Alright... just put me in the will. I would love to have parts around instead of ordering what and when I can. Perhaps in 40 years I'll be rich with parts like you 😀
No, and I'd rather pack takeaways at Benjys than listening to such "management".
Be careful what you wish for. I have a large parts reserve. What it means is:
1) I can't find the part. There are too many bins and back up bins. And more places to store them.
2) That's so obsolete I just don't see it getting any use. Its like having a deep supply of floppy disks. It made sense once, years ago.
Occasionally some odd obsolete part may have some utility (like the Knobpot I used for a level control). But I would not design a new project with the old parts. And they are really in the way.
I can usually get new current parts from Digikey, Mouser, Amazon, eBay fast enough and even with my reserves the part I need is not there. I would pay someone to help cull my parts bins and put the extras to good use if there is a good use.
Well Demian, I understand your position. I share it in many ways. However, I would like to work with someone with a more simple interest in audio design, rather than a competitive finished product. Then somewhat obsolete parts can be equally useful to make something to learn from and enjoy. I already have technicians, people close to my age, with lots of experience, and willing to help for a price. They would ignore virtually all my electronics and test equipment if I did not pay them. They are useful, but not what I want to expand to.
This thread has over 8 million hits. It is not all my peers or my enemies, there must be a portion of people who read this thread that would like to 'play' with parts and test equipment to better understand how to make better audio electronics. That is who I hope to find.
This thread has over 8 million hits. It is not all my peers or my enemies, there must be a portion of people who read this thread that would like to 'play' with parts and test equipment to better understand how to make better audio electronics. That is who I hope to find.
Demian,
There are no more decent, current-production JFETs of any kind, and very restricted choice of audio MOSFETs.
So NOS is the only source in the years to come.
Of course one can use BJTs instead.
Or just use ICs or Class D.
Cheers,
Patrick
There are no more decent, current-production JFETs of any kind, and very restricted choice of audio MOSFETs.
So NOS is the only source in the years to come.
Of course one can use BJTs instead.
Or just use ICs or Class D.
Cheers,
Patrick
I would enjoy it, 'cept I'm way over here in Tejas. I've got about most stuff
save some missing pieces...Like okay, anyone have an RF signal generator
the are getting rid of? Or will get rid of? I need something to drive into
Panasonic AM/FM Signale Generator for FM alignment. I think I also
need some sort of Big RF Attentuator also.
Whoo Hoo!
save some missing pieces...Like okay, anyone have an RF signal generator
the are getting rid of? Or will get rid of? I need something to drive into
Panasonic AM/FM Signale Generator for FM alignment. I think I also
need some sort of Big RF Attentuator also.
Whoo Hoo!
Having parts is like eating beans.
The more you toot, the better you feel
so eat beans at every meal.
And then when you find good parts, you've got to try
and buy all you can. When there gone they're gone.
Years ago I was buying some capacitors and when I tried
them I like them. I think they are old paper in oil with glass
end seals. Every one has been qualified and tested with each
having an NAA stamp on them. National Aeronautics Administraton?
or the time betwen NACA and NASA?
The guy was saying at the time
he was selling me them for the "ridiculously low price of..."
Now that I know of such things and can take some measurements.
holy smokes, I think the are all less than 1% matched and DF is way
low either zero until the higher frequencies then I start measureing
around .0001 DF. And what ever the measurement for degrees is,
maybe Q factor? or theta? it is 90 degrees.
Glad I don't have a problem finding my test leads. 🙂
Cheers,
The more you toot, the better you feel
so eat beans at every meal.
And then when you find good parts, you've got to try
and buy all you can. When there gone they're gone.
Years ago I was buying some capacitors and when I tried
them I like them. I think they are old paper in oil with glass
end seals. Every one has been qualified and tested with each
having an NAA stamp on them. National Aeronautics Administraton?
or the time betwen NACA and NASA?
The guy was saying at the time
he was selling me them for the "ridiculously low price of..."
Now that I know of such things and can take some measurements.
holy smokes, I think the are all less than 1% matched and DF is way
low either zero until the higher frequencies then I start measureing
around .0001 DF. And what ever the measurement for degrees is,
maybe Q factor? or theta? it is 90 degrees.
Glad I don't have a problem finding my test leads. 🙂
Cheers,
Maybe we should just make a DIYAudio Tour video. and spend the summer
visiting everyone and documenting it.
Whats that thing called, Go Fund Me?
Cheers,
visiting everyone and documenting it.
Whats that thing called, Go Fund Me?
Cheers,
Sync, you an interesting attitude, similar to what I had about 10 years ago. Then, my CTC Blowtorch business partner suddenly died, leaving me with at least 5 Blowtorch preamps to assemble (Bob usually put them together, I only made the electronics boards). At the same time, Parasound took me off a regular salary, so I was really in a fix. I got help from both Nelson Pass (a discarded computer) and Demian (a bunch of distortion analyzers that were close to not working) but I was certainly grateful at the time.
Now, I am better off, with new or different test equipment, and I am willing to share the use of my stuff to the right person, but I am not giving test equipment away to people in distant places, mostly because shipping is such a hassle.
P.S. Sync, the DA of the paper oil filled caps is not really too good. Sorry.
Now, I am better off, with new or different test equipment, and I am willing to share the use of my stuff to the right person, but I am not giving test equipment away to people in distant places, mostly because shipping is such a hassle.
P.S. Sync, the DA of the paper oil filled caps is not really too good. Sorry.
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Demian,
I have four three ring binders. One for digital ICs, one for analog and one for small signal transistors. The fourth is a bit different and holds precision resistors.
I showed in linear audio volume 0 how to glue conductive foam to a page divider to hold ICs in a notebook. Each page can hold 250 to 500 DIL packages or about 3,500 per book.
For discrete semiconductors I glue 1/2" strips an inch apart. That holds about 400 TO92s per page. Using both edges of the strips.
For the resistors I use transparent vinyl pocket pages. They can hold up to about 200 resistors per pocket. I have enough pages and pockets to cover 1 ohm to 1 megohm by 1% values. Not really a great method and some day I will improve it.
For common parts I built drawers with built in bins. Two hold all the common resistors. But there is a trick! I only label every other bin so there is a place to put non-standard values. A third holds capacitors from 10 pF to 4,700 uF. Over value and over stock are in wood bins on a set of shelves.
Nuts and bolts are stored in a special set of sliding shelves/drawers I made. Each one holds about 72 8 oz. specimen cups. This unit hold from 00 to #12. For larger hardware another special set of shelves with wood bins holds 1/4" to 5/8".
I use wood bins rather than plastic as they can take much more weight.
The first bins were made out of left over pallets. Newer ones are 1/4" plywood. The basic bin is about 4" x 12" and 3" deep. I use 1/4" finger joints to asemble them. The trick to making finger joints is to cut all the sides first, then stack them up and clamp them into a foot thick pile. That way you can cut the fingers on 50 or more pieces at a time. A router table is not as good as a dado blade in a table saw.
I place a high value on storage as I don't like paying one of my guys to hunt for stuff. Labeling is very important otherwise some one else may put things where they think it belongs and that can hide it for years.
If you google my web site I think you can see some of my storage bits.
My shop is not that large only half an acre. So storage needs to be compact and efficient.
Of course following JC one can always put their FETs in baggies in their sock drawer! 🙂. But tin cans with a lid are better as they slow down lead oxidation.
I have four three ring binders. One for digital ICs, one for analog and one for small signal transistors. The fourth is a bit different and holds precision resistors.
I showed in linear audio volume 0 how to glue conductive foam to a page divider to hold ICs in a notebook. Each page can hold 250 to 500 DIL packages or about 3,500 per book.
For discrete semiconductors I glue 1/2" strips an inch apart. That holds about 400 TO92s per page. Using both edges of the strips.
For the resistors I use transparent vinyl pocket pages. They can hold up to about 200 resistors per pocket. I have enough pages and pockets to cover 1 ohm to 1 megohm by 1% values. Not really a great method and some day I will improve it.
For common parts I built drawers with built in bins. Two hold all the common resistors. But there is a trick! I only label every other bin so there is a place to put non-standard values. A third holds capacitors from 10 pF to 4,700 uF. Over value and over stock are in wood bins on a set of shelves.
Nuts and bolts are stored in a special set of sliding shelves/drawers I made. Each one holds about 72 8 oz. specimen cups. This unit hold from 00 to #12. For larger hardware another special set of shelves with wood bins holds 1/4" to 5/8".
I use wood bins rather than plastic as they can take much more weight.
The first bins were made out of left over pallets. Newer ones are 1/4" plywood. The basic bin is about 4" x 12" and 3" deep. I use 1/4" finger joints to asemble them. The trick to making finger joints is to cut all the sides first, then stack them up and clamp them into a foot thick pile. That way you can cut the fingers on 50 or more pieces at a time. A router table is not as good as a dado blade in a table saw.
I place a high value on storage as I don't like paying one of my guys to hunt for stuff. Labeling is very important otherwise some one else may put things where they think it belongs and that can hide it for years.
If you google my web site I think you can see some of my storage bits.
My shop is not that large only half an acre. So storage needs to be compact and efficient.
Of course following JC one can always put their FETs in baggies in their sock drawer! 🙂. But tin cans with a lid are better as they slow down lead oxidation.
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Nicest stock control for electronics I saw was for a company who did military contracts so every batch was tracable. Each batch got a new location in the carousel and the ERP system worked it out.
My system has completely collapsed in the last 2 moves and not having any form of workshop. The tip on ring binders is a good one and I will have to use that when the round tuit fairy finally calls. 🙂
My system has completely collapsed in the last 2 moves and not having any form of workshop. The tip on ring binders is a good one and I will have to use that when the round tuit fairy finally calls. 🙂
The best organized electronics parts that I ever saw put virtually everything on a computer, so that every part used or delivered was kept track of. Unfortunately, the company went broke, partially from costing more money each month than they made. Also, they had a really nice conference room with a fine meeting table.
Might this late thread direction be realized by publishing napkin-grade schematics and playing around with the behavior of said circuits? I envision it essentially as John Curl's circuit musings.
Then any of us from afar (I'd love to take you up on your offer, John, alas I'm about 650 miles up I5 from you) can play with the circuits using similar transistors (as best we can, not all of us have your selection of FETs)
Then any of us from afar (I'd love to take you up on your offer, John, alas I'm about 650 miles up I5 from you) can play with the circuits using similar transistors (as best we can, not all of us have your selection of FETs)
I am hoping to help someone local with better understanding of audio design. I need a 'believer' not a critic, and I am saturated with modern designs that I can't even talk about here. Somebody will probably come forth, I hope.
Not a bad idea Daniel. Surely a GB will come out of it eventually.
I really wish I was closer. But this is a modern day... I work with one other guy who lives about as far as one can from me in the same country, latitudely speaking. We're hoping to make and sell gear - it fits us well the way we work on stuff. But as it stands now we're both just young and looking at a daunting field to enter these days.
The nostalgia of playing around has to be strong for you John. We would love for it to be the 70's where we don't need a expert in Autocad to design an enclosure and manufacturer it for a price that makes it inaccessible to us... and just go to a show where dealers are like, "damn, send me a 100 of them, here's a check." It's not hard to fantasize about the accessibility of starting something up in the past (minus how bad really old transistors were). All the companies that started that way are in a position where making the fancy enclosures, ordering thousands of dollars of capacitors, and such aren't a big deal for them now . And any garage start-ups you see are from people with hundreds of thousands of dollars set aside as minimum amount. (They're generally independently wealthy). But the innovation isn't as exciting...
I really wish I was closer. But this is a modern day... I work with one other guy who lives about as far as one can from me in the same country, latitudely speaking. We're hoping to make and sell gear - it fits us well the way we work on stuff. But as it stands now we're both just young and looking at a daunting field to enter these days.
The nostalgia of playing around has to be strong for you John. We would love for it to be the 70's where we don't need a expert in Autocad to design an enclosure and manufacturer it for a price that makes it inaccessible to us... and just go to a show where dealers are like, "damn, send me a 100 of them, here's a check." It's not hard to fantasize about the accessibility of starting something up in the past (minus how bad really old transistors were). All the companies that started that way are in a position where making the fancy enclosures, ordering thousands of dollars of capacitors, and such aren't a big deal for them now . And any garage start-ups you see are from people with hundreds of thousands of dollars set aside as minimum amount. (They're generally independently wealthy). But the innovation isn't as exciting...
It's no fun if everyone's just agreeing; how are we supposed to make progress if it's simply group-think? (and the learning goes both ways)
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Hi John, Shoot, I thought those caps measured as well as or better than
ones that I've measured before. I stand corrected, not damping factor
rather Dielectric Absorption, and not the absorption chamber either.
No worries, I wasn't hitting anyone up for gear, unless are want to give
something up, then of course I'll pay the bill. Rather the thing is kind
of like everyone did with the HP339A thing. Many here contributed
from afar, they sent stuff around to a few key people and it was interesting.
No reason it cannot work here. And it has from a few people that were
working on prototype amps over in the solid state forum with the slewmaster
build threads. There are really some very good people here that are
down to earth and lend helping hands to inquisitive minds.
That said, I bloged regarding the JFET Amp and Bandpass
Filter Build that I worked prototyped.
Blog: LINK
The next blog would have to be a for an active filter as I had
to trim the actual blog....they are limited to 20,000 characters.
I was surprised I got most of the graphics in.
This isn't anything fancy and I don't pretend it is.
@Daniel,
Maybe better than napkin grade...as the
fall apart like cheap toilet paper in use.
(Yes, of course at times we have to make do).
.
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