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  1. 20 points
  2. First 2 chassis just arrived. Getting it tested!
    20 points
  3. Been working on this for a looong time. CFA3 from scratch mixed smd/thru-hole design. Currently assembled with NOS Toshiba 2SC3381/2SA1349 inputs, NOS MPSW TO-92L thru-hole transistors and bcxxx for the smd. Power consumption 75W no fan. Linear PSU with 20,000uf/63V filter capacitance — custom golden reference regulators. Final dimensions are 12x9x4.5” / 22lb+ the motorized 48 step attenuator w/ remote and display was a last minute addition. definitely interested in finding out the feedback for that, but would want it built backwards for a final design, I think.
    20 points
  4. Meeting with Purk and his friend, Wut. Unfortunately, nothing new to show to them. But, as usual, we went out for a lunch together, and I had to make sure that I fed them enough. 😆
    19 points
  5. I have exactly one neighbor. His name is Gary. He's a genuine boomer, turning 70 this year. He is some kind of special needs. In his day, on Marthas Vineyard, there wasn't much in the way of diagnosis so he just kind of got by. He lived with his mother until she passed on my birthday this year at the age of 93(!) Now Gary lives alone, and I live here on MV. Gary does okay, but my (sainted, octogenarian) mother does have some worries about him. He mentioned to her that his electric bill was over $200 this month. She said to me "you have an awful lot of spare LED bulbs, you should see if Gary would let us replace some of his incandescents." She wasn't wrong. For reasons not entirely worth explaining, I have 3-4 boxes of LED bulbs I brought with me to the Vineyard. My father was a hoarder of antique furniture. He built barns to hold it all: In spite of the thousands of records and CDs I own, not to mention the nightclub's worth of lighting gear (and all the stereo equipment) I own, I have always rejected the notion that I am a hoarder. Except for lightbulbs. I have to cop to it. I compulsively bought CFL bulbs when those were a thing, and then moved on to LED bulbs when they arrived. I have done some pretty neat things with them. I restored a bunch of antique lamps: (For colored bulbs, CFLs are better than LED. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.) Even with the lamps above and many more, I have a vast excess of LED bulbs. Today, with Gary's permission I went through his house and wrote down all of the bulbs I thought he could use. Then I went up to my attic where it was 115 goddamn degrees and dragged down a few boxes. I then spent an hour replacing the bulbs in most of Gary's house. I did most of the living area, and discussed with him a few spots I could not get to (the garage and basement.) He seemed pleased. Also I have (slightly) fewer bulbs kicking around now.
    17 points
  6. Happy 21st birthday to my daughter Zoë! I know I've known a lot of you since she was around 2-3 years old, and somehow she made it through to adulthood. Here she is at her birthday dinner with her future MIL, having her first legal drink! (And one of the very few she's ever had.) I'm really proud of her, and she had a good day. Her past two birthdays have been bad (tested positive for COVID in 2021 during her fall break an hour before she was leaving for the airport to fly home, and her now fiancee (Michael, above) had just driven home to CO, so she wound up in AZ all alone on her first birthday away from home. Today? Today started a new trend in her having good ones. ❤️
    16 points
  7. This will be a long drawn out post. Just a fair warning for those with better ways to spend 15 minutes or so. I hadn't posted about this here, but the last couple of months have been extremely difficult for my Mother. As it happens her husband stopped making the payments on the motor home (unbenounced to her) that they lived in. To make matters worse, it was close to being paid off. She had 3 days notice of repossession (they're both in their 80's). Couldn't find a way to stop that from here. But I was able to find a used 40' bumper pull trailer in great shape, very close to her. She was able to make that purchase, and the trailer was supposed to be delivered in 3 days time. So just a short hotel stay. That turned out to actually take over 3 weeks and a $2000 hotel stay. She's on a very fixed income. Then, after locking up her old motor home and actually cutting the water and electric hook ups, the bank decided that the motor home wasn't worth repossessing. The giant slide-out had rusted frozen after nearly 20 years in the South Texas beach weather. Also with my Mother and her husband both being legally blind, they had no idea that they were living in a roach infested, mold infested, horrible environment. They had a pretty bad roof leak. My Mom has COPD, and could barely walk from one end of the 32' motorhome, to the other. So, this frozen up motor home that wouldn't start, and was going to cost almost $4000 to be removed from the RV park they live in, the bank decided to abandon at the RV park, leaving my Mother on the hook for removal. Mind you, the bank held the title, left the motorhome locked and unusable (no hook ups). After talking to several businesses, my Mother discovered that no one would even consider moving it without a title. Long story longer, the bank wasn't able to get away with their despicable activities. I fully understand that the mortgage was behind some eight thousand dollars ( however, even though he had missed 8 payments, he had made 6 payments after that. Payments that the bank had accepted). And again, they were literally a few payments away from being payed off, minus the 8 back payments. She did end up having to make rent on two lots for one month, once the new trailer was finally delivered, and the old motor home was still in the old lot space. So, to catch up... They found a company to haul away the motor home with a giant wrecker. This company charged the bank (the legal owner) space rent, while they started refurbishing the motor home. The bank settled with them for lot rent and removal fees. The bank also settled with the RV park for lot space rent (2 months) which the park gave to my Mother. The RV sales company that turned a 3 day delivery into 3 weeks has agreed to reimburse my Mother for 80% of the hotel bill, and the hook ups that they were supposed to do and didn't, which my Mom had to pay someone else to do. Also the payment on the trailer was knocked down $130 a month. They told her that to qualify for the loan, she'd need an extended warranty. Turns out that was bullshit. And she had only financed $7000, and paid cash for the other $11,000. People really like to fuck over Senior citizens! Today I got the news that my Mother qualified for Medicaid. This also qualified her for a helper to come in 14 hrs. a week to clean, do laundry and all the shopping. My Mother and her husband can't drive anymore. He's almost fully blind, and she's loosing her sight pretty quickly ( both have macular degeneration). The Dr. has told her that her COPD is vastly improved (no mold or roach poop for a few months now). And finally, South Texas has no real transit help for Seniors or handicapped individuals. The bus they paid for to get to Dr. appointments is now also covered by Medicaid. That and they qualified for Meals on Wheels (more of a logistics challenge than a financial one). So, what was a complete pain in the ass, and absolutely despicable behavior by the bank (at least in my opinion), has now turned into a bit of a rainbow after a bad storm. I can't thank my Cousin enough, who spent hour after hour moving, boxing, cleaning and redelivering all of the roach infested clothing and belongings. Also pairing down a ton of crap that they just didn't need. Happy ending!
    16 points
  8. My younger niece (11) and folks are visiting us in Durango. Took the train to Silverton and went on the Alpine Slide at Purgatory Ski Resort. 20230730_145026.mov IMG_5113.mov
    16 points
  9. Yesterday we visited Sterling Pond, which just so happens to be the highest elevation trout pond in Vermont
    16 points
  10. About two weeks ago I finished up a job (I'm now on a new job). The homeowner Chris always had a nice plaid shirt on. We got to talking about plaid collections. Although mine was much bigger, he had all Pendleton wool plaid shirts. Very nice plaid shirts, for those not in the know. Today my boss met with Chris and his wife. Pretty much a final meeting. Chris asked him to give me a box. This was the box... Pendleton has many styles. My favorite being the "Board" edition. It's a casual style, not too western looking. And made to be worn untucked. A beautiful Board edition! These are in the $150 neighborhood. I love my job!
    16 points
  11. Here’s a quad of Western Electric 300B in the Grand Cayman. Just something i am trying while waiting on the first batch of finished enclosures to arrive (the power transformers just got here by boat) how does it compare with 20B? So far, here are some bullet points - Surprisingly low noise. This is with dc heaters. The blue hawaii, or Grand Cayman with 20B or 300B all have about the same noise floor, using decent tubes. - The gain is a bit low. About 375x with WE 300B, 425x with EHX, and the EML 20B version is about 700x. [note: i havent tried changing any feedback setting yet] for comparison most Stax amps are between 500x and 1000x gain the lower gain could work out great if adding a preamp in front of the amp, but for a quick increase to 1000x gain simply replace the input tube 6SN7/12SN7 with a higher gain 6SL7/12SL7 As one would expect, distortion is higher. About .1 to .2% under load, or about 10x as high as the 20B which one sounds better is likely going to be very subjective and will have to wait until i get a 2nd one put together for proper A/B comparisons
    15 points
  12. Thank you all for the well wishes, we’re safe and sound for the time being and are well-taken-care-of. We have plenty of supplies to ride this out, but I doubt we would have to. State has been really forward-leaning about security ever since Ambassador Stephens’ death in Libya tanked Secretary Clinton’s career. That might just be the shock talking, though. Would you believe I have to compete to get these assignments?
    15 points
  13. Yesterday I repaired a Canon ef 17-55mm f/2.8. I bought it broken for €150, the diaphragm didn't work and here the ST does not repair them, so you have to send it to the mainland. This lens cost arround 800€ new here. For 3 bucks I bought the flex wire conection that moves the diaphragm and after 5 hours of work (I had never opened an objective) and a hour cleaning glasses.... I was able to leave it as good as new. After a good while taking this thing apart: The damn broken flex wire: Its alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    15 points
  14. Good news, everything appears to be working normally now. With some help from georgep and joamat I managed to track down what seems to have been the culprit: one dead 2SC3675 in one of the triplets of 2SC3675's. Probably the reason two of the LEDs nearby were dead too. I just need to plug in some stax now and have a listen... All batteries now measure +200V/-539V, and R42 measures 6.55V just as it should.
    15 points
  15. Got hearing aids. I am overjoyed/relieved. I can hear again!
    14 points
  16. Was invited by Christian to the California Historical Radio Society open house yesterday. Related: discovered there was a California Historical Radio Society yesterday. It’s housed in a hidden old non-Bell/independent telephone and telegraph wireless exchange building in Alameda. All volunteers and donations at this point, but will be fun to watch this grow into a museum.
    14 points
  17. We got a puppy!!! Bailey is so sweet and gives little kisses. IMG_6388.mov
    14 points
  18. Finished putting the new grill together I owned two original Weber kettles previously and loved how they performed as grills. But the original had two major problems. First, the ash collection was simply awful it was exposed and removing the ash tray was an ordeal. No longer … Both the original premium and the Master-touch have the new and improved ah collection. The second problem was adding charcoal during the cook as you had to lift up the main cooking grill. That is no longer a problem on the Master-touch with side panel hinged grates It also has the gourmet BBq system that allows you to remove the center section and replace it with another option such as the griddle a wok, pizza stone or sear grate it also has a removable heating grate So all-in-all it is a pretty nice upgrade from the last Weber kettle I used.
    14 points
  19. Small towns are not usually the best places for gay men to live. They don't offer a lot in terms of entertainment. People are usually not that inviting to gay men and women. I've spent a significant portion of my life in small towns, and generally don't feel that welcomed. Not my current small town! There are at least 100 rainbow flags flying for gay pride month! Hell, they even repainted a crosswalk with rainbow stripes. It just feels very welcoming when I'm coming home from work, grocery shopping or whatever. I love Fairfax and it's people! I am home!
    14 points
  20. Not today, but yesterday: had an interview with a hiring manager, it's a really good fit both ways. They called me back THE SAME DAY to set up an (actually) in-person interview, which means they will probably move forward with an offer. I am excite.
    14 points
  21. Oh no! My social security services have been put a stop to! I better soon be touch because the notice was sent with strictness!
    14 points
  22. This is how the night went... I picked him up at his jobsite after work. He does not drive, and usually rides with his Uncle. We just made small talk as I drove him to his home to shower and change clothes. I chatted with his Uncle while that took place. I think his Uncle was more excited than anyone. When he was ready we went to a local (Daly City) Greek spot for Gyros. He had never experienced a Gyro, and he absolutely loved it. While having our Gyros, I directed the conversation straight (no pun intended) to his sexuality. I wanted to get that out of the way. He was a bit embarrassed as we talked openly, but was very forthcoming. He is a virgin, and has never really been attracted to girls. He does seem to be a bit confused about exactly what his sexuality is, as he's also never done anything with another guy. He just said that he feels good whenever he's around me. He definitely has Father figure feelings toward me, but is confused regarding the other. He did say that he thought I was very handsome, to which I joked "well of course, you do have good eyesight", and that managed to get a chuckle from him. He's such an innocent young man. Warm and friendly with a curiosity about everything. I do enjoy being around him. But I'm certain that in no way do I want to be his first sexual encounter. We've agreed that we will be friends for now, and I've offered to slowly introduce him into the gay community. Then he can better determine where he fits in. I'm about 95% sure that he's gay. But want him to take all the time he needs to figure that out for himself. I'm also determined to steer him toward guys his age. Your first sexual experience is extremely important in setting the tone for future relationships. And those would be easier if they involved similar ages and stages in life. I realized that I do feel very protective toward him. And maybe a Father figure/mentor will not only be beneficial for him, but myself as well. We ended our outing watching Mario at the theater, where he did snuggle into me a bit, and I didn't discourage that. Very innocent, but kind of cute.
    14 points
  23. I'm doing some changes in my toy room. I need to move a pile of amps.... it's a nightmare 😫
    13 points
  24. The unofficial mostly modern T2 troubleshooting and verification guide. Weclome, this guide covers the mostly modern T2 which has the following schematic: The gerbers for the amp can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1r3g2TAtBUaBdiMorTWX7yYgeJ7maQbYW and the gerbers are staxt2nc3fdh7.zip The guide is intended for both pre-power on verification of an amp build, verification of voltages on power on and general troubleshooting. All tests are performed using a Brymen BM869s and peak DCA75. Using a different multimeter may effect the results slightly but you should still get similar behaviours and ball-park figures. Transistor and Diode Location Section 1. Build verification with no valves installed and no wires/volume control connected to the amp All of these checks can be performed with a multimeter from the top side of the amp board leds Checks. All 3 leds on each channel should read about 0.55V voltage drop in forward bias (multimeter + terminal/red lead connected to led + and multimeter - terminal black lead connected to led -) and open circuit in reverse bias (swap the probes around) when tested with a multimeter in diode check mode. The leds will not light from the diode test due t the current draw if the components around them. The exact forward voltage drop will depend upon the characteristics of the red led but anything significantly different here indicates a problem. 0 voltage drop in both directions indicates a short across the led or the components it connected to. check for solder bridges and failed short transistors. 0L indicates in both directions means the led has dry solder joints or is blown. using a multimeter in resistance mode check the leds D23 close to the -360VDC psu input. In forward bias expect around 4M ohms. With the probes reversed you should get open circuit. D24 is the led closest to the octal socket for the EL34 and should read about 1.8M in forward bias and about 1.9M in reverse. D1 is between in the 9 pin sockets but close to the heatsinks. This should read about 1.5M in both directions. Readings in both directions of a few hundred K ohms or lower indicate the led may have been leaky or a transistor it is connected to has gone short circuit or a solder bridge. Input terminal checks With the multimeter in resistance mode and the - terminal connected to the amp ground, and the positive terminal connected to the + input of the amp you should get about 340K and the same for the - input. Naturally expect the same results for the other channel. If significantly different suspect incorrect resistors for R94, R7 (positive input). Or R95, R8 on the - input. Output terminal checks With the multimeter in resistance mode and the - terminal connected to the amp ground, and the positive terminal connected to the + output of the amp you should get about 0.5M and the same for the - output. Naturally expect the same results for the other channel. Valve Socket Checks. With the multimeter in resistance mode and the - terminal connected to the amp ground, and the positive terminal expect the following resistances for both EL34s: (socket viewed from the top of the amp). (note the 0.5M reading may start lower and quickly ram up and the small capacitors in the circuit are charged by the multimeter). For the 6922s (socket viewed from the top of the amp) Diode Checks of transistors Note it is possible for a transistor to fail in such a way it has very little gain but still has a diode drop and so diode checking transistors is not a foolproof measure of a transistors health. But 0V drop when not expected indicates a short etc. Diode checks KSA1156 checks Q1, Q2, Q3 two of the ksa1156s (Q2 and A3) measure the same in diode mode the centre one (Q1) differs slightly. All combinations of probes and pins on a transistor result in open circuit unless otherwise shown otherwise: + indicates positive multimeter probe attached, - indicates negative multimeter probe attached n/c indicates no probe attachment. Note: for the other channel EACH KSA1156 is rotated 180 degrees about the y (vertical) axis. Peak DCA in circuit testing Q1-3 The peak DCA 75 identifies all 3 transistors as PNP silicon. The centre with a hfe or around 28 and the other two with slightly higher hfe of 30 to 31. This test is reliable, anything significantly different indicates a problem. Note it is easier to do these tests from the underside although you can hook up the dca proe hooks to something like a sensepeek weighted self standing spring loaded probe tip assembly and test easily from the top (https://sensepeek.com/pcbite-20 Diode check and Peak DCA 75 for Q23P FJPF2145 This is reliably identified as a NPN with hfe 26 and is part of the virtual battery connected to the + output side of the channel. NOTE: It has a mirror image pinout compared to the ksa1156s. Diode check and peak DCA 75 check for Q5 2SK216 This is reliably identified as a N channel mosfet with body diode and has a transconductance of 23.3mA/V. Although not part of the virtual battery it is directly connected to it. WANRING This transistor has a live mounting tab and must be fully insulated from the heatsink. A resistance check from the metal tab to the heatsink it is mounted on absolutely must read open circuit. Diode measurement for this transistor does not show a stable reading. In this case dec indicates a reading that decreases over time. The next two transistors in the heatsink row are Q23N and Q4 which perform exactly the same role and are exactly the same type of transistors as Q23P and Q5 respectively and should measure about the same I got 28mA/V for the Q4 so expect a little variance here). NOTE: on the other channel the order of the 2SK216 and FJPF2145 are reversed. Diode check and peak DCA 75 check for Q35 and Q36 FJPF2145 These are the current providers (driven by Q34) for a 10mA constant current source that feeds the input 6922s. The job is equally divided between them and they should measure the same. The DCA75 reliably identifies them as NPN silicon hfe 25-26 Diode check and peak DCA 75 check for Q15 and Q10 (10M90S) These are identified out of circuit by the dca75 as N channel depletion mosfets. However, in this circuit they provide anode current and are wired in such a way the DCA75 can not identify them and reports no component. The DCA75 should not report any shorts and the metal mounting tab is live and absolutely must be insulated from the heatsink they are mounted on. Q15 and Q10 are identically configured and should measure the same. The gate and cathodes are connected together with resistors totalling only 400ohms so the diode drop voltages will be lower than for the other transistors also unlike the other transistors all combination of probes will result in a voltage drop. The voltage drop should be the same in the forward and reverse directions. Diode check and peak DCA 75 check for Q28 and Q29 (KSA1156) These are identified out of circuit by the dca75 as PNP silicon. However in this circuit they are wired in such a way the DCA75 can not identify them and reports no component. Each should measure the same. Diode check and peak DCA 75 check for Q26 and Q27 (2SK216) These transistors do not produce stable diode voltage drops. Diode check and peak DCA 75 check for Q25 and Q24 (2SJ79) These transistors are not easy to get a stable reading on. Diode and peak dca75 Check Balance servo Q37 - Q40 (MPSA06) 4 of the MPSA06es have their collectors and bases shorted together and so can be considered to only have two pins as far as diode checking concerned. NOTE for any transistor with shorted pins only two dca75 probes were used (one to the shorted pins and the other to the non shorted pin) to avoid the dca just reporting probes shorted. Understandably ni this case the dca75 can not identify the component as a transistor and instead reports a 9.87V zener. All other transistors are correctly identified and hfe provided. Diode and peak dca75 Check Virtual Battery Q16 - Q18 (STN9360) and Q20 (MPSA06) the other virtual battery in the channel (just to the left) should measure similarly and is identically laid out. Q20 pt 1 has collector and base shorted. All 4 stn9360 should diode measure similarly. NOTE for any transistor with shorted pins only two dca75 probes were used (one to the shorted pins and the other to the non shorted pin) to avoid the dca just reporting probes shorted. Understandably ni this case the dca75 can not identify the component as a transistor and instead reports a 10V zener. All other transistors are correctly identified and hfe provided. The stn9360 are pnp and the remaining non shorted mpsa06 as npn Diode and peak dca75 check Q30 and Q31 (FJPF2145) Each transistor provides a separate 5mA current source and are directly connected to the virtual battery. With the led D24 across their base and emitter. Each is identically configured and should read the same. Dca75 reliably identifies both transistors as npn both hfe 18 Diode and peak dca75 check Q32 (on seperate small heatsink) and Q33 (FJPF2145) this forms a 20mA current source which is controlled by Rv5 and sets the DC offset. DCA75 reliably identifies both transistors as npn both with hfe 26 Diode and peak dca75 check Q34 (FJPF2145) Q34 provides control for Q35 and Q36 which creates a 10mA current source. The dca75 says no component detected. <<< IN PROGRESS >>> #include <usual_disclaimer.h> #include <usual_high voltage_warnings.h>
    13 points
  25. There may not have been enough Bacon for Mikey, But there was a Ferris Wheel. Superannuated rockers (BöC) playing all the hits. And fireworks. And a train to take us home avoiding all the crowds.
    13 points
  26. Did you fall in love with it? Today I took delivery of my new car.
    13 points
  27. We hiked a little higher than usual to the summit of Mt. Abraham.
    13 points
  28. Dropped Peter and Karen off yesterday for their four day backpacking hike up a chunk of the Long/Appalachian Trail
    13 points
  29. Returning from Tribune KS with this travel trailer
    13 points
  30. DIY T2 amplifier with 300B tubes. Amplifier is built on Kevin’s board. Only modification is decreased high voltages, +/-400V instead of +/-500V. Homemade 300B to EL34 adapters connected to four Traco 5V switched PS for filament power. I only replaced the EL34 with 300B along with the filament power supply. No other adjustments. It works – I’m in no harry to change back to EL34.
    13 points
  31. After a day of collecting maple sap and getting ready to boil some syrup tomorrow, Claire and I and Doug and Erika had dinner at Farm Club and are now attending the mixed double national curling championship in Traverse City!
    12 points
  32. Head-case will be undergoing maintenance starting at ~8PM eastern on Saturday September 23, 2023. This work is expected to take a couple of hours and the site will be in maintenance mode or offline during various parts of the maintenance.
    12 points
  33. Had a routine check up with new Dr. A1C = 6.3, blood pressure and cholesterol both in target range. Looks like you people may have to put up with me for a bit longer.
    12 points
  34. I've always been an aircraft nerd since I was a kid, particularly military, particularly WWII aircraft. I had the chance this weekend to see one of the two flyable B-29s, Fifi, up at the DuPage Airport, so made it up there. There was also a B-24 (very early model, serial number 18 of ~18,000 built), as well as a Stearman biplane, a T-6 Texan, and a Beech RC45 transport aircraft. I could have bought a ride on any of them (B-29 was $1,800 for the bombardier seat), but they were all sold out. Was cool to go up there anyway, and be able to go inside the B-29.
    12 points
  35. I got my Walkman back from repairs. The muting module had issues and it needed a new belt. Sounds great again.
    12 points
  36. Sorry I missed this. The master touch comes with these Weber Charcoal baskets which makes it easy to set up dual zone cooking. They also make a cone shaped heat deflector for more options. I also forgot to mention that Peter is in his last week of his wilderness EMT course and he is having a blast He is in the orange sweatshirt.
    12 points
  37. Took the S.M.A.R.T. train from Larkspur to Santa Rosa For the Railroad Square Music Festival https://www.railroadsquaremusicfestival.com/ Where there was plenty to enjoy. And a variety of bands On multiple stages. We also enjoyed food and drink in other Santa Rosa locations. But now we are heading home on the last southbound train of the day. Overall, I'm impressed by the system, the ride quality and the quietness of the (Japanese) Rolling stock. The system has been several decades in the making, and I wish it well. The sad part is what we have lost, and are unlikely to see again, If you consider the electrified rail network that existed previously.
    12 points
  38. We are what we are, Steve. Me - decided that before I can't, I'd run further than I have in 30 years. It hurt, a bit, but not that bad. Did not help that I got dumped on by rain 3 times during the run but turns out, I don't melt.
    12 points
  39. Yesterday we took a day trip to Montreal so I could practice not speaking French. Visited the Archaeology Museum, had a nice lunch at an Asian bistro and walked around the city for a few hours.
    12 points
  40. We just got back from Disney and... we couldn't miss the photo of our idol: And some boys wanted to take some cool photos with Ale.
    12 points
  41. I used to love sitting aisle but lately window has been calling my name. Love seeing cool stuff from the air. Rainier, Shasta, a few of SF and Mt. Hood.
    11 points
  42. Peter Gabriel last night in SF. I’m glad I got to see him while he is still doing his thing. With the same warhorse band he has been with for damn near 50 years at this point, no less. He can still hit the high notes, but his voice is more fragile now that gives the songs a different feel, appropriate for a guy who is now 73. The new songs are pretty good!
    11 points
  43. And now for the Deluxe edition. It adds dual mono Golden Reference regulators and a motor w/ remote for the 47-step attenuator
    11 points
  44. here is a link to simmcon's takedown of the eha5. its mandatory reading for everyone. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-eha5.42149/post-1712440 in other news, birgir sent me a srd7 to test. in other other news, i have finally found a company that will sell me cores and bobbins in small quantities. so making electrostatic transformers becomes a possibility.
    11 points
  45. I bought the Topping and got it this week, with hopes it could be a second or extra Stat amp. I was even planning on doing a "bargain stat amp" feature at my new journalistic home "Positive Feedback", where you can find my review of the Audeze CRBNs, for example. Anway, I'm not going to publish, I don't like to publish reviews of bad gear 😞 What a disappointment this amp turned out to be. My disappointment came in stages. The first stage was an optimistic listen: "Hey, not too bad". At that time I was listening to some simple classical and folk arrangements: with solo voices and guitar, the weaknesses of the Topping circuit are not immediately obvious. But as soon as I played more complex music, full orchestra, rock band, you name it. Where it starts to get real harsh, bloated, lose dimension is with complex music, full orchestra, rock band, you name it. The more I listened, the more I started to hate this amp. I WILL BET THAT THERE ARE MEASUREMENTS THAT WILL REVEAL THIS AMP'S WEAKNESSES. You just have to know how to find out where the bodies are buried. I did find some that clearly show its weaknesses. Attached below. Frequency response (with a 100 pf load), Output level just before clipping, THD at various frequencies at normal levels and just before clipping (spectrum and %), IMD (19-20 kHz) (spectrum and %). The one thing I should have measured is a special multitone signal I use, I bet that would show where the bodies are buried, and tell us why the amp falls totally flat the more complex the music you put into it. But I'm so disenheartened and disappointed by the sound of it that I don't have the energy to bring it back to the test bench. I like to display an amplifier's measurements in equivalent SPL, based on Stax 007 and CRBN nominal sensitivity of 100 volts RMS = nominally 100 dB SPL. It helps bring a real-world perspective to amplifier measurements. Topping Factory spec for max is 700 volts RMS (I suppose the factory took this a cat's hair below clipping and only at 1 kHz). I measured maximum output at 1 dB below clipping at 630 volts RMS at 1 kHz, equivalent to 116 dB SPL. But When performing the 20 Hz THD test, the amp's DC protection circuit kicked in and the most I could get out of it at 20 Hz with a continuous sine wave was the equivalent of 105 dB SPL, 177 volts RMS before the amp shut down. So the lower the frequency, the worst the amp's headroom for transients. Plus, the THD at low frequencies is pretty bad, the transformer saturates very strongly. To see where the skeletons are buried in this amp, take a look at my measurements. The measurements to really study is a comparison of the Mjolnir KGSS HV Carbon and the Topping at nominally 90 dB equivalent SPL of IMD 19-20 kHz 1:1 ratio. I think that lurking in that measurement is at least one of the reasons why the Topping sounds so harsh and the Mjolnir sounds so pure. The primary difference tone at 1 kHz in the spectrum does not tell the story. Notice the high frequency side bands near the 19-20 kHz that begin to reveal to us the Topping's nonlinearities. There's more in the attachments. I'm sorry that I didn't do the multitone, I will some day, when I get around to it, and I'm sure it will reveal the skeleton underneath the "golden glow" of this amp. The date in the Fluke scope pictures is wrong... it's actually yesterday, 7/28/23. I have to fix the date in my Fluke Scope. Every time the battery dies, it loses the date 😞
    11 points
  46. We went to my favourite pub, caught up with a couple of our favourite people, drank some excellent beers, and... won the meat tray.
    11 points
  47. It turned into a bit of a saga, but my brother enlisted Steve to help identify a new tool for the shop that he wanted to surprise me with. My siblings were around the house while my terminally ill brother made many phone calls and repeatedly ordered and reordered the specified machine. That info leaked to me and made me self conscious about him buying me a gift and worried about how it would work out, but nobody (including Steve) would tell me what it was or how it was being delivered. It finally arrived a couple of weeks ago and there was another whole saga to get the 500lb box up to the shop. Turns out it is a dual drum 25" Supermax sander. It is very cool and with some shifting it fits into the shop in a good spot. I wired the 220V/30A connection myself with the same type of plug as the Hammer jointer/planer it sits next to. I am ordering some stuff to make a wye connector on top so that the two tools can also share the same dust collection hose with a quick connect setup. I can tell that this is going to be a great tool to have in the shop at twice the width of the planer and currently set up with 80 and 120 grit papers to cut the sanding time way down on lots of projects. Thanks Tom, and Steve, and even Doug who consulted as well. IMG_0462.mov
    11 points
  48. Burger Normand avec camembert. Not enough bacon for the home team but very satisfying when eaten with knife and fork. 😁
    11 points
  49. I 3D printed a cover to my filament power supply today. Just four Traco TPP 15-105-D and some tblocks. I don’t think my tubes need slow start – and if they do – they are not my tubes.
    11 points
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