Hi Folks,
My name is Rich… a few folks know me as the guy who provides support and service for folks with Merlin Music Systems speakers and Joule-Electra tube gear. I’m a EE and have been playing around with electronics since high school and have been into (high end) audio since my early teens (I caught the disease from my dad being raised around AR3A’s, Dynaco gear, Thorens turntables etc). As a EE, my speciality was more in systems/project engineering which is what I did in the defense industry during the 80’s and early 90’s before deciding to go do my own thing in the world of high end audio.
Though (full disclosure) I am a (very small) high-end audio retailer, close to half of my work is taking care of old Joule-Electra gear and Merlin Music Systems speakers and a some other stuff (mostly tube stuff). I knew the owners/designers at both companies well and loved their gear. With these guys not around (Bobby P at Merlin passed in 2015 and Jud Barber at Joule retired and closed his company down in 2013 and has passed on 2 yers ago) I’ve done what I can get help keep that gear going and making music. At times hat has meant being creative and DIYing some fixes for things. 🙂
What do I DIY then??? I do some of my own mods/tweaks to things (don’t really have the time to build complete things from scratch these days) Latest project is trying to learn DIPTrace PCB design SW so I can make a simple replacement circuit board which will allow different/better volume and balance controls in later Joule-Electra preamps (including my own of course). It’s been slow going. Could really use some help with this and DIPTrace’s on discussion forum has not been of any help. Hoping I can find someone here who has some actual circuit board design experience (which I am a total newbie to) who can help (this idiot) out!
Last major project was resurrecting a 25 year old pair of Joule-Electra VZN-160 OTL amps which have sat in storage/unused for close to 20 years (a lot of filter capacitor replacing, some cap reforming, doing some mods to improve serviceability, and then testing testing testing to make sure the amps were reliable and problem free before sending them to a new home.
Thanks for reading my rambling long post…
Cheers
Rich
My name is Rich… a few folks know me as the guy who provides support and service for folks with Merlin Music Systems speakers and Joule-Electra tube gear. I’m a EE and have been playing around with electronics since high school and have been into (high end) audio since my early teens (I caught the disease from my dad being raised around AR3A’s, Dynaco gear, Thorens turntables etc). As a EE, my speciality was more in systems/project engineering which is what I did in the defense industry during the 80’s and early 90’s before deciding to go do my own thing in the world of high end audio.
Though (full disclosure) I am a (very small) high-end audio retailer, close to half of my work is taking care of old Joule-Electra gear and Merlin Music Systems speakers and a some other stuff (mostly tube stuff). I knew the owners/designers at both companies well and loved their gear. With these guys not around (Bobby P at Merlin passed in 2015 and Jud Barber at Joule retired and closed his company down in 2013 and has passed on 2 yers ago) I’ve done what I can get help keep that gear going and making music. At times hat has meant being creative and DIYing some fixes for things. 🙂
What do I DIY then??? I do some of my own mods/tweaks to things (don’t really have the time to build complete things from scratch these days) Latest project is trying to learn DIPTrace PCB design SW so I can make a simple replacement circuit board which will allow different/better volume and balance controls in later Joule-Electra preamps (including my own of course). It’s been slow going. Could really use some help with this and DIPTrace’s on discussion forum has not been of any help. Hoping I can find someone here who has some actual circuit board design experience (which I am a total newbie to) who can help (this idiot) out!
Last major project was resurrecting a 25 year old pair of Joule-Electra VZN-160 OTL amps which have sat in storage/unused for close to 20 years (a lot of filter capacitor replacing, some cap reforming, doing some mods to improve serviceability, and then testing testing testing to make sure the amps were reliable and problem free before sending them to a new home.
Thanks for reading my rambling long post…
Cheers
Rich
I've used Diptrace quite a bit and could help you out. I don't have professional design experience, but have done a number of boards both in Eagle and Diptrace. Currently learning KiCad. Funny; one of the boards I did was for mounting analog volume pots. TKD 4CP2500 and 4CP601 along with 4 gang Alps 27 "Blue" on the same board.
I do not know anything about Dip Trace and their software.
I do not know how much time and money invested in Dip Trace. If it isn't working for you it is waste of time.
As an option, I went with https://dexpcb.com/ and was very happy with it. https://dexpcb.com/Home
Last I knew, DEX is a one man show. There is one guy who does all the coding, and integration. He is very quick to get the word that somebody is having a problem and he reacts and answers question of provides updates, in very short time.
$145 for a complete PCB package, no pin count limits or board size restrictions, is a good deal. He regularly makes very attractive renewal offers when your license expires.
He has a good sized library of tutorial videos. Check them out before you buy.
I do not know how much time and money invested in Dip Trace. If it isn't working for you it is waste of time.
As an option, I went with https://dexpcb.com/ and was very happy with it. https://dexpcb.com/Home
Last I knew, DEX is a one man show. There is one guy who does all the coding, and integration. He is very quick to get the word that somebody is having a problem and he reacts and answers question of provides updates, in very short time.
$145 for a complete PCB package, no pin count limits or board size restrictions, is a good deal. He regularly makes very attractive renewal offers when your license expires.
He has a good sized library of tutorial videos. Check them out before you buy.
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It's not clear why you're stuck on DIPtrace. Do you have an existing project that you need to mess with?
If you're trying to learn a PCB layout tool, I'd go with KiCAD. If you've touched it in the past and hated it, give it another go. A few years back (version 6) they completely redesigned the UI. It's very much a mature and usable product now. https://www.kicad.org/
Tom
If you're trying to learn a PCB layout tool, I'd go with KiCAD. If you've touched it in the past and hated it, give it another go. A few years back (version 6) they completely redesigned the UI. It's very much a mature and usable product now. https://www.kicad.org/
Tom
Pars,
Thanks so much for the offer to help. I’m actually doing something rather similar to what you described! I think the issue I’m having is that I changed some pad sizes (diameters to make them bigger) which has apparently caused some “ manufacturer rules violations” when I go to start the process of getting some boards ordered.
Here is what I wrote on the DipTrace forum to describe things:
“
FIRST - to be clear though I am a EE, I am a total amateur at using DIP trace and designing/making circuit board boards and in making/designing circuit boards. Ideally what I would like to find is someone in the upstate central New York (Syracuse) area who can show/tutor me on some things with DIP trace and modern day circuit board design. Or maybe someone I can email my PCB design to and how I can correct them as I have spent some hours trying to fix them with no luck. I think I understand what the problems are, but just can't seem to figure out how to correct them. Video tutorials for this that I find/saw are mostly geared at folks like you who are already board design professionals or have some adjacent experience - have not been of help for me.
I have a VERY simple circuit board I have designed/layed out in dip trace, but my complete lack of any expertise in modern day circuit board design is hurting me and preventing me from making the step to finally order a small batch of boards I need made (if you are curious to know its a simple board that would have a volume control and balance control mounted to it for a no longer manufactured two channel vacuum tube high end audio preamplifier)
Thanks - Rich
DRC - Errors found
Layer:
All Layers
Pad B1:R1_3 - Copper pour (Gap=-0.0475 in; Rule=0.005 in)
Pad B1:R3_1 - Copper pour (Gap=-0.0475 in; Rule=0.005 in)
Pad Pad1:1 - Copper pour (Gap=-0.06 in; Rule=0.005 in)
Pad Pad4:1 - Copper pour (Gap=-0.06 in; Rule=0.005 in)
Pad VOL:R1_1 - Copper pour (Gap=-0.06 in; Rule=0.005 in)
Pad VOL:R2_1 - Copper pour (Gap=-0.06 in; Rule=0.005 in)
Pad R2:1 - Silk to Pad (Gap=-0.0209 in; Rule=0.00472 in)
Pad R2:2 - Silk to Pad (Gap=-0.0209 in; Rule=0.00472 in)
Pad R3:1 - Silk to Pad (Gap=-0.0209 in; Rule=0.00472 in)
Pad R3:2 - Silk to Pad (Gap=-0.0209 in; Rule=0.00472 in)”
I am not familiar with DEX… I will give it a look (and would hope it could import my current project from DipTrac)