Amp Camp Amp - ACA

ACA pre amp selector switch

Hi, I'm building the stereo basic amp and haven't decided whether to build a preamp or build the bare amp but install an alps pot and selector switch (to change between two different RCA inputs) and make it into an integrated amp rather than just a power amp.
So, what selector switch would people recommend? either of above scenarios require a selector switch.
I'll need a 6mm shaft and a minimumof two inputs.
The last one I bought for a T Class amp had three or four inputs and I just needed two, but I'm not bothered about having too many.
The important thing is that it's good quality, so what are your preferences please?
 
I need help. Just finished the 1.6 kit.
Left channel works fine. Right channel does not.
Both were biased to 12v.
Wiring was quintuple checked as ok.
Right heatsinks get hot just as the left do.
LED lights up on Right channel.

So, from what I can gather, there is power to the board and it goes where it should.
I checked the Voltage measurements with power on and they were spot on.
I checked resistance, and they were spot on, except some 1k readings were coming in at 1.5k.

This was the second of the two boards I stuffed and soldered, so it was a smoother and neater (don't judge my inability to get the resistors centered) process.

I can't figure out what is going on. Q3 or Q4 not working perhaps?

Please help.

Make sure the binding posts are isolated from the chassis when not wired to the ACA's
 
I've read this on an audio blog, don't know how relevant it is to switch ground for something that's not really high end, but if you think it's really worth it...



[FONT=arial,][FONT=Arial, Helvetica][SIZE=-1]"Whatever types you consider as selector switches it must be break before make type, otherwise you will have two sources simultaneously connected while changing selection which would probably damage at least one of the sources as its output impedance will be much lower than the pre-amp input impedance. Maplin sell a series of 12 pole switches, the one suitable for stereo is configured as 4-pole 3-way. This limits builders to 3 sources, so you might be tempted to use the 2-pole 6-way version and simply common the negative connections as is common practice (groan)"[/SIZE][/FONT][/FONT]
 
oh yeah ..... everyone is an expert

and when you spend day and a half , searching why you have pops and clicks when changing sources , expert will not say "sorry"

damn , I didn't checked that I got BBM switch instead of MBB .....


Thanks for that insight Zen Mod, so I need a BBM I get that, but what about switching out the ground? And can you recommend a switch?
Many thanks
 
Official Court Jester
Joined 2003
Paid Member
no , what I meant ( and probably wasn't clear enough ) is that you actually need MBB (shorting ) switch

if you can have enough sections to switch GNDs too , to fully isolate unused inputs , even better

if not , do not loose your sleep about that

best switches ......... use cheap Lorlin rotary switch or clone (still needing MBB ..... Lorlin is having letters S and NS to differentiate) , to actuate small Takamisawa relays for actual signal switching

RY-12W-K FUJITSU-TAKAMISAWA - Relay: electromagnetic | TME - Electronic components
 
Eagle eyes. Thanks KS for all the suggestions. I reflowed and added solder to all the connections and it worked. If I pull the board aain, I could double check the resistors. I added to the C1 connection.

Now to build the next one.

Thanks for the help everyone.


If you measure the resistance across the input RCA socket, ring to inner part, it should be around 50k ohms (use the 2 meg range). The output terminals Red to Black should read around 1k ohms (on the 20k range). Wait a few seconds for the meter to 'climb'.

Looking at the picture, the top solder joint on the large capacitor (C1) and R1, R2 and R3 do not look good, but it might be a trick of the light. But touch them all up anyway.

Alan
 
no , what I meant ( and probably wasn't clear enough ) is that you actually need MBB (shorting ) switch

if you can have enough sections to switch GNDs too , to fully isolate unused inputs , even better

if not , do not loose your sleep about that

best switches ......... use cheap Lorlin rotary switch or clone (still needing MBB ..... Lorlin is having letters S and NS to differentiate) , to actuate small Takamisawa relays for actual signal switching

RY-12W-K FUJITSU-TAKAMISAWA - Relay: electromagnetic | TME - Electronic components
Do I need the relay? I've not used one before.
 
Official Court Jester
Joined 2003
Paid Member
I'm just saying what's my experience ..... somebody else is certainly having opposite stance

I had pops and clicks while using nonshorting switch , directly or for relays control;

when I realized that switch is culprit , mounted shorting one and pops and clicks were gone

all that with preamp input absolutely DC free
 
Sorry to bother you.


i got the "parts only" kit and try to define the heat sink (one channel) for my order, the search function does not really help. (and the original description is gone as far as i could see)



what sink is recommended (K/W or so)?


Thanks !


For the ACA 1.6 kit, a 200 mm x 80 mm x 40 mm heatsink is used for each board which amounts to 0.67 deg C/W. I would recommend at LEAST that, and preferably 0.5 deg C/watt. Even lower is fine too. Remember this is a single ended design, ie it is constantly biased at 1.45 A per board.

With 0.67 deg C/watt, I am measuring roughly 50- 55 deg C (average) on various areas of the enclosure with a room temp of 22 deg C.

Best,
Anand.
 
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I'm just saying what's my experience ..... somebody else is certainly having opposite stance

I had pops and clicks while using nonshorting switch , directly or for relays control;

when I realized that switch is culprit , mounted shorting one and pops and clicks were gone

all that with preamp input absolutely DC free


It looks like it's a case of horses for courses, I have previously used BBM on my chipamp and "T" class amp, these switches being both with in circuit and no pops at all.
I merely wanted to get a view on preferences in general on what is considered to be the route forward, and that clearly seems to be in favour of MBB.
Zen Mod, I would like to select best route but my abilities don't stretch to adding relays or even know

what a veroboard is for that matter.