Starting a First Watt F3 build and need some help

[imagios]

Hello,
Im starting the amp to build as well, I would say Im a total noob on electronics... I have build a few minor amps and now I try this one to be my personal "high end" amp for single driven fullrange speakers.
I have ordered the parts from:
Tech DIY Company Store

Now I have some realy basic questions:
Does the amp need to be started after soldered? Or does he run on first power up?
Did you put any speaker protections in your amps?
Can you recoment me any transformer for European 240v?

[Zen Mod]

Originally Posted by imagios

Hello,
......
Does the amp need to be started after soldered? Or does he run on first power up?
......

explain exactly what you mean ?

Originally Posted by imagios

Hello,
......
......
Did you put any speaker protections in your amps?
........

you don't need SP with F3 - startup is gentle , and it have coupling cap on output , so DC can't reach your speaker .
all you need is some salt between your ears - to prevent overpowering the speaker ...... but that's case with all amps

Originally Posted by imagios

Hello,
......
.....
Can you recoment me any transformer for European 240v?

I'll pass that one , because I'm not in Europe

[ma_coule]

Originally Posted by Zen Mod

... because I'm not in Europe

Exactly, you're always on the top of the (diy audio) World!

(From the other side, sometimes it seems that Europe is on (the dark side of...) the Moon... )

[imagios]

Originally Posted by Zen Mod

explain exactly what you mean ?

I mean after the PCBs are set up alt the soldering is done the amp is finished, what to do before I first time power up? Can I then just power up, or do I need to apply some procedure?

[Zen Mod]

you can read F3 thread few times , then you'll have both broader and more detailed insight in building procedure

[Nelson Pass]

Originally Posted by Telstar

Looks like not many people built the lovely F3.

The F3 is selective with regard to its audience - not high
power, not trivial to build, not high input impedance,
not direct coupling.

Only lovely sound.

[Gyuri]

Originally Posted by Telstar

Looks like not many people built the lovely F3.

Of the few who did, anybody's thinking about external psu?

Here is one:

So, this is my Quad ZV9!

There is absolute no need to external PS.
The thing is absolutely dead quiet.

Gyuri

[awc]

In a 6 Moons review it made this statement about F4:
"If you've got a low-power SET and want to hear bass, definition and linearity you never knew you could, go humbucker and tie an F4 to its outputs"

As I'm feeling that the F3 is more for my taste.
could I not at a later date, add as above states, a F4 to a F3 if I wanted more volume to drive a wider range of speakers. ?

[Zen Mod]

going from 15W/8R to 25W/8R isn't much of progress , taking in account complexity you propose

there is big amount of redundancy , if you realize that Papa meant on tube power amps more in (SS) preamp power category

so - feeding F4 with 3W tube power amp is sane .....

[awc]

This is the article I was referring to
6moons audio reviews: FirstWatt F4
and its next page
6moons audio reviews: FirstWatt F4