutral, Spare, Grnd) on a separate 20 amp breaker to my stereo. I used 12/3 because that is the only way I could get twisted power cable. The "extra" red conductor is not used on either side and is cut back at the sheath.
They added a 200Amp breaker box on the other side of the house for the dyer, central heat and air and kitchen appliances. That is where I got the new circuits for my stuff. This breaker box is properly grounded to the utility ground right next to it and I Ohmed out the ground between the service feed and the breaker box.. it was less than 1 Ohm.
I received my kit and toroids last Thursday. On Sunday I populated the resistors and some of the capacitors.
I was wondering about R2. It says on the board R2 value is better to be less tha 12K. Yet, the supplied resistor is 33K. Why is this?
Thank you Peter and Uriah for the great Kits! Having the parts labeled made things a lot easier on my old eyes.
I was wondering about R2. It says on the board R2 value is better to be less tha 12K. Yet, the supplied resistor is 33K. Why is this?
Thank you Peter and Uriah for the great Kits! Having the parts labeled made things a lot easier on my old eyes.
Someone's lucky here in Sweden
Package arrived here Februari 13, got the postal notice today 16. Checked the BOM and it is all OK. You guy's have done a real good work to put all components together.
Thanks to you Peter and Udaily who made this GB work so well, Brian and Russ for all the work with the PCB, testing aso and many others and Mauro Penasa for this amazing amplifier, wish you all the best and some good
Well, I can't resist anymore, just have to dive into it....
Cheers nenne
Package arrived here Februari 13, got the postal notice today 16. Checked the BOM and it is all OK. You guy's have done a real good work to put all components together.
Thanks to you Peter and Udaily who made this GB work so well, Brian and Russ for all the work with the PCB, testing aso and many others and Mauro Penasa for this amazing amplifier, wish you all the best and some good
Well, I can't resist anymore, just have to dive into it....
Cheers nenne
I came back from holidays yesterday and the package was waiting for me at the post office... Thanks for your great job, every thing was very well packed, I also get the confetti! I didn't open the bags yet because I am a little in hurry when coming back from holidays, but I plan to build it next Saturday. I have already build bridged Gainclone and tube amplifier. I will give more feedback when it will be finished. It is the first time I participate to a group buy and I am very impressed by your very professional work, thanks again for all your effort.
I am catching my breath. OMG check out this transformer!
Its 8.5A 968VA 120AC in 115AC out.
Do you need an ISOLATION TRANSFORMER!!??!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330308625202
You will likely not see a better deal.
Uriah
Its 8.5A 968VA 120AC in 115AC out.
Do you need an ISOLATION TRANSFORMER!!??!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330308625202
You will likely not see a better deal.
Uriah
toroids
Sources of toroids that have been recommended here are ApexJr. (http://apexjr.com/) and Antek (http://antekinc.com/). Surely there are others. Uriah also organized some from a forum member. There may be more of those.
Given the weight it may not be terribly economical shipping them from the US though... I should imagine there should be local sources. What you want is a dual secondary at two times 25V. For a single mono stage (you'd get two of those) you'd want something like 100VA to 160VA. If you want to use only a single one for both amps you'd double that.
Peter
We never followed through on that.samsagaz said:so, some way to use that discount? i want to purchase the toroidals and dont know from where
Sources of toroids that have been recommended here are ApexJr. (http://apexjr.com/) and Antek (http://antekinc.com/). Surely there are others. Uriah also organized some from a forum member. There may be more of those.
Given the weight it may not be terribly economical shipping them from the US though... I should imagine there should be local sources. What you want is a dual secondary at two times 25V. For a single mono stage (you'd get two of those) you'd want something like 100VA to 160VA. If you want to use only a single one for both amps you'd double that.
Peter
Well at home i have
2x 25-0-25 / 100VA
and
1x 25-0-25 / 150VA
i payed at promotional price the 150VA ones at 45USD in my country.
the 100VA will be too small i think, and just have 1 150VA in stock, maybe can order another, or just make an big order from USA ordering diferents transformers for all the amps that i will build, F1, F3, F4, F5, 2mono MauroPenasa.. and maybe some others
2x 25-0-25 / 100VA
and
1x 25-0-25 / 150VA
i payed at promotional price the 150VA ones at 45USD in my country.
the 100VA will be too small i think, and just have 1 150VA in stock, maybe can order another, or just make an big order from USA ordering diferents transformers for all the amps that i will build, F1, F3, F4, F5, 2mono MauroPenasa.. and maybe some others
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