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Post by badsoden on Aug 11, 2015 12:38:59 GMT
Hi Colin, I would love to have go at building one of these amps. Is it advisable for a complete amp DIY novice to attempt?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2015 13:02:08 GMT
Ask James I have found them easy but I have done this stuff a few weeks now about 2500 weeks approx.
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Post by badsoden on Aug 11, 2015 13:11:32 GMT
I have had experience of using a soldering iron my main issue would be where to source power supplies, heat sink, a case, cable connectors or any of the other extra bits I will need.
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Post by pre65 on Aug 11, 2015 13:19:15 GMT
Hi Colin, I would love to have go at building one of these amps. Is it advisable for a complete amp DIY novice to attempt? 
With kits like World Designs sell there are detailed step by step instructions and photos to guide the inexperienced, but Colin's kit is a PCB that you need to populate yourself (unless you go for the ready built version) and I would say a reasonable knowledge of electronics and a steady hand with the soldering iron were the minimum requirements.
You could have a go, but if you "bugger things up" it's an expensive lesson.
The advice I got when I first started was to buy an inexpensive Maplins project ( something like a flashing christmas tree  and practice on that.  |
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Post by pre65 on Aug 11, 2015 13:24:06 GMT
I have had experience of using a soldering iron my main issue would be where to source power supplies, heat sink, a case, cable connectors or any of the other extra bits I will need.
I can't afford to go out and buy everything new from Farnell/Rapid/RS components but they are good places for most bits. I find Hi-fi collective a good place for boutique components.
www.hificollective.co.uk/componentshome.html |
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Post by pre65 on Aug 11, 2015 15:00:42 GMT
I've decided on a power supply now, and found a couple of bargain toroids on Ebay to power them.
I've gone for 22v + 22v as there is about a 4v drop through the supply and I need 18v at the amp input.
When all the bits are here I'll measure things up and design the case. 
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Post by pre65 on Aug 11, 2015 15:33:21 GMT
I've also ordered a sheet of 2mm FR4 circuit board (bare, no copper) and 200 turret tags to make two PSU boards.
I'll start making a list of all the components I need after the weekend.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2015 15:39:53 GMT
Interested in hearing your thoughts when finished Philip compared to the 211 or 845 you normally use
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Post by pre65 on Aug 11, 2015 15:47:58 GMT
Interested in hearing your thoughts when finished Philip compared to the 211 or 845 you normally use  ? It's been a long time since I played with 845, and I've never done 211. Mind you, when I showed the GK-71 (as a triode) at Owston the first time, Paul Barker commented that it was the nearest thing to a 211 that he had heard.  Yes, it will be an interesting comparison. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2015 16:14:09 GMT
Ok Philip
Apologies for the mix up with the valve types, should be an interesting take on how each other presents the sound.
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Post by Sovereign on Aug 11, 2015 19:08:48 GMT
I have had experience of using a soldering iron my main issue would be where to source power supplies, heat sink, a case, cable connectors or any of the other extra bits I will need. Hi Badsoden I'm the James Colin is referring to, the big SECA I made wasn't my first build, I've spent a lot of time building a DIY dac called a DDDAC. For me when making the DDDAC I didn't find too bad, I would say it was a fairly complicated project and my biggest problem was my lack of patience, rather than lack of skill, but I've always been fairly good with my hands. However when I did make mistakes , and there were a few, as I had no electrical knowledge I wasn't able to work out what the problem was but the guys on DIY audio were brilliant and very helpful, if you go for the self build and get stuck post some pictures up here and you will find people will be all over it to help you out. I would say go for it, but if in doubt you have the option of the pre built boards. From looking at the DIY boards they seem quite simple compared to the larger SECA that I built. In terms of knowing cable , switches, sockets , cases, heat sinks etc to me that is the easy part and I or Paul , quickie, can help. |
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Post by Sovereign on Aug 11, 2015 19:29:35 GMT
I've decided on a power supply now, and found a couple of bargain toroids on Ebay to power them.
I've gone for 22v + 22v as there is about a 4v drop through the supply and I need 18v at the amp input.
When all the bits are here I'll measure things up and design the case. what is the psu you tend to use ? |
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Post by pre65 on Aug 11, 2015 20:43:43 GMT
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Post by Sovereign on Aug 11, 2015 23:08:09 GMT
Thanks Philip that's a brave move, what made you steer away from Colin's PSU, did you say you thought it too complicated ? |
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Post by pre65 on Aug 12, 2015 7:52:23 GMT
I want to put something of "me" into the build.
I find in life that sometimes I am "guided" to certain courses of action, and I follow this "intuition", or whatever one may call it.
Should it not work out then there is always a mk 2 version to attempt with something different.
In no way am I dissing Colins dynamic PSU board, I'm sure it's the mutts nutts.
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Post by badsoden on Aug 12, 2015 8:01:15 GMT
I'm the James Colin is referring to, the big SECA I made wasn't my first build, I've spent a lot of time building a DIY dac called a DDDAC. For me when making the DDDAC I didn't find too bad, I would say it was a fairly complicated project and my biggest problem was my lack of patience, rather than lack of skill, but I've always been fairly good with my hands. However when I did make mistakes , and there were a few, as I had no electrical knowledge I wasn't able to work out what the problem was but the guys on DIY audio were brilliant and very helpful, if you go for the self build and get stuck post some pictures up here and you will find people will be all over it to help you out. I would say go for it, but if in doubt you have the option of the pre built boards. From looking at the DIY boards they seem quite simple compared to the larger SECA that I built. In terms of knowing cable , switches, sockets , cases, heat sinks etc to me that is the easy part and I or Paul , quickie, can help. Hi James, I was thinking I might be better off starting with Colin's pre-built boards. At least that will give me an opportunity to understand how it's all put together then if I want to build another one later I could go down a more DIY route. Hi Colin, What do you supply with the pre-built SECA board? |
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Post by MartinT on Aug 13, 2015 7:16:49 GMT
Good old 2N3055 / 2955 power trannies, they still get everywhere.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2015 9:23:31 GMT
Good old 2N3055 / 2955 power trannies, they still get everywhere.  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2015 18:00:43 GMT
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Post by Sovereign on Aug 14, 2015 18:28:29 GMT
I have bought eleven cases from modshop and the service is second to none
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and practice on that. 
