[Onix]

A friend is going to help me buld a Grado amp clone, but we can't find a single distribuitor for all the parts. I know hunting all over the place it's part of the game, but from here in Mexico is not very practical and it means that we have to pay 20 dollars to one guy in order to get 2 dollars worth of resistors and 20 to another in order to get five dollars of capacitors. So, I was wondering if someone has the parts already and is willing to sell them to me. I don't mind paying a bit extra as long as it's reasonable. So far, this is what I need to get:

2 Solen Caps 5.1mF-400v

2 Elna Cerafine Caps 470mF-25V

2 Vishay Dale CMF resistors 122K 1/4w

2 Vishay Dale CMF resistors 465K 1/4w

2 Vishay Dale CMF resistors 100K 1/4w

2 Vishay Dale CMF resistors 4,7K 1/4w

1 Vishay Dale CMF resistors 10K 1/4w

The rest of the stuff I can get in Mexico and I'm getting a Blue Alps pot from Tangent. So you see, all I need is the guts for the amp. I could try and get some equivalents in Mexico, but paying 5cents for resistors made in China doesn't seem like a very good idea, at least regarding quality. As for the money, you could get it next week at the least. So please, give a hand to an old buddy. Okay?

 

[eyevancsu]

maybe you can try:

http://www.welbornelabs.com/parts.htm

i know they carry 470uf {16v not 25v} elnas, they have some solen "Fast caps" and now carry vishay/dale resistors.

regards

 

[Onix]

Quote:

Originally posted by eyevancsu maybe you can try: http://www.welbornelabs.com/parts.htm i know they carry 470uf {16v not 25v} elnas, they have some solen "Fast caps" and now carry vishay/dale resistors. regards

Thank you, but they don't have the exact values. I'm still open to suggestions and looking for help

 

[Haoleb]

I was planning to make the same thing, and found a source for all the parts. Not the same audiophile grade componets, but still found them all at one place. You seem to have a few different parts list then what ive got. www.mouser.com is the place. my suggestion is go to www.findchips.com and type in the part you need and it searched between 15 or so suppliers websites to see if they have it.

 

[Onix]

Quote:

Originally posted by Haoleb I was planning to make the same thing, and found a source for all the parts. Not the same audiophile grade componets, but still found them all at one place. You seem to have a few different parts list then what ive got. www.mouser.com is the place. my suggestion is go to www.findchips.com and type in the part you need and it searched between 15 or so suppliers websites to see if they have it.

So, what's on your list? Maybe that will save me trouble. The problem is to find the parts in one single place just to save money. If I have to get them from two, that will inflate my budget by another 50 bucks. I am just trying to keep things on the cheap here. Thanks.

 

[Haoleb]

Well i got my parts list from the schematics here :

http://www.geocities.com/rubin_jpk/rubin/page_4.html

And ive got:

100k Pot
(2) 100k resistors
(2) 121k resistors
(2) 464k resistors
(2) 5uf capacitor
(2) .12uf capacitor
NJM4556AD OpAmp im ordering 5 of these since they are real cheap and easily blow or so i hear.

And then things like two 9v battery holders, a 1/4 inch headphone plug, left and right rca jacks, switch, perf board,And and a box to put it all in. And im ordering about 5 of each thing except the 5uf caps so that i can build Another one if i want and because they are just cheap parts. My total came to $20.29 at mouser. Not including the perf board,case, or the pot.

 

[Onix]

Originally posted by Haoleb
Well i got my parts list from the schematics here :

http://www.geocities.com/rubin_jpk/rubin/page_4.html

And ive got:

100k Pot
(2) 100k resistors
(2) 121k resistors
(2) 464k resistors
(2) 5uf capacitor
(2) .12uf capacitor
NJM4556AD OpAmp im ordering 5 of these since they are real cheap and easily blow or so i hear.

And then things like two 9v battery holders, a 1/4 inch headphone plug, left and right rca jacks, switch, perf board,And and a box to put it all in. And im ordering about 5 of each thing except the 5uf caps so that i can build Another one if i want and because they are just cheap parts. My total came to $20.29 at mouser. Not including the perf board,case, or the pot. /QUOTE]

Yep, there´s a small difference in values, and also on my powesource. That one is based on che CMOY amp. Maybe I should just get the Solen caps and then use resistors I can get here. What Caps are you using besides the Solen?

 

[tangent]

Vishay-Dale has manufacturing in Mexico. You're sure there are no local distributors that carry the line?

Looks like Arrow, Future and Avnet all have local sales offices:

http://vishay.com/resistors-discrete/sales?locs=Mexico

Not all of these will be willing to accept small orders, but it doesn't hurt to ask, does it?

 

[Onix]

Quote:

Originally posted by tangent Vishay-Dale has manufacturing in Mexico. You're sure there are no local distributors that carry the line? Looks like Arrow, Future and Avnet all have local sales offices: http://vishay.com/resistors-discrete/sales?locs=Mexico Not all of these will be willing to accept small orders, but it doesn't hurt to ask, does it?

I wonder how that didn't pop up before. Thanks, I'll check them out, but probably won't sell me a docen resistors only. I'll give it a try aniway. Thanks.

 

[jiggler]

If you change the power supply, you'll change the sound of the amp. Stick to the 0.12uF power coupling caps and place them as close to the power pins on the opamp as possible.

 

[Onix]

Quote:

Originally posted by jiggler If you change the power supply, you'll change the sound of the amp. Stick to the 0.12uF power coupling caps and place them as close to the power pins on the opamp as possible.

Well, Gariver got the idea of changing the power supply and got really happy about the results. I am also getting a different potentiometer: Alps Blue

. So, instead of a clone its more of a revised version.

 

[jiggler]

Well, then your basically just building a CMOY using the NJR4556 opamp. I wouldn't call it an RA-1 clone.

 

[ADS]

Quote:

Originally posted by jiggler Well, then your basically just building a CMOY using the NJR4556 opamp. I wouldn't call it an RA-1 clone.

That's essentially what the RA-1 is.

 

[Squalish]

Sorry for not responding to the PM earlier. I'd be happy to, but while I have the parts for pretty much an exact clone right now, I'm not sure if it would be worth it for 6 resistors and 2 caps that cost about $6. Metal film resistors are cheap and pretty generic; You can get some there and hand-match as closely as you want.

Partsexpress will ship two solens to mexico city for $5 + $16 S/H (so if you go that route, it makes sense to buy several), my own shipping costs would be similar, if not more. They also have 1/2w 5% resistors at $0.50 for a 10pack(buy a few packs if you're worried about tolerance), and they have cheap caps that you could use until you get the cerafines at about $0.50. They do add $3 to orders under $20, but at least the option is there.

 

[jiggler]

Your missing the point ADS. Grado designed the RA-1 to be transparent. One component of acheiving this design was the omission of the power caps. Add them back in and you are changing an intentional design decision.