Can someone build me a CMoy or MINT?

[appar111]

Looking for someone that can build me a CMoy or a MINT amp. I found a couple interesting tins at World Market that would look awesome as amps (a Dragonfire cinnamons tin, an altoids sour apple gum tin, and a few others) and unfortunately I have no skills at building amps.

Please contact me if you can help out, and I can supply the tins.

thanks!

 

[Sinbios]

Why not buy a pre-made one? I have one for sale at http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...51#post1388351

 

[drewd]

Why not buy a pre-made one?

Because then he can't use the interesting tins that he bought at World Market!

-Drew

 

[dsavitsk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by appar111 Looking for someone that can build me a CMoy or a MINT amp. I found a couple interesting tins at World Market that would look awesome as amps (a Dragonfire cinnamons tin, an altoids sour apple gum tin, and a few others) and unfortunately I have no skills at building amps. Please contact me if you can help out, and I can supply the tins. thanks!

There has been a recent crackdown in the diy forum regarding the buying/selling of stuff. You need to find an appropriate place to ask for someone to build this. Try the buy/sell forum, or maybe the Mall-Fi forum.

-d

 

[appar111]

LOL, exactly Drew! Good to see you! Here are some of the tins I was looking at (the altoids gum tin is smaller than the typical mint tin, so it would probably only accomodate a Cmoy):

 

[n_maher]

For the record, imho, MINTs sound much better than cmoys, require less headache to build (less PTP wiring, panel mounted components) and don't really cost that much more. I use a MINT every day at work.

If I didn't have so much poop going on I'd build you one for the cost of parts alone, which I believe is the standard that Rickr is looking for in the DIY forum.

Nate

 

[IEATTEFLON]

I agree with n_maher. Go with a MINT amp although it won't fit inside any of those tins that you want. IMHO they're hard to beat sound and price wise.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_maher For the record, imho, MINTs sound much better than cmoys, require less headache to build (less PTP wiring, panel mounted components) and don't really cost that much more. I use a MINT every day at work. If I didn't have so much poop going on I'd build you one for the cost of parts alone, which I believe is the standard that Rickr is looking for in the DIY forum. Nate

I'm curious about this. Many folks around here seem to think that the MINT is more difficult because of the surface mount components. I was holding off for that reason. Is there a different soldering technique involved?

 

[drewd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey I'm curious about this. Many folks around here seem to think that the MINT is more difficult because of the surface mount components. I was holding off for that reason. Is there a different soldering technique involved?

Not so much different as careful. For me, the trick is to put a bit of solder on one pad, place the part with tweezers and then solder the pin while holding the part in place with the tweezers. After that, it's a piece of cake to solder the remaining pins. You don't need some super fine tip, just patience and a relatively steady hand.

Just go slow. And if you gob too much solder, use some desoldering braid to pick it up. And start with the surface mount parts first - don't do any through hole stuff until the chips are soldered down.

-Drew

 

[n_maher]

We're straying a bit off topic, but yes, a different soldering technique may be used with the MINT. However, standard soldering techniques may be used it just takes a steady hand, a small-tipped iron, a good magnifying glass and lots of patience. Both the buffers and the opamp chips are surface-mount chips that are about the size of a pencil eraser.

Drew's method will work, but as an alternate try just taping the chip down with clear tape so that one half the chip's legs are exposed. I keep the tape off of the the legs of the chip and try and have the tape only adhered to the top surface of the chip. As Drew noted, once you have one leg fastened down it'll stay in place so I usually remove the tape after the first leg so that I don't have to worry about melting.

N

 

[dsavitsk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_maher Drew's method will work, but as an alternate try just taping the chip down with clear tape so that one half of the legs are exposed.

This is what I do, but I have had it happen where the tape melted onto the pins coating them in plastic goo. To avoid this, just don't use too much heat.

 

[appar111]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IEATTEFLON I agree with n_maher. Go with a MINT amp although it won't fit inside any of those tins that you want. IMHO they're hard to beat sound and price wise.

Darn, it won't fit into any of them? I also have a watch tin that's much taller than an altoids tin, but about the same width and depth. Would be plenty of room for two 9V's, I'm guessing.

So the MINT amp fits fine in a standard altoids tin? If so, I'd probably choose the licorice altoids tin (black and white, looks pretty bad-azz). The ginger altoids tin is also a little different.

 

[RnB180]

Quote:

Originally Posted by appar111 LOL, exactly Drew! Good to see you! Here are some of the tins I was looking at (the altoids gum tin is smaller than the typical mint tin, so it would probably only accomodate a Cmoy):

cmoy circular altoid tins are everywhere on ebay. have you tried ebay yet?

 

[kramer5150]

Hey... I have that altoids gum tin on my desk now. No it doesnt house an amp, I use it to carry gum

You should be aware that the lid dents very easily. Its got a slight concave dome shape, that dents much easier than the other tins in your pic. You can kind of push it back out so its smooth though.

Garrett

 

[Sinbios]

think the circular tins would work, just won't hold batteries.