Finished the amp today! I received my Hammond case(s) the day before Thanksgiving and began test fitting the board. I knew that the board would be a tight fight with the PowerEx battery but unfortunately that was a bit of an understatement because I couldn't get it to fit at ALL. Additionally, I had to rework some of the components, particularly the leads on the DC charging jack and volume/power potentiometer because they were hanging down too far from the bottom of the board and making direct contact with the case. I had to remove most of the solder from the joints, clip the leads with my diagonal cutters and resolder the joints (otherwise I was pretty much guaranteed to short out the entire thing), and then begin the testing phase all over again.
I drilled the front panels using the template with the help of my friend and his dad (and his drill press), though I was looking at having my friend CNC mill the panels for ultimate bling factor. I was tempted to purchase the pre-drilled/milled panels from AMB but I think the engraving is kind of distracting and the screws are way too big, not to mention how EXPENSIVE they are. My friend offered to CNC mill the panels for $50.00 which would have been more than AMB charges, but I would be able to customize the text and I would have more personal attachment to it. I'm toying with the idea of producing these for friends and members of Head-Fi if there's enough interest, and if I do I will probably pursue the CNC milled front panels.
I'll be posting more finished pictures in the next few days (those were just a few teasers), as well as beginning building my second Mini3 as I purchased enough parts for two and would like to sell one to recoup the costs. If anyone is interested in purchasing one of these, please contact me for pricing and availability :)
Edited by wompa164 - 12/5/10 at 6:17pm
yea, great for a first head amp :)
After my next Millet build, I'll be building a gamma2, so I'll get to hear it eventually. Believe it or not, I enjoy building things for people.
