[blipblop]

Here's a quick thread to see who the veterans and who the boys are. Post what you've built and how many of them, and any mods you feel worthwhile to mention! This way people may get some good ideas on common, and worthwhile mods.

I'll start:

Amp: Miniature CMOY [almost done!]
Mods: 1000uf Power Caps for extra bass, box Input caps to save space


obviously, I ain't no vet. I did wire a house once though...

 

[10SNE1]

Headphone stuff:

Three Gilmore class A modded for lower operating voltages, one PPA

Other:
Many computers
TV set (Heathkit)
Many stereo amps/preamps
Various radio control sets including servos
Oscilloscope, other test equipment like DVM, FETVM, optical tach
Many power supplies and battery chargers
Loudspeakers

I too have rewired a house including the service entrance and panel. Also repiped with copper

 

[ilikemonkeys]

Ok, you guys really make me feel like an IDIOT!

I cant even replace a lightbulb without cutting myself.

I like to poke my head in here and look at those cool amps you all build.

BILL

 

[NucHaz]

Im still pretty much a noob in most respects of this hobby, but ive built a nice varitey of stuff so far.

4 or 5 cmoys (only have 1 left that survived, the rest I salvaged for parts, or modded into other amps)
1 A-47's
1 RA-1
1 RA-47 (dual opamp RA-1, my personal fav. portable amp)
1 Meta42 (pretty much standard config)
2 Maxed Meta47's (dual OPA627's followed by a quad stack of buf634's per channel, built the second one for a buddy)
1 Kevin Gilmore PSU, the whole works, using 6800uf nich gold caps and 4.7uf Aeons (powers my personal maxed meta47)
1 digitaly controled input switcher (my design)

someday when I get my hands on a digital camera, I would love to take pics of my primary amp, it looks outstanding, did a lot of scroll-saw work on it, and used PVC coner posts painted with mirage green/purple color changing paint, Im especialy proud of how it came out. My favorite part is how I can open the top and get inside without the use of any tools

I could go on and on with the several computers ive built, the metalwork ive down, woodwork, done a bit of electrical work myself also, only wired up a room thou, nothing big.

Ive been into the hobby for bout a year and 1/4 now, started with absolutly no knowlage of anything electronic. (well aside for how to operate stuff)

 

[eyevancsu]

1. too many cmoys, regular size
2. 1 smt cmoy with regular film and power caps, 1 all smt cmoy
3. 1 meta42
4. 2 pimetas, and two more on the way
5. 1 mint on the way
6. standalone crossfeed with tangents board
7. bugle phono preamp

 

[10SNE1]

Quote:

the metalwork ive down, woodwork,

Nothing wrong with stating that - a good part of making a DIY project memorable is the finish work - enclosure work, wiring.

Any experience or tips helps those of us who have strengths in some areas of assembly but could use help in other areas.

 

[myself, aka me]

A META42 and a few Cmoys of varying sizes (smallest one is shorter and as wide as an AA battery). A crossfeed with Tangent's board. I'm about to start a matrix board of the PIMETA schematic.

 

[NucHaz]

One tip I could add in the area of metalworking, or case working in general. It extremely handy to have a sheet of light gauge aluminium around, along with some tin-snips to cut it with, a rubber mallet, sheet-metal hammer and a vice, and of course a drill (or drill-press) and a nice selection of bits.
With this, anytime you need any type, size, style of bracket, face plate, or anything like this, its a sinch to make. cut it out with the tin snips, beat it out on the vice and drill it out on the drill. (helps to have some sand paper on hand to take care of any sharp edges too)

My main amp case is a massive 12"x 12"x 4" high case with designs cut out in the front for light (with aluminium brackets that hold LED's pointed downward @ a 45 degree angle above the light holes) and the top has some wild designs into it to, mostly I wanted something to vent heat out, but I made sure it was very attractive. Cut the designs out with a scroll saw. I attached all the wood togather with aluminium brackets, then covered the bolts with 1 1/2" PVC w/ end caps on top and couplers on the bottom, and a small portion of the PVC cut out to fit the corner (used dremal for that) and the top is hinged and snuggly kinda "snaps" in, without the snap. its hinged on the back so I can just open it anytime I want to gaze at my handy work.

I attached a crappy picture of it (all I have for a digi cam right now is one of them "pen" cameras

, it was free at least, heh. And a quick note, as of right now, it only has 1 led, still havent ordered any more yet, hate to spend $8 shipping for $2 worth of led's

 

[10SNE1]

Even with the blurry picture, it looks great.

Part of the fun is seeing the artistry that some of the DIYers have demonstrated in casework. After all, even the now common Altoids case was an imaginative solution to enclosing the pocket amps.

 

[jboehle]

- 1 Cmoy: I butchered an Altoids tin with my Dewalt drill, then opted for a larger but easier to drill RS case. Worked great on the first try, currently using it at the office.

- 1000+ cables: video cables, audio cables, you name it, I've built it, well except for balanced cables. Yes, I own a cable/DIY company providing supplies to the rest of you!

- Working on my 1st PPA right now, only have the C1 & C4 caps and vol. pot so far, I'm being way too picky about the rest of the parts! Have the buffers on the way, and should be placing an order with Mouser and one with Percy Audio for the rest of the stuff soon. Going to do all the wiring with 23.5ga Cardas chassis wire, already have OPA637/627 to try, and will be listening via Sennheiser HD600s.

- Too many computers to list or even think of.

- A gate for the fence in my backyard.

I'm horrible at the casework for amps. I think for my PPA I will use Front Panel Express to make me up a custom, cool looking front and rear panels, along with the std. black Hammond case. Who knows, I might even find someone locally who will anodize it in a bright red for me. I think a cherry red case with white panels/red writing would rock!

-Jason

 

[KTpG]

finished:
1 HeadBanger (my first amp... not pretty)
1 heavily modded Headbanger... my 2nd amp after I learned some stuff
too many Altoids tin CMOY's to count... a few on Tangent's layout, the rest on mine
CMOY in 9V battery-- with power supply-- 6V photocell and all thye usual goodies
ultra-mini A47 to fit in 9V battery
larger A47 on RS150 board
buffered amp in Altoids tin (OPA2132+BUF634T)
6GM8 tube preamp (runs on all batteries)
buffered Jung multiloop amp (non Altoids)

current/upcoming projects:
BUF634+OPA2132 in 9V battery (maybe...)
CMOY in new mini Altoids gum tin
another BUF634T+OPA something multiloop amp in Altoids tin (new layout by me...)
tube/MOSFET hybrid amp
Szekeres (maybe... perhaps a modded Szekeres to drive speakers with a tube input)
anything else I can think of that presents a good challenge...

I try to create my own miniature board layouts whenever possible... and dopn't build on PCB's... though I have thought about it... but I just won't. heh Maybe I'll break down someday, though. Once I get back into building I'll turn out some new layouts and such... I am on break right now.

EDIT: Forgot... made several DIY cables out of CAT5... RCA interconnects, 1/8" mini ICs.... speaker wires (sound darn good too)... replacement cables for HD580...

discrete rail splitter.... discrete class A amp (design of my own- didn't like it much)

Also... Gainclone amp with Burr-Brown OPA541 chips in a shoebox... yes... a shoebox. hehe It is quite unique... I even made the heatsinks myself.

AND.... a front hornloaded midbass/midrange horn using a 3" midbass driver... again.... in a shoebox.

Looked cool... sounded great actually. But it kind of fell apart... the vibrations from the 3" woofer tore it apart. BTW... a 3" woofer in a horn can play 30 Hz audibly....

Why not list everything... built a DPL12 sonosub as well... absolutely shakes the house in movies.

and while I am at it... I breadboarded so many different circuits of my own testing back a while.... they weren't evern buitl on protoboard, so I guess they don't count... but I had tons of experiments that worked VERY well...

Ok... I am gonna quit now and go back to jamming.

 

[Sewer Guy]

Here's my list.
5 computers
Many balanced mike & line level cables
12 Dyna kit tube amps & preamps
A 6 input tube recording mixer; 3 channels out
Numerous power supplies
Professional transformerless mike preamps (manufg. & sold them)
Designed & manufactured custom mixing consoles; 28 input.
Now building two PPA's
Heatkits- 2 "o"scopes, 2 AC Voltmeters, Swept Function Generator
Intermodulation Dist. Analyzer, XY Plotter, Williamson tube amp.
Harmonic Dist. Analyzer

Note: I had a studio design, equipment sales & service co. in Nashville a number of years ago.

 

[was ist los?]

Many Cmoys and RA-1 clones
Linkwitz X-feed
A47
Meta42 clone
Modded MINTs
Custom Pimeta based amp
RA-1 clone with buffers
Rebuilding a Gilmore dynamic now
PS-1
Building a DAC
Many interconnects based on the Venhaus design

Almost nothing else audio related except RC cars, but i guess those don't really count.

 

[ckng]

1 META42 (complete)
1 MINT (missing 3.5mm input/output jacks, switch)

That's all, probably going to start on a PPA soon.

Regards
CK