Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#41
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
Bret Ludwig wrote: Eeyore wrote: Bret Ludwig wrote: In the 70s all the electronics magazines encoruraged and assumed home manufacture of PCBs from published layouts. It killed the electronics hobby for twenty years. Utter nonsence on both counts. Guys stopped pursuing electronics as a nerd hobby because they discovered girls like sex too (but not with nerds) and sex was more rewarding. Nonsense. People were having sex long before electronics and they'll be doing it long after. Less so back then before they got married. Graham |
#42
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
Bret Ludwig wrote: "Arny Krueger" wrote: Not at all. What killed that form of the electronics hobby involved two major forces: (1) Automated and/or off-shore production eliminated a lot of economic advantages to building-it-yourself (2) Electronics systems became more complex, and the entities that we used to think of as major system components became more minor. Yes but they don't always work as well. Look at the coil-on-plug ignitions. The coils are too small to give a really good zap. Utter nonsense ! Graham |
#43
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
Iain Churches wrote: "Patrick Turner" wrote in message ... Y'know Iain, youse got a fabulous work room for tinkering around with audio gear. But it kinda looks like hardly anything happens in there. Where is the almost uncontrolled mess that every productive work place has when things are being done? We are four people sharing five rooms in total about 120 square metres so we have plenty of space. I have 7 x 6 metres, and a total of 16 mtres x 1m wide is bench. All is covered over in all manner of stuff. There are no bare walls, except windoews along the eastern side, and a long roof light lets in daylight during winter. Two of the guys make bespoke guitar amps, and do repairs (turntables, studio analogue tape machines etc), so there is a lot of stuff coming in and going out every day. I couldn't share a workshop. We decided at the outset to be tidy and organised. It works:-) We have a separate shop for metal and woodwork, and for metal prep prior to anodising, and another room used for lacquer and painting of guitar amp cabinets. All have air extractors. I have about 35sm under a roof outside the shed. Its crammed with shelving both sides and all manner of collected gear. Boxes of stuff as well as empty boxes are squeezing me out of their too. In my shed, the number of items being fixed, stripped down, reassembled, waiting for parts, waiting for time, outnumber the meagre amount of gear by a margin of at least +25dB. We also have a huge store room where we keep amps, tape recorders, etc coming in and going out. Each one has a tag label. It's pretty efficient. Gee, I didn't think the word efficiency could be applied to my business at all... Real efficiency would be to chuck that 1960 crap and buy modern, but no, they want it fixed, and for almost nothing, so i say when i get time, there are 20 ahead of you. So soon I have a full workshop with everyones's little sick orphan needing a fix and waiting for a quiet time, its never happened in the last 3 years. Some despair, and perhaps even get a bit cranky, and I start saying well how come you'll pay a fooking plumber $80 per hour to fix a rotten drain pipe, but you only wanna pay me $2? Some grab their gear and go to some other struggling professional artisan. Make me a deal I can't refuse I say, and their lips are sealed. So one reason the shed is so crammed is that a lot of stuff is on a "long term" fix. I don't really care anymore about spending a "quiet time" on gear that takes many hours, and for which I get peanuts. I don't care that i upset ppl if I won't do their hobby work for them without pay. There are a lot of failed hobbyists out there, gunner do this, gunner do that, and never do anything. About 1 in every 3 radios is not picked up after I fix them. One result is the long forsale list at my website. Initially I sold much of the tube gear quickly. The rest is mainly SS and there some bargains but it all stubbornly refuses to sell. My only regret is that I don't get to spend enough time there as I would like. I have seen many chaotic workshops where one spends half ones time looking for a screwdriver or an automatic centre punch. That's not my style:-) I find tools OK, my memory is still good. And I have more than one darn screw driver and centre punch. When I do have a big clean up it lasts about a week, and its time for another. My loungeroom has parts of ESL speakers all over the place. Progress on them stalled as well because of arcing problems which took a fortnight to sus out, and maybe they still will not work properly. You read all this crap bout how easy it is to build a kit, and it simply isn't easy, and **** happens that shouldn't happen, and even the kit maker won't replay to my emails. So what was supposed to take a couple of weeks will stretch to 3 months, and in the ESL project I am very much alone. If I was married, I'd be divorced soon... Patrick Turner. Iain |
#44
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
flipper wrote: who has the financial resources to acquire their own IC flab equipment LOL @ "flab" ! Graham |
#45
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
All this disussion and no answer to the question....
First generate your layout. This can be done with Bishop Graphics lines and dots on translucent mylar overlaid on graphpaper (if you can still get the stuff) or preferably using a PC package like Protel Autotrax, which is free, fast and intuitive. Using the traxplot program, generate a postscript file which you take to your friendly local litho shop and ask them to make you a negative. 1:1 size, emulsion non reading side. Make sure your postscript generating programs malke centre dots in the pads or your drills will skate and snap. Prepare your laminate by buffing the copper side with steel wool, apply an even coating of Kodak KPR photoresist to the copper side, dry in front of a heater vertically with a paper towell along the bottom to catch the drips. Sandwich the board behind the neg in a perspex frame (glass stops UV). Preheat your 175 watt mercury vapour streetlamp (with the outer glass smashed off) to full intensity then expose the board for 2 minutes (distance aroound 30cm). Wash off unexposed resist with KPR developer or Toluol until image clearly visible. Bake board in front of heater to harden resist. Premix 25% 100vol H202 + 25% conc HCl + 50% water (just enough for the job - it doesnt keep). Etch board in this witches brew, taking care not to breathe during the etching. Takes about 2 minutes, agitate gently. Plunge etched board into water and rinse well. Use surplus etchant to kill bamboo. Drill board with tungsten carbide bits in a drill press. M |
#46
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
Eeyore wrote: Bret Ludwig wrote: Eeyore wrote: Bret Ludwig wrote: In the 70s all the electronics magazines encoruraged and assumed home manufacture of PCBs from published layouts. It killed the electronics hobby for twenty years. Utter nonsence on both counts. Guys stopped pursuing electronics as a nerd hobby because they discovered girls like sex too (but not with nerds) and sex was more rewarding. Nonsense. People were having sex long before electronics and they'll be doing it long after. Rubbish. There will never be life without electronics; without electronics your're dead. Its a comforting thought to realise that the most determined female necrophiliac hasn't yet been able to make a dead bloke's cock get hard. So sex after electronics doesn't look like happening. Less so back then before they got married. Once the Pill arrived, hardly anyone waited until marriage to plunge it in. The divorce rate is 50% so only half the population seemed to like sex much...... They now have electronically operated ****ing machines, discrete auto suck devices that can be applied while doing menial sit down jobs, like being a judge, and not to mention a hole array of vibrating tools. Sex has changed since electronics was applied to the task in hand. Now you are expected to sign a pre-coital agreement before hitting the bed sheets, and of course she gets to see your aids test status sheet signed by a doctor, but she won't show you hers. Usually it makes sure a woman gets hard cash for sex, even if she's a church going Presbyterian. Its prudent for the DIY electronics enthusiast to just hand the woman a vibrator, tear up the agreement, and **** off back you your shed. Concentration on triodes is more rewarding than concentration on BS. Patrick Turner. Graham |
#47
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Eeyore" wrote in
message Bret Ludwig wrote: "Arny Krueger" wrote: Not at all. What killed that form of the electronics hobby involved two major forces: (1) Automated and/or off-shore production eliminated a lot of economic advantages to building-it-yourself (2) Electronics systems became more complex, and the entities that we used to think of as major system components became more minor. Yes but they don't always work as well. Look at the coil-on-plug ignitions. The coils are too small to give a really good zap. Agreed. Utter nonsense ! Graham |
#48
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
Arny Krueger wrote: Bret Ludwig wrote: Yes but they don't always work as well. Look at the coil-on-plug ignitions. The coils are too small to give a really good zap. Agreed. Saab direct ignition here. No problems at all. Graham |
#49
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Eeyore" wrote in
message Arny Krueger wrote: Bret Ludwig wrote: Yes but they don't always work as well. Look at the coil-on-plug ignitions. The coils are too small to give a really good zap. Agreed. Saab direct ignition here. No problems at all. The Milan (Mercury-badged Fusion) I've been talking about uses direct ignition (coils directly mounted on sparkplugs) as well. The advantage is no high voltage distributor and negligable high voltage wiring. BTW, the US Fusion seems to have no UK equivalent, as you don't seem to seem to have the 3.0 liter V6 Mazda 6 over there. About as close as the UK gets is the Mondeo. Still, no cigar. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Milan The engine is the VVT V6: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mondeo_V6_engine#VVT |
#50
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Patrick Turner" wrote in message ... I couldn't share a workshop. It is rare that there are more than two of us there at the same time. And, economically it makes very good sense indeed. I enjoy the group dynamic, and find discussion with people with similar interests, but a totally different approach is informative. I would feel mean having all that space to myself. But in choosing a cell.mate one has to be careful. Word got around by bush.-telegraph, we had no shortage of applicants. Gee, I didn't think the word efficiency could be applied to my business at all... :-))) A lot of equipment that passes through is on its way too or from e-Bay. CD players over five years with faults are usually consigned to the scrap bin. Studer, Quad and Denon prof machines are the exception. Studio analogue recorders and turntables receive lots of TLC:-)) I don't often get involved in repairs, but it is interesting to see how the system works. Someone brings in an amp. It is checked over to see what needs to be done, and a price is given. Any parts not on the shelf are then ordered. The client either then takes the amp away, or it goes into the storage area. When the parts arrive the amp is brought to the workshop, and client informed that it is "under anaesthetic" He can usually collect it the same day. Real efficiency would be to chuck that 1960 crap and buy modern, but no, they want it fixed, and for almost nothing, so i say when i get time, there are 20 ahead of you. So soon I have a full workshop with everyones's little sick orphan needing a fix and waiting for a quiet time, its never happened in the last 3 years. Some despair, and perhaps even get a bit cranky, and I start saying well how come you'll pay a fooking plumber $80 per hour to fix a rotten drain pipe, but you only wanna pay me $2? Some grab their gear and go to some other struggling professional artisan. Make me a deal I can't refuse I say, and their lips are sealed. So one reason the shed is so crammed is that a lot of stuff is on a "long term" fix. I don't really care anymore about spending a "quiet time" on gear that takes many hours, and for which I get peanuts. I don't care that i upset ppl if I won't do their hobby work for them without pay. There are a lot of failed hobbyists out there, gunner do this, gunner do that, and never do anything. About 1 in every 3 radios is not picked up after I fix them. I wonder if you are doing too much too cheaply Patrick? People here are happy to pay Euro100 (AUD 164) an hr (min charge Euro 55) for prompt and reliable service at a high standard of workmanship. I find tools OK, my memory is still good. We share a lot of the metal working tools, taps, punches, dies, reamers etc and so returning them to their proper home is important. And I have more than one darn screw driver and centre punch. That's another advantage of sharing a workshop, I now have access to metalworking and finishing machines that I could not even dream of owning. In contrast most of the audio test gear plus the equipment in the listening room is mine. Another guy has contributed the four computers. When I do have a big clean up it lasts about a week, and its time for another. It's a daily routine for us. 10 mins most, including the kitchen:-) Iain |
#51
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Arny Krueger" wrote in message . .. "Iain Churches" wrote in message .fi "Eeyore" wrote in message ... Arny Krueger wrote: Strange you should bring that up Iain, given that you've never had end-to-end responsiblity for a recording in your life. You're like one of those guys on the Cadillac production line who makes the best cars in the world. Ohhh... ! SHUT UP Arny ! This is where you get so damn tedious. Stop winding the poor guy up ! Graham Graham. Don't take Arny seriously. There is no way he can possibly wind me up - I have heard his recordings:-))) His analogy between car production and recording is probably the worst example he could possible make, and illustrates Arny's total lack of understanding of what recording is all about. No Iain, it illustrates a fact that you don't want to admit - you were just a cog in a music-making machine. I am, and always have been, proud to have been part of a team. On many of the projects for which I am selected, I am asked to lead that team. Classical recordings bear no relation to mass produced cars, Sure it does - in both cases we have well-capitalized efforts by a goodly sized group of people. Most classical teams are small, and much of the funding here in Europe for small labels comes from EU cultural foundations. Projects are well- funded and high quality results are expected. Recordings are made by small, highly skilled production and technical teams. Thanks Iain for showing that you know nothing about how cars are produced. There is only one thing in the world which interest me less than car production, Arny, and that's computer repairs:-) Tube amps interest people on this group. Let's talk about those. Each member has a specific role, and is credited in that role on the recording inlay card or sleeve. OK, so cars don't come with credits printed on them. And, your comments ignore the arbitrary nature of whose name gets on the album jacket, and whose doesn't. I cannot speak for every production made by every label, but the companies for which I have worked always ensure that the whole team - production, recording, editing, mastering plus sleeve designers (and of course musical instrument technicians who tune and maintain specialist instruments such as gamba, and harpsichord) get the credit which they richly deserve for their valuable contribution. Often the credits are in three languages. There is nothing "arbitrary" about that. But you've missed the point Iain - you've never sole-produced a recording in your life. Your lack of respect for the people who do sole-produce recordingsis like many of your self-aggandizing opinions - based in egotism, arrogance, and ignorance. "Self-aggandizing" ???? Is that more of the Afrikaans for which you are renowned? :-)) Arny. The respect which you so clearly crave has to be earned. There are many many very talented and skilled recording engineers. Unfortunately, you do not number among them. You clearly have none of the skills or talents (on which good recording technique is based) so it is difficult for you to rise above the mediocre level at which you seem to be firmly stuck. Just be thankful that the members of your captive audience are too busy with their tuneless singing and tambourine bashing to notice your lack of ability. Now, can we talk about tube audio? Regards Iain |
#52
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Arny Krueger" wrote in message . .. "Iain Churches" wrote in message .fi I will give you a link to pics of the type 203 preamp which my pal Markus and I have just completed in this same workshop, plus a full set of test results made at Sverige Radio in Stockholm. As you said Iain, its nothing you made by yourself. Is a pattern showing through here? We make our own chassis, from 6, 8, 10mm aircraft-grade aluminium and stainless steel. My pal is a prototype technician highly skilled in CNC, plus laser/water cutting and machining. I rate his efforts far above those of Rob Hammond, whose products are the choice for most needing a chassis or transformer. You are ducking and weaving Arny, in a poor attempt to hide the fact that you have actually built nothing thermionic either as a solo or team effort. You seem to have no interest in or knowledge of tube audio. I wonder why you are here on RAT. The BBC chap is right, Arny, You *are* all mouth and trousers:-) Best wishes for Easter Iain |
#53
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Iain Churches" wrote in message
. fi But you've missed the point Iain - you've never sole-produced a recording in your life. Your lack of respect for the people who do sole-produce recordingsis like many of your self-aggandizing opinions - based in egotism, arrogance, and ignorance. Arny. The respect which you so clearly crave has to be earned. You're so full of yourself, Iain. The respect of fools like you is meaningless to me. Furhtermore, you obviously don't know that there is a sort of Zen to respect - if you try to earn it, you probably won't get it. Respect comes for doing things right for the sake of right, not for the sake of getting respect. There are many many very talented and skilled recording engineers. Unfortunately, you do not number among them. Iain, you've obviously confused yourself with someone who matters to anybody but yourself. Remember, you have indicted yourself as part of the gang that ran Decca into the dirt. You clearly have none of the skills or talents (on which good recording technique is based) so it is difficult for you to rise above the mediocre level at which you seem to be firmly stuck. Delusions of omnisccience, noted. Just be thankful that the members of your captive audience are too busy with their tuneless singing and tambourine bashing to notice your lack of ability. Speaks to your willingness to critique that which you know nothing or little about, Iain. Now, can we talk about tube audio? This time try to make some sense, Iain. Regards Iain |
#54
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Iain Churches" wrote in message
.fi "Arny Krueger" wrote in message . .. "Iain Churches" wrote in message .fi I will give you a link to pics of the type 203 preamp which my pal Markus and I have just completed in this same workshop, plus a full set of test results made at Sverige Radio in Stockholm. As you said Iain, its nothing you made by yourself. Is a pattern showing through here? We make our own chassis, from 6, 8, 10mm aircraft-grade aluminium and stainless steel. My pal is a prototype technician highly skilled in CNC, plus laser/water cutting and machining. I rate his efforts far above those of Rob Hammond, whose products are the choice for most needing a chassis or transformer. Thanks for admitting that you are hands-off this important area, Iain. You are ducking and weaving Arny, in a poor attempt to hide the fact that you have actually built nothing thermionic either as a solo or team effort. Delusions of omnisicence noted. You obviously can't put 2+2 together and get anything close to 4. I lived in the times where tubes and vinyl were all we had. In the days when we had nothing better, I built any number of thermionic audio projects, both commercial kits and equipment I designed and built from scratch. You seem to have no interest in or knowledge of tube audio. Nonsense. I see no reason why anybody should take your opinons about tubed audio as being meaningful. I wonder why you are here on RAT. I have both interest and experience with tubed audio. SS audio really didn't start holding its own until I was about 20. I have been an audiophile since I was about 12. Do the math. |
#55
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Arny Krueger" wrote in message . .. "Iain Churches" wrote in message . fi You're so full of yourself, Iain. The respect of fools like you is meaningless to me. Arny, I am sorry that I am unable to say that your recordings are wonderful. Theyare not. In fact they are quite the worst I think I have ever heard. But let me not be ungracious. I do extend my sympathy. Will that do? :-) Furhtermore, you obviously don't know that there is a sort of Zen to respect - if you try to earn it, you probably won't get it. Respect comes for doing things right for the sake of right, not for the sake of getting respect. I am hired by people with whom I worked first over thirty years ago. Our crew is offered far more work than we can handle. There is clearly a lot of mutual respect here, So I must be doing something right:-) There are many many very talented and skilled recording engineers. Unfortunately, you do not number among them. Iain, you've obviously confused yourself with someone who matters to anybody but yourself. Remember, you have indicted yourself as part of the gang that ran Decca into the dirt. You are probably unaware Arny that British and American Decca are two separate and unrelated companies. I know little of the state of the American company, but British Decca, which was incorporated into the PolyGram Group in 1980, continues to make fine recordings and win prestigious awards just as it always did. Check the catalogue. Just be thankful that the members of your captive audience are too busy with their tuneless singing and tambourine bashing to notice your lack of ability. Speaks to your willingness to critique that which you know nothing or little about, Iain. I have heard the "performances" Arny, and I recognise your skill. It cannot be easy to make such a mess of such a simple task:-)) Iain |
#56
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Iain Churches" wrote in message
.fi Arny, I am sorry that I am unable to say that your recordings are wonderful. They are not. In fact they are quite the worst I think I have ever heard. But let me not be ungracious. I do extend my sympathy. Will that do? :-) Iain, I have made about a thousand recordings of live performances in the past 5 years. Your comment above only makes sense if you have heard a representative sample of them. How many of my recordings have you actually heard? Furhtermore, you obviously don't know that there is a sort of Zen to respect - if you try to earn it, you probably won't get it. Respect comes for doing things right for the sake of right, not for the sake of getting respect. I am hired by people with whom I worked first over thirty years ago. Our crew is offered far more work than we can handle. There is clearly a lot of mutual respect here, So I must be doing something right:-) Again Iain, you have provided no evidence that relates to work you have done by yourself. Just be thankful that the members of your captive audience are too busy with their tuneless singing and tambourine bashing to notice your lack of ability. Speaks to your willingness to critique that which you know nothing or little about, Iain. I have heard the "performances" Arny, and I recognise your skill. Exactly which performances have you heard, Iain? |
#57
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Arny Krueger" wrote in message : I wonder why you are here on RAT. : : I have both interest and experience with tubed audio. SS audio really didn't : start holding its own until I was about 20. I have been an audiophile since : I was about 12. Do the math. yeah, so for 8 years, now some 70 years in the past, you were doing something with tubes. so what ? :-) Rudy |
#58
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Ruud Broens" wrote in message
... "Arny Krueger" wrote in message : I wonder why you are here on RAT. : : I have both interest and experience with tubed audio. SS audio really didn't : start holding its own until I was about 20. I have been an audiophile since : I was about 12. Do the math. yeah, so for 8 years, now some 70 years in the past, you were doing something with tubes. You're really arithmetically-challenged, aren't you Rudy? |
#59
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Arny Krueger" wrote in message . .. : "Ruud Broens" wrote in message : ... : : "Arny Krueger" wrote in message : : : I wonder why you are here on RAT. : : : : I have both interest and experience with tubed audio. SS audio really : didn't : : start holding its own until I was about 20. I have been an audiophile : since : : I was about 12. Do the math. : : yeah, so for 8 years, now some 70 years in the past, you were doing : something with tubes. : : You're really arithmetically-challenged, aren't you Rudy? : oh, 50 or 70, what's the diggerence, eh, remember them cd's being 'round in the fifties ? :-)) R |
#60
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Arny Krueger" wrote in message . .. "Iain Churches" wrote in message .fi Arny, I am sorry that I am unable to say that your recordings are wonderful. They are not. In fact they are quite the worst I think I have ever heard. But let me not be ungracious. I do extend my sympathy. Will that do? :-) Iain, I have made about a thousand recordings of live performances in the past 5 years. Your comment above only makes sense if you have heard a representative sample of them. How many of my recordings have you actually heard? May I make a compilation of what I have, and post a link to the Scandinavian Classical website? It will cause considerable mirth and Springtime jollity:-) You are squirming and weaving, ducking and diving here as only you know how, in a feeble attempt at a smoke screen. The chap from the BBC is right. You are indeed all mouth and trousers. Happy Easter! Iain |
#61
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
Iain Churches wrote: "Patrick Turner" wrote in message ... I couldn't share a workshop. It is rare that there are more than two of us there at the same time. And, economically it makes very good sense indeed. I enjoy the group dynamic, and find discussion with people with similar interests, but a totally different approach is informative. I would feel mean having all that space to myself. I save my talk for the net here at this group. Shooting the breeze in the workshop is a waste of time. And very few here are into tubes. I own my house and workshop, and only have to pay the property and water rates. I don't need to share the workshop. But in choosing a cell.mate one has to be careful. Word got around by bush.-telegraph, we had no shortage of applicants. Gee, I didn't think the word efficiency could be applied to my business at all... :-))) A lot of equipment that passes through is on its way too or from e-Bay. CD players over five years with faults are usually consigned to the scrap bin. Studer, Quad and Denon prof machines are the exception. Studio analogue recorders and turntables receive lots of TLC:-)) Gee, I get a constant stream of 3in1 stereos that are utter crap but which ordinary pppl have bought for say $500 and the cd player often is the first thing to fail. I have a tech I employ for all my SS repairs. He puts in a new generic laser to get a repair and they keep working. Only rarely do we ever chuck a CD player into the bin. But fixing this junk is like cleaning toilets, and the pay is worse. I don't often get involved in repairs, but it is interesting to see how the system works. Someone brings in an amp. It is checked over to see what needs to be done, and a price is given. Any parts not on the shelf are then ordered. The client either then takes the amp away, or it goes into the storage area. When the parts arrive the amp is brought to the workshop, and client informed that it is "under anaesthetic" He can usually collect it the same day. I find it hard to quote without doing the fix. If I had to quote without doing the fix, the quote has to be high because you don't always know how much time you'll spend or what you will find after the obvious faults are found; often gear has more than one fault, so you have to let an item run for days sometimes to find an intermittent fault especially. I believe my services are cheaper to the clients than many other places operating out of a shop front where they must pay rent on the premises. Real efficiency would be to chuck that 1960 crap and buy modern, but no, they want it fixed, and for almost nothing, so i say when i get time, there are 20 ahead of you. So soon I have a full workshop with everyones's little sick orphan needing a fix and waiting for a quiet time, its never happened in the last 3 years. Some despair, and perhaps even get a bit cranky, and I start saying well how come you'll pay a fooking plumber $80 per hour to fix a rotten drain pipe, but you only wanna pay me $2? Some grab their gear and go to some other struggling professional artisan. Make me a deal I can't refuse I say, and their lips are sealed. So one reason the shed is so crammed is that a lot of stuff is on a "long term" fix. I don't really care anymore about spending a "quiet time" on gear that takes many hours, and for which I get peanuts. I don't care that i upset ppl if I won't do their hobby work for them without pay. There are a lot of failed hobbyists out there, gunner do this, gunner do that, and never do anything. About 1 in every 3 radios is not picked up after I fix them. I wonder if you are doing too much too cheaply Patrick? When I last worked as a carpenter/designer builder, I was cheap at aud $30/hr in 1992. The rate is now about $70/hr, or $500 a day, cash, ( usd $400/day,) which is $2,000 a week, or $100,000 pa, but you never get 50 weeks of continual work in a year at that rate. When I could not work in building due to knee troubles, i switched to electronics, and pay became 26dB lower. People here are happy to pay Euro100 (AUD 164) an hr (min charge Euro 55) for prompt and reliable service at a high standard of workmanship. aud $164 per hour? You gotta be kidding. Nobody here gets that sort of pay in the repair trades. Most ppl will pay $90/hr for a plumber to unblock a sewer pipe that's letting sewerage run all over the yard, or they'll pay $150 for a dental visit, but all other things are based on need to pay, and beating everyone down. A house improvement costing $20,000 is OK because the cost increases the house value, so the espense isn't a "waste". Fixing the old hi-fi set is an expense, and not a high priority. If i charged more, less ppl would return to collect their gear, and I have a pile of uncollected gear. Nobody wants to buy it at the price of the repair. I find tools OK, my memory is still good. We share a lot of the metal working tools, taps, punches, dies, reamers etc and so returning them to their proper home is important. And I have more than one darn screw driver and centre punch. That's another advantage of sharing a workshop, I now have access to metalworking and finishing machines that I could not even dream of owning. In contrast most of the audio test gear plus the equipment in the listening room is mine. Another guy has contributed the four computers. When I do have a big clean up it lasts about a week, and its time for another. It's a daily routine for us. 10 mins most, including the kitchen:-) If you take only 10 minutes to clean up, you're not doing very much. Patrick Turner. Iain |
#62
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
Iain said to Arny Arsole......
You seem to have no interest in or knowledge of tube audio. Arny ****ing replied.... Nonsense. I see no reason why anybody should take your opinons about tubed audio as being meaningful. Iain relied, I wonder why you are here on RAT. Arny Arsole irrelevantly replied... I have both interest and experience with tubed audio. SS audio really didn't start holding its own until I was about 20. I have been an audiophile since I was about 12. Do the math. Meaninful disscussions with Arny Arsole are impossible. His interest in tube audio is equivalent to going around with a hammer and smashing all tubes where he finds them. He HATES tubes, and those who know Arny wish he'd just **** off. He has never ever been known for offering any positive advice about how to build a tube amplifier. So Arny, **** Off!!! Patrick Turner. |
#63
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
I have a company with about 100 development & manufacturing people in India.
Works great once you understand the culture. It's a disaster if you go in blind. "Eeyore" wrote in message ... coffeedj wrote: The films will be taken to India for final production. Have you ever dealt with the Indians before ? I have. Good luck to you ! You'll need it. Graham |
#64
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
Doesn't matter what your soldering iron is after 1/2 dozen resolders.
"Eeyore" wrote in message ... coffeedj wrote: For resoldering parts require 4 ounce Cu Nonsense unless you use a red hot fire poker for soldering. Graham |
#65
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
Arny Krueger wrote: "Eeyore" wrote in message Arny Krueger wrote: Bret Ludwig wrote: Yes but they don't always work as well. Look at the coil-on-plug ignitions. The coils are too small to give a really good zap. Agreed. Saab direct ignition here. No problems at all. The Milan (Mercury-badged Fusion) I've been talking about uses direct ignition (coils directly mounted on sparkplugs) as well. The advantage is no high voltage distributor and negligable high voltage wiring. Indeed. Saab pioneered the concept. My 1993 model 9000 has something similar but Saab place the coils in the 'DI module' which sits atop the engine in the valley formed by the 2 camshafts. DI module failures are not totally unknown but due AIUI to possible underspeccing of the electronics since the idea was brand new at the time. Otherwise it's simply a joy ! No HT leads and no distrubutor to go wrong or wear. An absolutely excellent idea. Saab's Trionic engine maagement also uses the spark plugs to measure the mixture. Graham |
#66
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Iain Churches" wrote in message
. fi "Arny Krueger" wrote in message . .. "Iain Churches" wrote in message .fi Arny, I am sorry that I am unable to say that your recordings are wonderful. They are not. In fact they are quite the worst I think I have ever heard. But let me not be ungracious. I do extend my sympathy. Will that do? :-) Iain, I have made about a thousand recordings of live performances in the past 5 years. Your comment above only makes sense if you have heard a representative sample of them. How many of my recordings have you actually heard? May I make a compilation of what I have, and post a link to the Scandinavian Classical website? It will cause considerable mirth and Springtime jollity:-) Sure, and we'll take the quotient of what you have divided by the total number of recordings to determine the validity of your sample. You are squirming and weaving, ducking and diving here as only you know how, in a feeble attempt at a smoke screen. Only in your mind, Iain. Again I challenge you - provide us with the title of a recording that you did all by yourself from start to finish with your own equipment, and with a venue and musicians that you personally arranged for and paid out of your own pocket. The bottom line Iain is that I've recorded professional musicians in good venues and its a relatively easy recipie for sounding good. Unfortunately or not, that's not what life doles out to me on a daily basis. |
#67
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Partrick Spews Hate And Frustration
"Patrick Turner" wrote in message
His interest in tube audio is equivalent to going around with a hammer and smashing all tubes where he finds them. He HATES tubes, and those who know Arny wish he'd just **** off. Patrick is reality-challenged, as usual. I have tubed audio gear that I actually prefer to use over solid state. He has never ever been known for offering any positive advice about how to build a tube amplifier. This would be yet another example of Patrick talking out of the back of his neck. I've defintately posted positive advice about building tubed amps here, recently I posted a pointer to a schematic diagram of a tubed amp that someone was interested in. No editorializing, just an attempt to be helpful. |
#68
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"coffeedj" wrote in message . .. : I have a company with about 100 development & manufacturing people in India. : : Works great once you understand the culture. It's a disaster if you go in : blind. hmm, any change of 'm doing a 10.000 pc production run of ceramic compactron sockets ? i'm sure there's a market for 'm ;-) Rudy |
#69
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Ruud Broens" said:
"coffeedj" wrote in message ... : I have a company with about 100 development & manufacturing people in India. : Works great once you understand the culture. It's a disaster if you go in : blind. hmm, any change of 'm doing a 10.000 pc production run of ceramic compactron sockets ? i'm sure there's a market for 'm ;-) Better ask the Chinese. Cheaper and likely better quality. -- - Maggies are an addiction for life. - |
#70
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
coffeedj wrote: I have a company with about 100 development & manufacturing people in India. Works great once you understand the culture. It's a disaster if you go in blind. So just what are the problems? Going in blind is what everyone has to to if you deal with someone a long way away, and you don't know them, and they want payment in advance. Please explain further about disasters and blindness if you wouldn't mind please. Patrick Turner. "Eeyore" wrote in message ... coffeedj wrote: The films will be taken to India for final production. Have you ever dealt with the Indians before ? I have. Good luck to you ! You'll need it. Graham |
#71
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Partrick Spews Hate And Frustration
"Arny Krueger" wrote in message . .. "Patrick Turner" wrote in message His interest in tube audio is equivalent to going around with a hammer and smashing all tubes where he finds them. He HATES tubes, and those who know Arny wish he'd just **** off. Patrick is reality-challenged, as usual. I have tubed audio gear that I actually prefer to use over solid state. He has never ever been known for offering any positive advice about how to build a tube amplifier. This would be yet another example of Patrick talking out of the back of his neck. I've defintately posted positive advice about building tubed amps here, recently I posted a pointer to a schematic diagram of a tubed amp that someone was interested in. No editorializing, just an attempt to be helpful. Its called, "Self-promotion" |
#72
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"Claudio Bonavolta" wrote in message ups.com... On 2 avr, 08:53, "Iain Churches" wrote: I am interested to have a go at making PCBs From what I have found so far on the web, it doesn't appear to be too difficult. Does anyone here have actual hands-on experience of small-scale DIY production using a UV light box etc? I am particularly interested to know precisely the steps involved. Can one get results to match a professionally produced board? Regards to all Iain Well, I suppose you don't want to make a PCB for the last generation of computers ? If not and if you're more looking for PCBs for tube-gear or other low- density components then, you may consider these two pages on the subject: http://www.bonavolta.ch/hobby/en/audio/CI.htm http://www.bonavolta.ch/hobby/en/audio/CI_exposure.htm Claudio Bonavolta http://www.bonavolta.ch Caro Claudio, Your name sounds Italian but you email says ch. What does "CH" mean? Besides your web is in English & French, yet advertises Switzerland.. I know Bona means good. Does volta mean volts? Just a morbid, curious, and confused valve lover. Warm Regards, west |
#73
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
Bret Ludwig wrote: On Apr 5, 9:44 pm, Patrick Turner wrote: coffeedj wrote: I have a company with about 100 development & manufacturing people in India. Works great once you understand the culture. It's a disaster if you go in blind. So just what are the problems? Going in blind is what everyone has to to if you deal with someone a long way away, and you don't know them, and they want payment in advance. Please explain further about disasters and blindness if you wouldn't mind please. I'm not sure what he means but I know that in any country except your own, getting anything manufactured to any sort of timely and precise specification means having boots on the ground there. If they at least speak a language in which you are really familiar with you have a shot at it over the phone, but the closer the better. I'm not big on multiculturalism. Nobody in China can read my website details with regard to output transformers. I get spams form Chinese makers of gear, and after I have told them to read the site and send me a sample for approval, and test, I never hear from them again. But here in Oz when I take a nicely drawn set of instructions to some so called specialist tranny winder, they turn green then purple and have a heart attack when they see all the layers, sections, and taps, and hear how well i want it done. If I want a PT done they only want to wind it their way, not mine, and don't want to do the necessary negotiations about termination boards, vacuum impregnation, assembly, and other details, quality, gurrantee, etc. If they ever did focus on the task like they used to in 1960 they'd want a fortune for the work. They are not interested because they only make money when the tranny winding is done in 1Hr and they use their own "industry standards". They may be able to supply a standard 500VA PT for $300. That's about 3 hours work plus $100 worth of material, and it looks like easy money. But commercial operators have to hire business premises, pay all those expenses, and the labour rate they want has to pay to keep a real business running, so paying $70 per/hr for workshop work is not exhorbibant. But hardly anyone is willing to do anything as a one of a kind special and good enough for a hi-fi component, unless the number of hours they can devote to the item is dramatically increased. However some operators are good enough and do understand to be able to stick to the design I have worked out. But finding such people overseas who I could trust with a good operating email connection and who speak good english is very difficult. Just who are attracted to the type of work i do myself? In China, all the bright young men are working in the military, or anywhere else but tube amp construction; its dull boring donkey work, and mainly dullards are ones doing such dirty menial tasks. I sometimes think more ppl would build tube amp parts to high standards if ppl could offer them a big enough price, but nobody wants to pay a good price for the finished article. Nobody offers me a nice price so I can't offer anyone else a good price so I have build all the metalwork and transformers in all the new amps pictured at my website except in a stereo amp where a guy placed the Hammond trannies in my hands because I had so many other orders to fulfil. I have a large batch of precision machine made chassis. Buit no orders to fill them with parts for amps. Then when i get orders, its for something not able to suit the 6 different chassis types. I can't win. But the chassis i did get made are world class standard equal to Quad-40 quality. The guy here who does the metalwork becomes cheap when you order $3,000 for a large batch, but he is way to expensive for the one-offs. He does a lot of specialist enclosures for highy fallooting computer gear, military contracts, security firms, fire protection control boards, etc. These sort of apps cannot be fulfilled by using over seas cheap labour. If I had ppl do all the work in building amps to my design, and paid them all fairly, and they all could be co-ordinated, and if they all took full responsibility for stuff ups, and all I had to do was supervise, a 5050 stereo amp would cost $6,000 to make and take 10 years to sell.... Unless I do all the work, and for low small peanut wages, nothing gets done. If you set out to build one motor vehicle in your own workshop, its the same sort of deal. One guy I know has built an aeroplane, and it worked out fine, but if he counted his hours, and had someone else do all the work, it would have cost him enormously. He worked every night for a couple of years. Getting things done properly is the biggest difficulty in life. Patrick Turner. |
#74
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
Have a look in here
http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/pcbs.html An excellent article and pointers to suppliers as well Mie "Iain Churches" wrote in message . fi... I am interested to have a go at making PCBs From what I have found so far on the web, it doesn't appear to be too difficult. Does anyone here have actual hands-on experience of small-scale DIY production using a UV light box etc? I am particularly interested to know precisely the steps involved. Can one get results to match a professionally produced board? Regards to all Iain |
#75
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Homebrew Printed Circuit Boards
"fredbloggstwo" wrote in message ... Have a look in here http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/pcbs.html An excellent article and pointers to suppliers as well Mie Many thanks indeed. Excellent info. By the way, I recently bought a piece of audio gear from your older brother Fredbloggs:-) Iain |
Reply |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
FS: Citation II Replacement Circuit Boards | Marketplace | |||
FS: Citation II Replacement Circuit Boards | Tech | |||
FS: Citation II Replacement Circuit Boards | Vacuum Tubes | |||
DIY Ceramic circuit boards? | Tech | |||
Announcement: Building Homebrew Vacuum Tubes and Homebrew Transistors | Vacuum Tubes |