Dear DIY Audio Nation;
I'm considering building a portable guitar amp for my son. I have an old Wheatstone bridge circa 1950s I picked up dirt cheap at a hamfest. It's in a 6 by 8 by 6 inch deep hardwood box with leather handle. I figure to scrap the innards, sand and stain the wood then install a speaker and amp. Trying for a bit of a retro look. This would be used as a practice amp or portable for activities like camping. I have plenty of room in the 1.5 inch deep lid to mount an amp and some batteries. A 5 or 6 inch circular speaker would go into the main body of the box. I'd have battery charging capability.
I figured class D would maximize battery life and could play a long time especially if I used LiPos. Heat sink would not be an issue. I'm thinking of using AA size LiPos in series to 10 or 12 volts. Any more voltage and I'd run out of room for the batteries.
I expect to be able to get between 5 and maybe 10 watts at this voltage. I also expect any effects to be done with an effects box and not by over driving a class D amp. There's a great deal to choose from and most class D chips are stereo. Some can be bridged to mono but some cannot. I've given up trying to find a DIP configuration. I've got a nice soldering station and I'm ok with soldering SMTs although if a chip came on board that would be awesome.
I'm just a bit overwhelmed and pressed for time to be going through all the class D choices hence the reach out to this great DIY Audio Nation.
Any suggestions for a chip or a chip already mounted?
Am I gaining that much in power savings with a class D amp in this situation? If not I'm ok with an AB style chip amp.
I've done some searches on the forum but so far have not found what I'm looking for.
Thank you DIY Nation
I'm considering building a portable guitar amp for my son. I have an old Wheatstone bridge circa 1950s I picked up dirt cheap at a hamfest. It's in a 6 by 8 by 6 inch deep hardwood box with leather handle. I figure to scrap the innards, sand and stain the wood then install a speaker and amp. Trying for a bit of a retro look. This would be used as a practice amp or portable for activities like camping. I have plenty of room in the 1.5 inch deep lid to mount an amp and some batteries. A 5 or 6 inch circular speaker would go into the main body of the box. I'd have battery charging capability.
I figured class D would maximize battery life and could play a long time especially if I used LiPos. Heat sink would not be an issue. I'm thinking of using AA size LiPos in series to 10 or 12 volts. Any more voltage and I'd run out of room for the batteries.
I expect to be able to get between 5 and maybe 10 watts at this voltage. I also expect any effects to be done with an effects box and not by over driving a class D amp. There's a great deal to choose from and most class D chips are stereo. Some can be bridged to mono but some cannot. I've given up trying to find a DIP configuration. I've got a nice soldering station and I'm ok with soldering SMTs although if a chip came on board that would be awesome.
I'm just a bit overwhelmed and pressed for time to be going through all the class D choices hence the reach out to this great DIY Audio Nation.
Any suggestions for a chip or a chip already mounted?
Am I gaining that much in power savings with a class D amp in this situation? If not I'm ok with an AB style chip amp.
I've done some searches on the forum but so far have not found what I'm looking for.
Thank you DIY Nation
Just about anything will run at 12 volts. well, there are some tiny class-d chips meant for 5V or 3V.
You could even use one of the old sonic impact type boards, or anything modern. Check Parts Express, eBay and Amazon.
You won't ever get more power from 12 volts, as most of these chips are already bridged. A higher power kit will likely have better heat handling, tho, and that's not a bad idea for a guitar amp.
You could even use one of the old sonic impact type boards, or anything modern. Check Parts Express, eBay and Amazon.
You won't ever get more power from 12 volts, as most of these chips are already bridged. A higher power kit will likely have better heat handling, tho, and that's not a bad idea for a guitar amp.
Something like this ought to do the trick - 10 - 30V DC Low Power TDA8932 35W Digital Amplifier Board Module Mono Power | eBay
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