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Amplifiers as art

Discussion in 'DIY' started by fraggler, Dec 17, 2015.

  1. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    So I am pretty much done doing DIY for my main rig after I finished the Bottlehead S.E.X. and got humbled by the Beta22. However, I still get the itch from time to time and want to find a project more for the art and not necessarily for the sound. What I am looking for are suggestions for relatively simple circuits that can be done point to point and look pretty. I saw some old Cmoys done point to point and encased in plexi that looked pretty cool. If we are talking art, something tube based could be fun. I might start with the Cmoy since I have built a few and they are pretty easy, but I am open to suggestions, even if just links to things you all think look cool. Thanks!
     
    fraggler, Dec 17, 2015
    #1
  2. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    Pass. Nelson Pass.
     
    Hrodulf, Dec 17, 2015
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  3. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Wow, that was fast!. Thank you for the recommendation. I have been eyeballing Pass designs for quite some time, but most of what I have found requires quite large heatsinks and toroids. I will certainly build something of his someday, but something a bit smaller (and cheaper) might be a better starting point. Thanks!
     
    fraggler, Dec 17, 2015
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  4. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    fraggler, Dec 17, 2015
    #4
  5. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    That one is definitely cool. I'm very interested in those copper rods he's got everything connected to, does anyone know where to source them?

    I'm working on a CMOY with a regulated power supply in a wood case, and have been thinking about the aesthetic design, so this thread is timely!

    PS, @fraggler what do you mean you got humbled by the Beta22?
     
    sphinxvc, Dec 17, 2015
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  6. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    The Beast with a Thousand Jfets by Nelson Pass

    [​IMG]
     
    sphinxvc, Dec 17, 2015
    #6
  7. Tuco1965

    Tuco1965 Suffring from early onset Alzheimer's - Friend

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    The copper looks an awful lot like the ground wire in 14/2 NMD7 wire.
     
    Tuco1965, Dec 17, 2015
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  8. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    I couldn't get past troubleshooting on a couple boards. I shorted one out with my probes. Another I thought was good, but then blew out a driver on my headphones. Took a break that became a couple years and finally sold everything off to another DIYer.
     
    fraggler, Dec 17, 2015
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  9. Smitty

    Smitty Too good for bad vodka - Friend

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    Please tell me there's a schematic for that, it would be perfect for when I win the lottery.

    Anywho, I'm looking at building one of DHTRob's 26 preamps because glowing globes like pretty. I'm also trying to see if I can find a good PP 2a3 design, and maybe seeing if I can figure out how to do a high-frequency AC heater for DHT tubes. Lots of guys talk about AC heaters being better, but I want to move the hum out of the audible range.
     
    Smitty, Dec 23, 2015
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  10. T.Rainman

    T.Rainman Acquaintance

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    T.Rainman, Dec 24, 2015
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  11. Smitty

    Smitty Too good for bad vodka - Friend

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    Yeah, looked up prices for those jfets, that's not something I'm going to be able to make anytime soon. You can't find them in bulk anywhere except for alibaba, and that's a bit too sketchy for me. Well, that and I don't have a few grand to sink into something like this on a whim.
     
    Smitty, Dec 24, 2015
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  12. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    Pete Millett has a design for exactly that type of heater. Its just not completely developed yet.

    http://www.pmillett.com/hf_fil.htm
     
    Cspirou, Dec 25, 2015
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  13. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    This is sexy. I love floating designs. Usually you would need a larger base, which limits the viewing angles on the floating illusion. But here, the cubes increase the viewing angle by allowing the middle connecting block to be narrower, and it looks cool to boot.

    [​IMG]

    Yesterday I had a brilliant idea to case up my Cmoy - hollow out a 2x4. Before I had any pretensions of brilliance however, the internet humbled me. Someone's already done it, put electronics in it, and put up an article too. Here's a picture from the article.

    This is simple, creative, sustainable, dirt cheap, and easy. I'll post a picture of my Cmoy in one of these soon.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2015
    sphinxvc, Dec 31, 2015
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  14. T.Rainman

    T.Rainman Acquaintance

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    Grado beat you to it as well...

    [​IMG]

    They actually went as far as painting the innards with conductive paint so there would be some shielding as well.
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2015
    T.Rainman, Dec 31, 2015
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  15. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    Ha! Looks like they're doing a better job of it as well. Besides the shielding, they likely used a router and jig. I'm grabbing my drill and a spade bit, messy, and chips will fly.
     
    sphinxvc, Dec 31, 2015
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  16. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    I have a half built desktop cnc machine from Inventables that I really should finish. Could really open up possibilities for projects like this.
     
    fraggler, Dec 31, 2015
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  17. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    fraggler, Dec 31, 2015
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