What is on your workbench right now?

[restorer-john]

That is going to be some fine work to get a beautiful result. Vision/eyes still OK?

Eyesight for closeup work is deteriorating and devices are getting smaller, so a bad combination. A lot more done using a live screen microscope and/or under magnification.

Look at this diode, the naked eye can't see this.

 

[Doodski]

Eyesight for closeup work is deteriorating and devices are getting smaller, so a bad combination. A lot more done using a live screen microscope and/or under magnification.

Look at this diode, the naked eye can't see this.
View attachment 428103

Geeeech split right open...

 

[LTig]

I am just curious about "inner" cable connections in this rotating cable drum.

In case if the I/O panel/plate would not rotate while the cable drum rotates for cable extension, then you need (24+8)x3=96 "sliding metal-to-metal" rotary-connects in it; am I right?

It does rotate, of course.

And, how much cross-talks you have among these "multiple-connector" mechanism?

Haven't used it yet, but it is made for a level range covering dynamic microphones to balanced line level outputs. If the line level signals would bleed into the microphone connections you would hear it, I guess.

 

[Bamboszek]

SMD is so enjoyable...

Unless it's BGA or QFN without wettable flanks, I actually find SMD more enjoyable to work with compared to THT.

IMHO easier and faster to assemble without need to cut leads, not to mention bigger selection of component and possibility for much shorter traces.
Especially in DIY PCBs where we can stick to 0805 and 1206.

 

[restorer-john]

faster to assemble

Sure. But when it goes Chernobyl, good luck trying to repair it.

Assembly is easy, anyone can do it. Picking up the pieces afterwards and attempting to save yet another prematurely failed piece of gear from landfill is another.

 

[mcdn]

Eyesight for closeup work is deteriorating and devices are getting smaller, so a bad combination. A lot more done using a live screen microscope and/or under magnification.

Look at this diode, the naked eye can't see this.
View attachment 428103

I know you live in Queensland so some wear and tear is expected, but why does that PCB look like it’s been sitting in a salt water pool?

 

[restorer-john]

I know you live in Queensland so some wear and tear is expected, but why does that PCB look like it’s been sitting in a salt water pool?

That's absolutely typical of the "high quality" Hypex amplifier PCBs. I have several here, all the same. That particular board is out of an NAD M-22 sent up from Melbourne.(Victoria).

Put anything under a microscope and it looks terrible. But yeah, those "SOTA" modules are pretty sh#t.

 

[Bamboszek]

In my previous job I was developing and testing automotive ECUs. Especially during FIT testing (Fault Injection Testing, for example purposely shorting motor driver FETs with 300 - 500 A) we had some fireworks and components literally disappearing.

Secret of fun and easy SMD rework is the preheater. Multilayer PCB with huge copper planes can sink tons of heat. Preheating PCB and good soldering iron with high thermal mass tip is really important. Huge and thick tips were my choice even for 0402 parts.

But the PCB material was very high quality there.
I hate to work with brown phenolic PCBs from old audio amplifiers or even cheap FR4 boards where tracks and pads could be lifted easily.

 

[Roland68]

Eyesight for closeup work is deteriorating and devices are getting smaller, so a bad combination. A lot more done using a live screen microscope and/or under magnification.

Look at this diode, the naked eye can't see this.
View attachment 428103

For this kind of thing, I bought high-quality magnifying glasses, similar to those used in microsurgery.
Very comfortable, free hands and no other restrictions. Light is also integrated.

 

[JP]

I picked one of these up off eBay many years ago, and spent the next ~year collecting the objectives when I saw them for cheap. It was still quite a lot, but well worth it for me in eye/neck/shoulder strain.

 

[pma]

Aikido Phono 1+ preamp. If the owner agrees, there will be a review soon.

 

[restorer-john]

Aikido Phono 1+ preamp. If the owner agrees, there will be a review soon.

View attachment 428457

Hopefully the performance is better than that absolute disaster of a rear panel. What were they thinking?

 

[pma]

First impressions - very clean background without mains components residuals, low noise. Higher distortion of 0.1% (-60dB), H2 and lower H3 only. This would not affect the intrinsic vinyl distortion.

Note: it is a 6 - transistor discrete design, so the higher distortion is to be expected. Also high output impedance and it needs load impedance of 10 kohm or higher.

 

[JayGilb]

Hopefully the performance is better than that absolute disaster of a rear panel. What were they thinking?

But you could power it using phantom from a mic preamp.

 

[pma]

I find the enclosure fine. It is a small, 125 x 75 x 45 mm, metal, very rugged design, solid built. I do not care about "audiophile" look.

 

[LTig]

I find the enclosure fine. It is a small, 125 x 75 x 45 mm, metal, very rugged design, solid built. I do not care about "audiophile" look.

For me it's not about the look. Grouping the RCAs as IO IO instead of II OO like every other preamp is not user friendly.

 

[restorer-john]

For me it's not about the look. Grouping the RCAs as IO IO instead of II OO like every other preamp is not user friendly.

I agree. And why put a power indicator and power switch on the rear panel. Or is it the front panel?

And Grd?

Conventions are good. Power inputs and IOs on the rear, switches, controls and indicators on the front. Not rocket surgery.

 

[RKV1]

Sure. But when it goes Chernobyl, good luck trying to repair it.

Assembly is easy, anyone can do it. Picking up the pieces afterwards and attempting to save yet another prematurely failed piece of gear from landfill is another.

The magic blue smoke has escaped from this SMPS. At least all the SMD parts are on one side of the PCB and the through holes parts are on the other side.

 

[OldHvyMec]

What am I looking at in the image ?

That is the main IC valve board. Those are Audyn @ True Coppers. I've used the Mundorf S&G several times but they take a
while to form and I have had a couple explode for no apparent reason in V12Rs.

The coppers were recommended for plug and play. The guy recommended a .01 Deulund AG bypass (frequency collection
cap) in parallel with the coppers. The guy was pretty familiar with Cary products. Dodd if my memory serves me correctly. It's been
quite a few years. I have to look up the name and notes at the time.

I may go with Mundorf Teflons which are a lot smaller and lighter but still use the FCC (silver bypass). The Audyn are BIG & HEAVY
considering. Maybe in the XLR position. They say they are the cat's meow!

Stealth, TRT Teflons, Mundorf Teflons or WiMa 2% is right there with the very best too if I want a razor-sharp, very transparent result
that lasts about 1000 years. I have them all here in stock, we'll see. Tinker time.

Regards

 

[gfinlays]

The second of my little PA5 IIs undergoing Neutrifikation, ready for the 2-way desktop speakers', active conversion:

Yeah, one of them's upside down. Had to unscrew it and turn it around