The cards are normally at an angle, its not from heat. If they are mounted perfectly vertical the bottom of the amp will push on them. I'm seriously thinking of buying a few of the driver cards just in case because they are shared in many of the art amps. There is also a guy who reverse engineered their design using through hole components so you could even build your own. Isn't the design on this site somewhere, Perry?
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Well I mean I'm looking straight at it, the tracers are not hidden. It would only take a day to create a set of cards from scratch and an etching plate. I'd like to do it out of full size components and make a beefy board.
I understand the cards lean some. My cards were leaning from heat in my amp. They had the indentions where they started life upright and there is a transformer smoke ring around the inside where the heat was immense on the torrid and the cards were almost laying down. Then my issues with the connections on the mobo of the cards, these cards got smoked!
I understand the cards lean some. My cards were leaning from heat in my amp. They had the indentions where they started life upright and there is a transformer smoke ring around the inside where the heat was immense on the torrid and the cards were almost laying down. Then my issues with the connections on the mobo of the cards, these cards got smoked!
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The SIP cards served there purpose as well as could have been expected considering the abuse these amps have seen over the years that they were in service.
The SIP cards design allowed for all the variables to be compensated for while streamlining design and construction of all this series of amps. PPI used them from the Art series till they went overseas which was a fair piece of time.
The modular design allowed for thermal tracking compensation since all the components were mounted on the same thermal plane. This kept the amps design from having DC offset issues and what not after it had reached searing temperatures inside the case. As I recall the Art series was the first ever amp that allowed for liquid cooling so the amp was built tough with some very high expectations. The fact that 20 + later your still even working on it shows a long life quality that seems to not be willing to die anytime soon.
The fact that PPI sold out on the auction block to Robotunderground and Directed electronics was all financial and the fact that Directed has out right refused to even consider servicing this older product line is clearly a Directed problem. Patrick at Robotunderground has been slowly selling off the pallets full of gear he got from that auction for the last 10 years as I recall. At least there is that source for support.
I have SMD cards built to replace these with. But the time sink involved keeps me from even thinking of selling them empty or loaded. So the Robotunderground offering is really a pretty good deal as I would be charging between 30 and 40 a piece for these also just because of the time involved with building them and what not.
I was a big PPI fan back in the day and these SIP cards have not made me waver in my loyalty to them. I drifted away to PG only after finding PG satisfied a engineering craving I had back then. These SIP cards hold up as well as the amp if the amp is not abused, but that is a pipe dream IMO, as people just don't know how to take care of gear or to leave it alone after its been professionally setup by someone that has talent and a good ear...Plus after 20+ years I don't know of any brand name of gear out there that does not need servicing and I gladly challenge anyone to show me just one name brand that has run that long and does not need something done to keep it operational....
The SIP cards design allowed for all the variables to be compensated for while streamlining design and construction of all this series of amps. PPI used them from the Art series till they went overseas which was a fair piece of time.
The modular design allowed for thermal tracking compensation since all the components were mounted on the same thermal plane. This kept the amps design from having DC offset issues and what not after it had reached searing temperatures inside the case. As I recall the Art series was the first ever amp that allowed for liquid cooling so the amp was built tough with some very high expectations. The fact that 20 + later your still even working on it shows a long life quality that seems to not be willing to die anytime soon.
The fact that PPI sold out on the auction block to Robotunderground and Directed electronics was all financial and the fact that Directed has out right refused to even consider servicing this older product line is clearly a Directed problem. Patrick at Robotunderground has been slowly selling off the pallets full of gear he got from that auction for the last 10 years as I recall. At least there is that source for support.
I have SMD cards built to replace these with. But the time sink involved keeps me from even thinking of selling them empty or loaded. So the Robotunderground offering is really a pretty good deal as I would be charging between 30 and 40 a piece for these also just because of the time involved with building them and what not.
I was a big PPI fan back in the day and these SIP cards have not made me waver in my loyalty to them. I drifted away to PG only after finding PG satisfied a engineering craving I had back then. These SIP cards hold up as well as the amp if the amp is not abused, but that is a pipe dream IMO, as people just don't know how to take care of gear or to leave it alone after its been professionally setup by someone that has talent and a good ear...Plus after 20+ years I don't know of any brand name of gear out there that does not need servicing and I gladly challenge anyone to show me just one name brand that has run that long and does not need something done to keep it operational....
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