With Mr. Pass and several of the moderators of this forum giving their nod, I think I am ready to offer the HotRod Aleph circuit boards. The boards are configurable for use as Aleph 2, 3, 4, 5, 30, 60 and yes it is also X-rated. I am taking this chance to get Grey Rollins’ permission to include the X. My plan is to give back part of the sales to the forum…which without it this project won’t reach the majority of DIYers. It is also my way of saying “Thanks!”. The forum has always been an inspiration and a way to learn and keep up with what’s out there for our hobby.
Four 3”x12 1/8”boards make up a stereo set and it will be priced for $50 a set. $5 will go to the forum for every stereo set sold. Every sale will be made in the forum through a wiki which I guess will be set up. Interested buyers will go to the Donation page and put in $5 for every stereo set they’re planning to buy. I haven’t figured out how I am going to accept payments but for sure personal checks will be accepted. If things go well, my projected availability of the boards will probably be early March. I won’t be collecting from you unless the boards are ready and your donations have cleared. Of course you are encouraged to donate more.
I will be choosing a volunteer willing to try the prototype boards for an Aleph 2 or 60. The volunteer will have to be experienced and willing to stuff the board and test it (multimeter, oscilloscope, variac). Someone who has all the parts at his disposal as soon as the proto boards come out is a candidate. A channel of the boards should be tested and ready in a month(?). I would like somebody else to do this and form his own opinion of the design. Besides I need the money that I have for the first order with the board house. I have confidence in the design but this will settle all doubts before DIYers part with their money. The prototype boards will be free to the volunteer and donation will be his discretion. Volunteers please come forward.
For now I will limit the number of DIYers who would want to view the design. Bryan Pederson, Hugo (Netlist), Highbias, Grey are the first ones that come to mind. Nelson was the first one but without the X option yet. Some details on the design…includes trimmer pot positions for tuning front end bias, tuning AC current gain, tuning R19, compensation cap positions on all Alephs, easy configuration with a few jumpers, R0 available on all designs, circuit design integrity, terminal block positions for all wiring including LED, X capability with additional set of boards, X up to 6 pairs of output devices each side, 2 oz. PCB copper, solder mask, Aleph 2 silkscreen, component layout will be provided for all other Alephs, can start with any of the Aleph designs and configure to another…stay tuned.
Hoping for your support.
🙂
Four 3”x12 1/8”boards make up a stereo set and it will be priced for $50 a set. $5 will go to the forum for every stereo set sold. Every sale will be made in the forum through a wiki which I guess will be set up. Interested buyers will go to the Donation page and put in $5 for every stereo set they’re planning to buy. I haven’t figured out how I am going to accept payments but for sure personal checks will be accepted. If things go well, my projected availability of the boards will probably be early March. I won’t be collecting from you unless the boards are ready and your donations have cleared. Of course you are encouraged to donate more.
I will be choosing a volunteer willing to try the prototype boards for an Aleph 2 or 60. The volunteer will have to be experienced and willing to stuff the board and test it (multimeter, oscilloscope, variac). Someone who has all the parts at his disposal as soon as the proto boards come out is a candidate. A channel of the boards should be tested and ready in a month(?). I would like somebody else to do this and form his own opinion of the design. Besides I need the money that I have for the first order with the board house. I have confidence in the design but this will settle all doubts before DIYers part with their money. The prototype boards will be free to the volunteer and donation will be his discretion. Volunteers please come forward.
For now I will limit the number of DIYers who would want to view the design. Bryan Pederson, Hugo (Netlist), Highbias, Grey are the first ones that come to mind. Nelson was the first one but without the X option yet. Some details on the design…includes trimmer pot positions for tuning front end bias, tuning AC current gain, tuning R19, compensation cap positions on all Alephs, easy configuration with a few jumpers, R0 available on all designs, circuit design integrity, terminal block positions for all wiring including LED, X capability with additional set of boards, X up to 6 pairs of output devices each side, 2 oz. PCB copper, solder mask, Aleph 2 silkscreen, component layout will be provided for all other Alephs, can start with any of the Aleph designs and configure to another…stay tuned.
Hoping for your support.
🙂
Hello Blues,
I am very interested in your project, but I would like to know more about the boards and the schematic. Why not discuss these things in the same way we have in the past (MOX, AlephX etc.)?
Are you using the original schematic, or are some of the proposed tweaks incorporated in the boards (see "top ten ways to improve aleph" thread)?
Regards,
Jarno.
I am very interested in your project, but I would like to know more about the boards and the schematic. Why not discuss these things in the same way we have in the past (MOX, AlephX etc.)?
Are you using the original schematic, or are some of the proposed tweaks incorporated in the boards (see "top ten ways to improve aleph" thread)?
Regards,
Jarno.
I am happy to sponsor a prototype if you wish as I have stock of all parts for either versions.
macka
macka
Great initiative Blues. I will definitely support this. Just let me know when and how. I'd offer to act as a volunteer to test the prototypes, but I don't have the necessary equipment (scope etc...) to give you the feedback you're looking for.
Terry
Terry
Thanks...
These boards support the original schematics by Nelson and Grey's AX. Incorporated are trimmer positions for tuning it as you please. Tweaks as some of the past builders did like reducing the offset with adjustment of R14 and R19, AC current gain with R21. On the X too but with just a trimmer and not in series or parallel with a fixed resistor as in Grey's schematic. Replacement of these trimmers with fixed resistors is available and recommended as metal film types are better off across variations in temp.
Thanks to the responses...I'll look up the threads suggested by Jarno. I'll answer questions and proposals as we go. I will choose someone with building experience of the circuits and test equipment. I can also choose 2 builders for each channel (stereo set are mirror images). If both like it they can split for the price of a new set of boards to complete the stereo set.
Let's keep this flowing...
Allan
These boards support the original schematics by Nelson and Grey's AX. Incorporated are trimmer positions for tuning it as you please. Tweaks as some of the past builders did like reducing the offset with adjustment of R14 and R19, AC current gain with R21. On the X too but with just a trimmer and not in series or parallel with a fixed resistor as in Grey's schematic. Replacement of these trimmers with fixed resistors is available and recommended as metal film types are better off across variations in temp.
Thanks to the responses...I'll look up the threads suggested by Jarno. I'll answer questions and proposals as we go. I will choose someone with building experience of the circuits and test equipment. I can also choose 2 builders for each channel (stereo set are mirror images). If both like it they can split for the price of a new set of boards to complete the stereo set.
Let's keep this flowing...
Allan
Merry Christmas!
Macka, will you be able to test the boards?
Grey, still waiting for your "Yes" as I guess all the DIYers interested in the boards will love to have the X option too. I can send the board design to you if you're interested.
Please post questions re the boards so I can address them and clear up stuff.
Macka, will you be able to test the boards?
Grey, still waiting for your "Yes" as I guess all the DIYers interested in the boards will love to have the X option too. I can send the board design to you if you're interested.
Please post questions re the boards so I can address them and clear up stuff.
Member
Joined 2002
"For now I will limit the number of DIYers who would want to view the design. Bryan Pederson, Hugo (Netlist), Highbias, Grey are the first ones that come to mind. Nelson was the first one but without the X option yet." quote from 1st post
JasonL,
To prevent what might turn into endless discussion that might delay production the above stands for now. But I'll surely post a picture of the proto boards once they come out. The choosen builder(s) using the protos will have a look at the design first. I can address any question about the boards though.
Regards,
Allan
JasonL,
To prevent what might turn into endless discussion that might delay production the above stands for now. But I'll surely post a picture of the proto boards once they come out. The choosen builder(s) using the protos will have a look at the design first. I can address any question about the boards though.
Regards,
Allan
What is your plan for the boards once you get them built and debugged? Are you going to have a group buy or offer the layouts to the forum?
Either way will work as long as the user will donate to the forum. The board design is I'd say debugged circuitwise. The only concern is if there are hidden capacitive/inductive effect of the traces that would negatively contribute to the circuit.
DXF to Gerber
We hit a little snag with this project. The boardhouse is having a problem converting the AutoCAD DXF file into a workable Gerber version. We suspect it has something to do with the traces being drawn as solid 3D and not 2D. The silkscreen is in 2D and is already converted. Anybody know a way around this besides redrawing the traces in 2D?
BTW, Macka has volunteered to check out the design and probably etch and test it too. The design is on its way Down Under. Thanks Ian!
We hit a little snag with this project. The boardhouse is having a problem converting the AutoCAD DXF file into a workable Gerber version. We suspect it has something to do with the traces being drawn as solid 3D and not 2D. The silkscreen is in 2D and is already converted. Anybody know a way around this besides redrawing the traces in 2D?
BTW, Macka has volunteered to check out the design and probably etch and test it too. The design is on its way Down Under. Thanks Ian!
Use ISOPro. I use it to route boards on a PCB Router but it will also convert a dxf file to gerber. Send me an email and I will hook you up.
"solprof" command did it
The conversion was pretty straightforward with the SOLPROF command. The Help section of AutoCAD was very helpful.
kWski, thanks...I'll e-mail you if this won't work still.
The conversion was pretty straightforward with the SOLPROF command. The Help section of AutoCAD was very helpful.
kWski, thanks...I'll e-mail you if this won't work still.
Just out of curiosity: which AutoCad version did you make it in ?
Autocad is totally 2D, by the way.
It uses a trick to get from 2D to 3D projection, even the AutoCad 2004 that i am using is a 2D program.
To make it truly 3-dimensional Autodesk would have to rewrite it totally, which costs, same story as Windows@.
Autocad is totally 2D, by the way.
It uses a trick to get from 2D to 3D projection, even the AutoCad 2004 that i am using is a 2D program.
To make it truly 3-dimensional Autodesk would have to rewrite it totally, which costs, same story as Windows@.
AutoCad 2002. It allows for generation of different solids in 3D. You can start with 2D too and rotate or extrude to make irregularly shaped solids. 3D can be viewed with the different isometric views. I find it easier to do it in solid first and then just convert to 2D as the traces as you know are irregularly shaped. Using polylines to create them is a lot more work in my opinion.
Metalman,
I held up production of the proto boards for now. My attention is on some pressing family issues. We'll be back on track once I get this behind me in a month or so. While at it I modified the design a bit to accomodate a cap across Z5 on the front end CCS. I'll have to get this bit of mod to the manufacturer once I get back so it'll be included on the prototypes.
I held up production of the proto boards for now. My attention is on some pressing family issues. We'll be back on track once I get this behind me in a month or so. While at it I modified the design a bit to accomodate a cap across Z5 on the front end CCS. I'll have to get this bit of mod to the manufacturer once I get back so it'll be included on the prototypes.
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