Emooze

I've just got the one in series after the fuse and before it goes to both primary windings. It hadn't occurred to me to use one for each winding. I can try that, I just need to order more.

So I fixed the cap issue with some 600V wire to the 500k resistor in parallel. Not very pretty and apparently not the end. Now I'm blowing fuses just about every time I power-up so I must have fried something somewhere else without making it obvious what it was. Reading back through some posts, it's also possible that a 2A fast fuse just isn't enough even with one thermistor. I'm going to get some bigger fuses and see what happens. Update: the 3A fuses go out in spectacular fashion almost immediately. What's the best way to tell if I've blown something? Measure resistance across the various transistors?

I'm not sure, I thought I made sure to have enough space between board and caps but apparently not. I'm worried that the root cause is something else and magic smoke will appear when I fix this issue.

So based on my playing around with LTSpice and some measurements, one of the 680u caps has been shorted out. The voltages across the two 500k resistors aren't stable. I pulled up the one cap I suspected was gone and lo and behold, the top of the solder pad was gone and there was some thermal damage to the cap bottom. The issue I have now is, the top solder pad is gone and that's where the trace connects. Is there an easy fix to this or do I need a new board?

I found the LTSpice file that KG is hosting but I got a 404 error. Does anyone still have a copy they can send to me?

The difference seems that it makes the zap noise every time on power-up so far and I haven't got any magic smoke yet. The good thing is my positive rail works so I can compare the two during troubleshooting. Though I'm not too sure how much more I'll be doing during the week.

No backwards caps or visible damage to the board. Tried it again, the sound is more like a quick snap. Positive stays at 503V and keeps a charge after shut-down. Negative fluctuates around 450V and rapidly looses charge after shut-down.

Turned on the power supply for the first time just now. I got a short "bzzt" and blew a 2A fuse. I couldn't figure out what caused it without touching the board so I put in a new fuse and powered up again. Again, short buzz but it didn't blow the fuse this time and the positive rail is putting out 503V. As far as I can tell though, the negative rail has got nothing. I have a feeling it's arcing under the caps but before I go poking around, I'm going to let it discharge. Already had that bite me once in the past...

Dang, that's terrible. In other news, there are four B-25s and some other WWII fighters flying around outside right now and the sound is glorious.

Saw a Major off on his first deployment in style and destroyed a final report. Then went home early.

I paid for a plethora of parts and UPS ground last Thursday and they upgraded me to two-day air and I received everything on Monday. Didn't talk to anyone, they must just like me.

Dried up whisky dregs at the bottom of a glass. My mother sent me this: http://www.petapixel.com/2013/03/27/photographs-of-dried-whisky-residue-on-the-bottom-of-scotch-glasses/

Edit: Nevermind, once again I mixed up part numbers. Finalizing the part orders now. I should have this together by Canlanta.

That paper is terribly written but they describe another project, the "thermoacoustic" loudspeaker: "In the thermoacoustic configuration graphene serves as a stationary heater to alternately heat the surrounding air thereby producing , via thermal expansion, a time-dependent pressure variation, i.e. sound wave."

A friend alerted me to this and I didn't see it posted anywhere else: http://gizmodo.com/5990520/scientists-have-made-graphene-earphones-and-theyre-amazing I'm not really surprised that a membrane that thin yet strong can produce good sound. But I am excited to see who adopts this tech first and what sort of amp is required to drive them.

I'm still hung up on the RK27 but I am impressed with whatever they covered the board with. That is one shiny circuit board. Must be nail polish.

Room booked finally for Friday to Sunday. Thanks again Trav for getting the discount.

I'm driving up and I have room in my car to help with the ferrying.

3 nights, Friday through Sunday. Really appreciate it Trav.

I'll be in for a t-shirt. I still need to book a room when I get back to my computer.

There's a training instructor I know named Sergeant Payne. There are also an unbelievable number of Captain Kirks. Haven't met a Major Major Major Major yet though.

Yes, Wright-Pat in Dayton. I'll be studying electro-optics.

I've been officially accepted into the Air Force Institute of Technology and will be going back to school full-time sometime in late summer. So I'll be leaving the awesome Florida crew and joining the Ohio group.

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. I hate Rocky for obvious reasons but this made me laugh.

The filter made vodka taste good and water taste bad. Had to get rid of it. Couldn't have people thinking I was drinking at work.