kevin gilmore

I can also make them round and threaded just like the real stax thing. But the diameter is going to have to increase a bit. Time to learn how to cut threads on the NC lathe...

I cheated. Justin came up with the idea. I did not think it was going to work, but it did. I used the macro lens and took a picture at as close as i could get and still have all the pins in the picture. Then i suck the thing into featurecam and tell it the measured dimensions of just 2 of the pins. And it calculates the rest... And damm close too. PDF's of that connector are just plain not available. If this did not work, i could have used the new nikon microscope at work which has guaranteed flat optics and a reticule for exact measurements. justin's way was boatloads quicker. I'm open to suggestions. The harder the better.

So as we all know the amphenol stax connectors are less than ideal, and the real stax ones are generally unobtainable. so i got these guys to sell me just the pins from these sockets CMC--Teflon Tube socket and i evidently got the measurements right on the first try. (well to .0001 anyway) http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/staxc1.jpg http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/staxc2.jpg Was thinking of a dual stax connector made out of some crazy hard wood. Need to find the electrical impedance of hardwoods... Anyone know?? If i can get some more machine time this week i should have a finished amp chassis by saturday.

So thats 9.1 channel surround sound balanced

Actually i was thinking that tuberoller would be the best to supply ventilation... Although i really had two other "HAS BEEN" fat fan boys in mind There are definitely some current fanboys that might work... Tomato comes to mind.

Actually i was thinking of hiring a couple of has been fanboys... Afterall, they have nothing else to do now... Have pretty firm pricing on the heatsinks with machining, and the angle pieces, will post soon.

I have officially joined the ranks of the completely over the top and then some... (346 lbs) http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/hspile.jpg http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/hsindividual1.jpg Front and back should be here tomorrow/monday... Then the tops and bottoms.

Just standard RN60 dales... That does not concern me, i know the exact sizes. Its the 1 and 3 watt resistors that i wanted to be sure of.

Well all the resistors and caps showed up today. I'm glad to report that all the parts for the amp board are the sizes they are supposed to be, and the holes are the right diameter. Neutrik connector really was the right diameter because they are flat blades not round. Will check the power supply board later today. Soon this project is going to take over the house. Anyone know where craig gets his rubber/metal feet with the #10 screws?? I kind of like those, as i plan on 4 of them, not 3 because the thing is going to be so heavy.

Never got off the semi... On thursday its coming on a truck with a lift gate. Will drop it in the driveway, then i get to take the boxes inside myself. Looks like all the metal pieces together will end up about 40 lbs per amp.

atempted delivery today of 346 lbs of heatsinks. I was not home, and not notified that it was coming. Redelivery thursday...

Big SS amp for electrostatics. One really big problem. The age of CRT's is OVER! Why does that matter? No one making really great high voltage parts anymore. 2sc3675's and 2sa1968's are all that is still available. In 5 years, they won't be available either. Then you have to go to a stacked amp to get the voltages and currents you need. Tubes are going to be around for quite a while. Besides which, they are ultra simple.

And the companion amplifier to the T2, the SRX circuit as built by stax (the $12k thing) with help from you know who. Option of the caddok completely non-inductive plate resistors, or the T2 current source. Fits in the same size chassis with the same size power supply boxes... http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/staxsrx2-1.pdf Could be under $2500 in parts total with the good sockets and the DACT. Blows the crap out of the ES1/2... Got to go to a meeting, will glue the pdf's together later... Especially with the caddok current sources, this one is a complete no-brainer to build! Hardly any parts.

You got that backwards. The extremes burn up. Either the transformer, the resistor, or both. They don't explode. Nothing running over voltage that would get them to explode. Its the high voltage mpx things with the 400 volt caps running at over 500 that might go boom. Although none have gone boom yet. Older mpx units with the fet still soldered to the main board will also burn up.

you think that is some bad soldering, look at this one, the lastest SP disaster http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/raffy3.jpg Not even sure how you get cold solder blobs like that.

precision automation is such a wonderful thing... http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/ampbars.jpg That is enough for 4 amplifiers, left another 8 at work, on monday the same thing except 10 inches for the power supplies... Heatsinks will be in house in about 3 weeks, program already written and tested on a hunk of wax... Then the front/back panels after that, then the circuit board order. Top and bottom panels are a no brainer.

how about some of these specifically designed for O2's SIEVEKING SOUND OMEGA HEADPHONE STAND (ZEBRANO) - elusivedisc Dr. wood, i know you can do a better job.

So the size of the RK50 dictates positioning too. Its actually perfect flush mount for the noval's, and the octal will be .230 high, and i'll make .250 rings. Or maybe plates, ray style luvdunhill, what is the thickness of the ceramics you have (need to be .09 id) and .25 long. and do you have 600 of them that you want to sell?

The transformers just arrived http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/transformers.jpg precision machined mounting bracket behind them.

look at the pictures again... the pins on the noval aren't anywhere near long enough. If i make the holes real big for the octals i can push them thru to the threads and gain another .12 inch.

what to do? http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/sockets.jpg If i make the octal sockets flush with the top of the amplifier then the 9 pin sockets are .23 inches below the top of the amplifier? If i make the 9 pin sockets flush with the top of the amp, then i have to make the holes for the octals bigger and they stick up .23 inches? Or push them both thru the top and make different sized tube rings? any suggestions... would rather not machine up some tube rings..

they say that it IS for counterfeit prevention. Evidently very hard to print those things.

The 4 input tubes are actually 2 x 6sn7's and are twin triodes. However the original circuit was 2 x 12ax7's which have more gain. Fact is that as shown the amp just barely has enough gain to work. In fact its a good idea to change out the 1500 ohm resistor to 1k ohm to bump up the gain a bit. If you do replace the front end with 12ax7's then you need to lower the B+ to that section because 400 or 450 is too much. There is another power supply in the T2 that would be great for 300 volts...

Feel free to lay out the board as you see fit. If yours is better, i'll make that one instead. hot off the presses... http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/singlehoures1fix2.pdf

let me be slightly more specific. something like the old vampire right angle single rca jacks, circuit board mount. justin's are not right angle.. The connex one is the only one currently available, and it is way to long, i.e. i have to mount it 1 inch back from the circuit board edge to get it to fit the backpanel. The cardas is even longer as a dual.