I have been doing internal layout work and making some design decisions concerning the new SET amplifier. I have also been looking at different materials and I decided that I wanted to make the top plate holding the transformers and tubes of brushed copper. While this is an simple decision to make at this point, it raises the issue of what wood to choose for the chassis frame.
Continue readingI have been working on the new SET chassis design but that’s not all I’ve been doing. This morning I got a little surprise when I checked on my sump pump under the house. It’s starting the rainy season here and I wanted to make sure everything was ready to go. Unfortunately, I found myself replacing a GFCI outlet and the sump pump that had failed and taken the outlet with it. Since the morning was shot, I decided to finish up a couple of other little projects this afternoon. Last week I mentioned another project, the portable class D amp. We’ll, I took a little time this afternoon to finish off that one.
Continue readingThe arrival of the output transformers today gave me the impetus to finalize a few things in the 6AS7 SET design. So now I have a complete schematic with all the important information noted on it.
Continue readingOne simple sight that really gets me excited is to see that very heavy box sitting on the front porch. Today, the output transformers for the 6AS7 SET amp arrived from Edcor.
Continue readingThere is one thing about vacuum tube amplifiers that sometimes gets in the way. They are not exactly what one might call portable.
Continue readingAs I discussed in my last post, there is a new SET amplifier on the horizon. This SET will sit midway in power and performance between the little SETs (6CY7, 6CY7 V2, and the 6EM7) and the big 6336 SET Amplifier.
Continue readingSo with the 6CY7 V2.0 Zebrawood amp finished and my 6L6UL project on the back burner, I’ve been working on a new SET amplifier. I have been thinking about an amp somewhere between my small SETs and the big 6336 SET amp. But I’ve run into a hiccough.
Continue readingI was arranging some things today in preparation for an event this evening and happened to have a little Class-D amp in my office that I normally use in my wood shop. So I decided to try a little A/B testing.
Continue readingSo I was reading one of the tube forums recently and I saw an amp builder who, when talking about his latest build, said “To my ears sounds nice but I am not an expert”. Now I read or hear variations on this theme all the time. And frankly, it upsets me greatly.
Continue readingSo it’s been a while since I first grabbed the plank of Zebrawood in my shop and envisioned it wrapped around an amplifier. That was June 13th. Here it is a little over two months later and I now actually have a functioning amplifier. I have to say I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.
Continue readingAs some may already know, I’ve been working on a new version of the 6CY7 amplifier. There is a new chassis specifically designed for this amp and some circuit changes to improve performance. But here’s the issue, I can’t seem to get much done. Let me explain.
Continue readingI have made a small change to the website which I hope will be helpful.
Continue readingSo I’ve had the chassis and metal done for the 6CY7 V2 amp since the 4th of July. It has now been a full 13 days and… the paint is not yet fully cured. It is hard for me to remember it ever taking this long for a semi-gloss enamel on metal to cure hard enough to begin assembly work. Obviously the manufacturer has changed the solvent makeup of the paint I use. Time to find another manufacturer. In the mean time, I’ve been working on other things.
Continue readingLike everyone else all over the world, for the last four months I’ve been working from home and limiting my trips out out of the house. But the situation these last four months has not been entirely unwelcome (except of course for people getting sick). For one thing, the view from my home office of trees and mountains is immensely better than the windowless building in which I was working. And for another thing with no commutes and flexible schedules, I have gained several additional hours in my day for doing things I want to do. With all I new found time, I did what any responsible technical person would do in such uncertain times. I’ve been teaching myself some new skills.
Continue readingWell, the new version of the 6CY7 amp is coming together. The wood for the amp has gone from a raw 11″ x 58″ plank of Zebra Wood {Microberlinia brazzavillensis} into a finished amplifier chassis complete with four coats of Tru-Oil finish. I think it looks pretty good.
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