Looks....
Hi All,
The challenge (and the fun) is the building of something that gives you the best possible sound without breaking the bank.
In my humble opinion, this makes a DIY project a personal(ised) thing and you can use whatever you feel comfy with.
I went and built everything, including the chassis from scratch, and it took a lot of metalworking, tapping and routing sheets of perspex with different routing bits to get where I imagined it needed to be. Judge for yourself if this would pass muster in your home, but again, it depends how far you want to go....
Hi All,
The challenge (and the fun) is the building of something that gives you the best possible sound without breaking the bank.
In my humble opinion, this makes a DIY project a personal(ised) thing and you can use whatever you feel comfy with.
I went and built everything, including the chassis from scratch, and it took a lot of metalworking, tapping and routing sheets of perspex with different routing bits to get where I imagined it needed to be. Judge for yourself if this would pass muster in your home, but again, it depends how far you want to go....
Attachments
No matter how far you do in the DIY route, it's good to make a start.
OK, I eventually built my amp out of hypex stuff all-the-way, but I did put together my own simple PS to test the modules first.
Having done that, I've learnt how bridge rectifiers work, how to make "flat" DC out of pulsing DC, and refreshed a lot of basic electrics/electronics on the way.
And beyond that, from a commercial point of view (not calculating time spent building the stuff) I now have a great sounding rig at just a fraction of the cost just buying something off the shelf.
And yes, maybe for my next project I'd go a bit further, who knows - I know one thing, and that is by checking this forum I have learnt a lot, stuff I couldn't have learnt by simply starting to put the parts together. I do believe my next steps will be to learn to solder properly, and start modifying audio stuff to make it better - for my that's DIY also.
I have no need to invent my own Class D or anything - I'm already happy to have insight in audio electronics now, who knows where I'll go from here...
PS. Didn't anyone start with blowing up some old piece of junk with opening it as a kid?
OK, I eventually built my amp out of hypex stuff all-the-way, but I did put together my own simple PS to test the modules first.
Having done that, I've learnt how bridge rectifiers work, how to make "flat" DC out of pulsing DC, and refreshed a lot of basic electrics/electronics on the way.
And beyond that, from a commercial point of view (not calculating time spent building the stuff) I now have a great sounding rig at just a fraction of the cost just buying something off the shelf.
And yes, maybe for my next project I'd go a bit further, who knows - I know one thing, and that is by checking this forum I have learnt a lot, stuff I couldn't have learnt by simply starting to put the parts together. I do believe my next steps will be to learn to solder properly, and start modifying audio stuff to make it better - for my that's DIY also.
I have no need to invent my own Class D or anything - I'm already happy to have insight in audio electronics now, who knows where I'll go from here...
PS. Didn't anyone start with blowing up some old piece of junk with opening it as a kid?
Yves Smolders said:I know one thing, and that is by checking this forum I have learnt a lot.
Couldn't agree more.
Yves Smolders said:No matter how far you do in the DIY route, it's good to make a start.
OK, I eventually built my amp out of hypex stuff all-the-way, but I did put together my own simple PS to test the modules first.
Having done that, I've learnt how bridge rectifiers work, how to make "flat" DC out of pulsing DC, and refreshed a lot of basic electrics/electronics on the way.
And beyond that, from a commercial point of view (not calculating time spent building the stuff) I now have a great sounding rig at just a fraction of the cost just buying something off the shelf.
And yes, maybe for my next project I'd go a bit further, who knows - I know one thing, and that is by checking this forum I have learnt a lot, stuff I couldn't have learnt by simply starting to put the parts together. I do believe my next steps will be to learn to solder properly, and start modifying audio stuff to make it better - for my that's DIY also.
I have no need to invent my own Class D or anything - I'm already happy to have insight in audio electronics now, who knows where I'll go from here...
PS. Didn't anyone start with blowing up some old piece of junk with opening it as a kid?
THAT is the DIY spirit!!
You do and build according to your personal ability.
If you can design a component from scratch, great teach other, but if your happy Crimping connectors on wires to plug-n-play modules such as the UcD180, that's fine.. Ether way you'll get better sound for less money than "off the shelf" components.
As a side benefit, you encourage other entrepreneurs (such as the Hypex owner) to strike out on their own with new products that ARE DIY FRIENDLY.
Yves Smolders said:
The UcD180s that I have (very early versions) switch of completely without any noise, so don't need the shutdown feature for those. For the UcD400 I need the shutdown feature. Will probably make something myself. I will for the time being not use a DC protection as I don't leave the amps on when I'm not there. And if I would blow my speakers because of an amps DC failure, I would have a good excuse to try some new drivers (my speakers are DIY) 🙂
Best regards
Gertjan
probably has already been said but I ask you if you connected your Hypex power supply ground to chassis or not? In my previous diy power supply it was and I didn't have any problem.
Giorgio
Giorgio
patriz said:
Well I found that with an electrostatic static shield, ya better ground it! That's for the simplest version of a PSU though, Perhaps with the dual bridge rectifier I wont' have to. If not my dual bridge rectifier with four pole caps isn't likely to work well with my transformer 🙁
What if you connect the central P.S. ground to the case, but take the earth ground coming in from the power pug the decuple the low voltage buzz using two diodes back the back? This way there is no buzz from the earth yet the case is grounded in case of a fault. The only thing I don’t know is if this setup would radiate RFI.
Leve
Leve
LBHajdu said:
I think normally when that's done it is the opposite of that, case is earthed, PSU cround is "DC filtered".
In my case with what I've tried, disconnecting the "center tap" from ground lead to about a 2 volt imbalance, disconnecting the static shield led to a gross imbalance of about 12V or so. My caps haven't sounded the same since, but they're getting replaced.
It was recommended that the signal ground should be connected to the case at the RCA\XLR input. I don’t think this would make it possible to noise decuple the PSU ground.
Leve
Leve
I finished my first DIY amp last weekend using UCD 180s. It's a four channel for and active system. You can have a look here.
I stuffed it into a sideway mid tower PC chassis.
I stuffed it into a sideway mid tower PC chassis.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Classd4sure,
For best results interwinding screens on transformers should be earthed to chassis. As for earthing the circuitry this is best done at the input sockets;signal ground to chassis via 100ohm resistors with a small cap [22nf] in parallel. The cap deals with any RFI.
True earth should only exist at source equipment;e.g. CD player,tuner etc. everything else in the chain should use ground lift measures to ensure the lowest possible hum and the best sound quality.
Bob Lewis
For best results interwinding screens on transformers should be earthed to chassis. As for earthing the circuitry this is best done at the input sockets;signal ground to chassis via 100ohm resistors with a small cap [22nf] in parallel. The cap deals with any RFI.
True earth should only exist at source equipment;e.g. CD player,tuner etc. everything else in the chain should use ground lift measures to ensure the lowest possible hum and the best sound quality.
Bob Lewis
I have directly connected the power ground to the chassis near the power socket and I don't have any hum even with high efficiency speaker. My power transformer doesn't have any screen just the central tap.
In the past with other electronics the 100r resistor and 22nf cap were necessary.
Giorgio
In the past with other electronics the 100r resistor and 22nf cap were necessary.
Giorgio
Yves Smolders said:
I'm not Kevin but I can tell you how I did it on mine. When using the single-ended inputs I insert male XLR plugs that short pins 1 & 3 together. No switch is required.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Yes, that's the obvious solution! 🙂
I wonder what happens if you forget the XLR "dongles" if you go unbalanced, with it be harmful for speakers/amp?
In my final case I'll probably just use XLR and make cables with the gnd and - connecting at the far end (source)
I wonder what happens if you forget the XLR "dongles" if you go unbalanced, with it be harmful for speakers/amp?
In my final case I'll probably just use XLR and make cables with the gnd and - connecting at the far end (source)
Yves Smolders said:
It's not as bad as you might think. There is a minor buzzing and a slight loss of volume. Cheers, mac.
Assembly questions
When mounting the transformer, is there any value in using something like a wafer of rubber to provide mechanical isolation, in case the device vibrates slightly. Alternately, how about silicon rubber glue?
For a four-channel UcD180-based amp employing two transformers, what guage wire is recommended from AC in to the transformers? From the UcD ST supplies to the UcD180 amps? Is solid core wire acceptable, or is stranded generally preferrable? Which runs should be twisted?
Are there any 1:1 PDF mechanical templates of the UcD ST supply and UcD 180 amp? It seems that the Hypex site PDFs are not scaled 1:1. I could bring them into Photoshop and rescale, but if a mechanical already exists....
Thanks in advance
When mounting the transformer, is there any value in using something like a wafer of rubber to provide mechanical isolation, in case the device vibrates slightly. Alternately, how about silicon rubber glue?
For a four-channel UcD180-based amp employing two transformers, what guage wire is recommended from AC in to the transformers? From the UcD ST supplies to the UcD180 amps? Is solid core wire acceptable, or is stranded generally preferrable? Which runs should be twisted?
Are there any 1:1 PDF mechanical templates of the UcD ST supply and UcD 180 amp? It seems that the Hypex site PDFs are not scaled 1:1. I could bring them into Photoshop and rescale, but if a mechanical already exists....
Thanks in advance
Re: Assembly questions
to answer your first question...
i built an amp a year ago or so, and the transformers had a very slight mechanical buzz to them. when i mounted them, i went to the hardware store and bought some thin (maybe 1/8" thick) rubber sheets and cut two circles out of it. i put one on top and the other on the bottom. the mechanical noise was completely gone.
i also wish there was a paper or cardboard insert in the box that had a template of the hole layout for the board as well as the heatsink. this would make drilling holes to mate to them a lot easier. maybe ill get around to making one and post it on my site.
jhenderson01075 said:
to answer your first question...
i built an amp a year ago or so, and the transformers had a very slight mechanical buzz to them. when i mounted them, i went to the hardware store and bought some thin (maybe 1/8" thick) rubber sheets and cut two circles out of it. i put one on top and the other on the bottom. the mechanical noise was completely gone.
i also wish there was a paper or cardboard insert in the box that had a template of the hole layout for the board as well as the heatsink. this would make drilling holes to mate to them a lot easier. maybe ill get around to making one and post it on my site.
switch-mode power supply
did anyone already read the articel on the hypex site?
article
in the last sentance they mention switch mode-power supplies will come available by hypex.
What is the big advantage of a switch mode power supply over a convetional one?
efficiency?
is it worth waiting for? (I was planning on building sometinh with a UcD180 this christmas)
did anyone already read the articel on the hypex site?
article
in the last sentance they mention switch mode-power supplies will come available by hypex.
What is the big advantage of a switch mode power supply over a convetional one?
efficiency?
is it worth waiting for? (I was planning on building sometinh with a UcD180 this christmas)