small tube amp kits

[unknownuser]

Has anyone built one of those small 8WPC tube amp kits you see all over the web?
<A HREF="https://secure.tubesandmore.com/new/scripts/silverware.exe/moreinfo@d">https://secure.tubesandmore.com/new/scripts/silverware.exe/moreinfo@d</A>:/dfs/elevclients/cemirror/ELEVATOR.FXP?item=K-502
It looks like a fun little project, and then the associated project of building speakers to go with it!


(Originally posted by: jim)

[mike_e]

> Has anyone built one of those small 8WPC
> tube amp kits you see all over the web?
>
> <A HREF="https://secure.tubesandmore.com/new/scripts/silverware.exe/moreinfo@d">https://secure.tubesandmore.com/new/scripts/silverware.exe/moreinfo@d</A>
> :/dfs/elevclients/cemirror/ELEVATOR.FXP?item=K-502
> It looks like a fun little project, and then
> the associated project of building speakers
> to go with it!
if i had the money and was building one. I hear the EL tubes are nice as well as the kt88's i think thats there name....

[unknownuser]

> if i had the money and was building one. I
> hear the EL tubes are nice as well as the
> kt88's i think thats there name....
these little guys are only 150 bucks so are within my price range and run on some rather unusual tubes.


(Originally posted by: jim)

[Æ]

Provided Link: Tube Amp Kit (http://s5electronics.com/tube5a.html)


Take a look at what I built from kit.
Scroll down and look at the pictures.
Mine is the bottom one.
Wood is not included in kit, only circuit board transformers and components.

> Has anyone built one of those small 8WPC
> tube amp kits you see all over the web?
>
> <A HREF="https://secure.tubesandmore.com/new/scripts/silverware.exe/moreinfo@d">https://secure.tubesandmore.com/new/scripts/silverware.exe/moreinfo@d</A>
> :/dfs/elevclients/cemirror/ELEVATOR.FXP?item=K-502
> It looks like a fun little project, and then
> the associated project of building speakers
> to go with it!

[andre]

> Take a look at what I built from kit.
> Scroll down and look at the pictures.
> Mine is the bottom one.
> Wood is not included in kit, only circuit
> board transformers and components.

Wow ! AE, you did a very nice job, very pro. What kind of speaker (efficacity db?) are you driving with this little gem?

[unknownuser]

> Take a look at what I built from kit.
> Scroll down and look at the pictures.
> Mine is the bottom one.
> Wood is not included in kit, only circuit
> board transformers and components.
I think i know what i am getting myself for christmas this year! now to design appropriate speakers
thanks


(Originally posted by: jim)

[chadg]

Provided Link: http://chadgray.info/


I have always wanted to built a tube amp.

How would you rate the build difficulty?
1 being for people that have never picked up a soldering iron

10 being a EE with access to lots of equipment and knowledge

I dont do schematics very well. Or at least it takes me forever to decipher them.

[andre]

> I have always wanted to built a tube amp.

> How would you rate the build difficulty?
> 1 being for people that have never picked up
> a soldering iron

> 10 being a EE with access to lots of
> equipment and knowledge

> I dont do schematics very well. Or at least
> it takes me forever to decipher them.
Chad, Most of the time, it's less complex to build tube amp/preamp than SS, but the chassis need a lot more of work and you have to deal with 300 to 400 VOLTS circuit, this can kill you, so you have to learn a lot before plugging your soldering iron !!!

[Æ]

Actually I'm not using it.
Not just yet, anyway. Was thinking of using it in bedroom or office as an up close and personal mini system with some small speakers.

> Wow ! AE, you did a very nice job, very pro.
> What kind of speaker (efficacity db?) are
> you driving with this little gem?

[Æ]

If you have good soldering skills it should be no problem. If you are building a kit, just make sure to follow the instructions. And if you have questions, ask the manufacturer or search for (discussion groups) others who have built the same amp.

> I have always wanted to built a tube amp.

> How would you rate the build difficulty?
> 1 being for people that have never picked up
> a soldering iron

> 10 being a EE with access to lots of
> equipment and knowledge

> I dont do schematics very well. Or at least
> it takes me forever to decipher them.

[chadg]

Provided Link: http://chadgray.info/


I will call this company. It appears to be one of the most afforable tube amp kits i have seen so far. Most of the ones i have seen in the last were $300+.

I wonder if there are any tweaks. Like upgrading the transformers.

[madrok]

No question of reading schematics. The circuit board is numbered and the parts are color coded and the pictures in the manual are pretty good. The directions are thorough. The design is simple and the parts-count is low.

There are only a few steps that are fiddly. You need to be able to make a good-quality circuit-board solder joint. Grounding the volume control to the board was a pain.

Some of the parts are noticeably cheap. I tightened the steel binding posts too much and one of them broke. Luckily RatShack is around the corner. Thats the first thing I would upgrade: go to gold-plated brass binding posts. Then maybe chassis-mounted RCA connectors. But it's silly to go crazy on upgrades on an amp this inexpensive.

Altogether, a really fun and nice project. Buy the cage/chassis, from Arizona Tube(?), for an extra $100 or so unless you want to build your own.

[chadg]

Provided Link: http://chadgray.info/


How did you connect the caps on your version?

The caps are sitting right on the board and should be protruding through your aluminum plate.

Is it a big deal to relocate the caps, RCA plugs, and binding posts?

I really like the look of your amp!

If you have any pictures of your assembly please email them to me.

[chadg]

Provided Link: http://chadgray.info/


Thanks Madrok!

I really like the way Æ made his chassis. I would want to make it look exactly the same so i will need to move some parts around like the caps, rca plugs, and binding posts.

It will be me a reason to use up some exotic wood.

[Æ]

All the components except the tubes(sockets) and bridge rectifier are soldered to the 'wrong' side of the printed circuit board. All the capacitors and resistors (any two legged component) can be soldered to either side, as long as you observe proper capacitor polarity. I have the bridge rectifier properly mounted, but pressing up against the underside of the aluminum top plate along with some thermal grease so that it serves as a heatsink.
I did run into one small problem though. The volume pot was also soldered to the 'wrong' side of the circuit board, which caused the volume roataion to go backwards. Haven't quite figured out how to fix it easily.

> How did you connect the caps on your
> version?

> The caps are sitting right on the board and
> should be protruding through your aluminum
> plate.

> Is it a big deal to relocate the caps, RCA
> plugs, and binding posts?

> I really like the look of your amp!

> If you have any pictures of your assembly
> please email them to me.

[chadg]

Provided Link: http://chadgray.info/


Great idea!

If i do this i will remember to not solder the pot on the wrong side, but run some jumper wires from the board out to the pot and mount the pot to my wood chassis.

Thanks! Should be a fun project!

[howard]

> Thanks Madrok!

> I really like the way Æ made his chassis. I
> would want to make it look exactly the same
> so i will need to move some parts around
> like the caps, rca plugs, and binding posts.

> It will be me a reason to use up some exotic
> wood.
Chad, check this site.
<A HREF="http://www.timn8er.com/s5_electronics_k.htm">http://www.timn8er.com/s5_electronics_k.htm</A>

[chadg]

Provided Link: http://chadgray.info


> Chad, check this site.
> <A HREF="http://www.timn8er.com/s5_electronics_k.htm">http://www.timn8er.com/s5_electronics_k.htm</A>

Thanks for the link Howard! I cant wait to start playing with this amp.

I asked over at Madisound about tube amp kits and i never ran across this one. I am glad i stumbled upon it here at PE.

[unknownuser]

> Thanks for the link Howard! I cant wait to
> start playing with this amp.

> I asked over at Madisound about tube amp
> kits and i never ran across this one. I am
> glad i stumbled upon it here at PE.
tubesandmore.com is a great company i will be purchasing ths kit from them and i am thinking about a 2 way with the german 7" buyouts to go with it. they are pretty darn efficient



(Originally posted by: jim)

[howard]

> Thanks for the link Howard! I cant wait to
> start playing with this amp.

> I asked over at Madisound about tube amp
> kits and i never ran across this one. I am
> glad i stumbled upon it here at PE.
Chad, a second link:
<A HREF="http://homepage.mac.com/calhoun/projects/s5amp/">http://homepage.mac.com/calhoun/projects/s5amp/</A>

[chadg]

Provided Link: http://chadgray.info/


Thanks Howard and Jim!

I made my purchase today. It should be a fun project and it gives me a reason to make some super efficient speakers to go with it.

I was thinking about making my chassis capable of docking my iPod also. A little mix of new and old technology.