Toonartist
Formerly known as dAndis67
I'd soldered RCA & XLR wires before the Aegis build but I had zero experience in the amp building department. The manual etc are excellent and it really does contain everything you need to know. You just need to build a little confidence first in using the soldering iron.Hey everyone,
Long time audio enthusiast but ZERO experience building electronics, soldering, etc. I have a lot more free time in my life now and looking for some hobbies I've had an interest in but never pursued. Learning more about audio and building a kit has been on my list. A few weeks ago I ordered a Bottlehead Crack (still waiting on it to ship). I found this thread in the ZMF amp thread (Atrium owner) and VERY intrigued with this project. I'm curious for those who have built these and others, if you truly feel a true beginner can do it justice? I bought a soldering practice kit from a local electronics store plus a cheesy DIY bluetooth radio from Amazon. I was going to do these before the Crack so I lessen the chance of me F'n it up.
What say you? Give it a go? The smartest thing is probably for me to see how the Crack goes first but I'll admit that I'm tempted to start ordering parts for the Aegis knowing some have longer lead times.
@L0rdGwyn - so freakin' amazing the work you put into this and then to openly share it. Need more people like you on this earth. Kudos!
Thanks!
Mike
As @mattiastomas mentioned, look at buying a practice kit or two. I bought a couple from Amazon that had small components in it and another that had a load of tiny LEDs. It turns out that those small LEDs were good practice for the Elma switch. It meant I had a chance to use a normal soldering head and one of the very fine ones. If you get to the end of the practice kit build and it works... great. If not, nothing lost. Buy another and try again. They're cheap to buy!
I think one crucial thing is to add a few good tools to the build price as it does make life a lot easier. A good third hand, soldering iron that has a base and a dial to set the temperature etc. Using a drill or electric screwdriver to make the twisted wiring makes life so much easier. Having a good light and maybe a magnifying glass as well.
I read each section until and I worked it out and was confident of what I needed to do and that I didn't have any questions left. If I was unsure, I would read back until I was comfortable with it. It meant that come the build I was able to focus more on what I was doing rather than trying to work stuff out. I also found it way more relaxing when I broke it down into smaller groups and complete one smaller group at a time before calling it a day and then repeat the next day. It just meant I had a load of time to focus on a smaller amount rather than rushing through.
In the end I really enjoyed it and found it very relaxing... good luck and let us know how you get along!
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