Bottlehead Forum
Bottlehead Kits => Crack => Topic started by: vikingtap on December 23, 2012, 08:27:14 AM
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Hi everyone:
I only recently received my crack innards as i ordered it without a chassis and top-plate. I figured i could save some postage and possibly import duties due to its reduced declared value and weight. As it turns out i had to pay
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Awesome brass plate and layout. The brass was a nice find.
How 'bout some pics of the underbelly?
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here you go.
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I like the look a lot!
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That is looking great!
I like this layout a lot.
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I am a complete noob at all this but can someone please advise me on how to insert photo's into a reply. I have tried to attach more photos but a message stating THE UPLOAD FOLDER IS FULL please try a smaller file/and /or contact an administrator. The file sizes that i am trying to attach are only 40 or so kb in size? Any help would be much appreciated.
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najo49 seems to have had the same problem - it may be a server limit at the web host.
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Thanks for that info i shall try to post a few more pic's later on fingers crossed.
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I have increased the size limit of the domain, so if that was the problem it should now work.
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still no luck. The size of the photo's (combined) i am trying to upload come to a little over 100kb. If i reduce there quality any more it hardly seems worth while.
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Sorry for being a bit thick, i don't understand!
Then in the post where I want the picture to be I insert this text:
{img}***{/img}
In the above the fancy red brackets should be the replaced with standard square brackets []. And *** is where you paste the location of the full sized image. If I had used the square brackets above nothing would display.
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Some more crack, think i have the image hosting thing CRACK'ED.....
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/4001/dsc00688m.jpg
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/1569/dsc00685xt.jpg
http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/8789/dsc00684yn.jpg
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5166/dsc00686lq.jpg
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Try this:
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg27.imageshack.us%2Fimg27%2F4001%2Fdsc00688m.jpg&hash=b6d551db2aaa1f4a86e5584fbd65d2ee9cd8c09c)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg7.imageshack.us%2Fimg7%2F1569%2Fdsc00685xt.jpg&hash=ba1989b88b336a0a32904749b9579075fe866977)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg849.imageshack.us%2Fimg849%2F8789%2Fdsc00684yn.jpg&hash=fa9668a05a0d440e98165600eb23edacd62c795c)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg443.imageshack.us%2Fimg443%2F5166%2Fdsc00686lq.jpg&hash=5574c007b0df24395b37099c8929d775ca8de074)
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Now that is exactly what i am trying to do. I place the direct link by right clicking on the image (it is hosted at imageshack) and get this......below post!!
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this!!!
[img]http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/8789/dsc00684yn.jpg/img]
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cool pics --- love the bouka - or whatever - yaa.
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I installed 2 Triad chokes today in the place of the 270ohm resistors. I also changed the headphone jack plug. I do have a Neutrik one but don't really like the fact that it lock's the jack in place. I installed two welwyn 2.49kohm resistors as in the original speck. Only had it running a few hours, with no music playing and the volume turned up to MAX i can hear no hum. i really am luvin this amp and am considering getting rid of the STAX 4040 system and perhaps audition a pair of T1'S ANF HD800'S.
Here are some more pic's hope you like them. anyone with any suggestions to improve upon it still further are most welcome.
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4207/dsc00707l.jpg
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Still struggling to embed an image in my posts!!
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5596/dsc00706lr.jpg
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Still struggling to embed an image in my posts!!
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5596/dsc00706lr.jpg
Mr Vikingtap - try the following when posting images on a forum.
Take the url of the image, in this case http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5596/dsc00706lr.jpg
Copy it
Then hit the Insert Image button on the Post Reply page (it's the button under the Italicized button)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-L11qk4p_UKA/UNzExFWC4pI/AAAAAAAAH5Y/6_HoosSlAZ8/s289/Fullscreen+capture+28122012+85835+AM.jpg)
This will result in the following
[ing][/ing]
(please note I have swapped the 'm' for a 'n' in order for it to show up)
Then Paste your image's url between the two square brackets - like so:
[ing]http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5596/dsc00706lr.jpg[/ing]
Which will result in an image being shown (when the 'm' isn't a 'n')
I hope this helps - it really is simple as copy and pasting with one button pushing.
Stephen
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Thank you Stephen but THIS BELOW is what happens!! i just dont know?
http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/9662/dsc00702r.jpg (http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/9662/dsc00702r.jpg)
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Thank you Stephen but THIS BELOW is what happens!! i just dont know?
http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/9662/dsc00702r.jpg (http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/9662/dsc00702r.jpg)
Viking,
You are hitting the Insert Link/URL button not the Image - second button not the third.
Try that.
:)
Stephen
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Hit the second button and this happens?
[img]http://imageshack.us/scaled/landing/507/dsc00704mc.jpg/img]
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At last thanks Wormwood. I made sure there was a decent space between the brackets then hit paste. many thanks. All i have to do now is figure out why the amp is sending a MONO signal to my headphones??
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg507.imageshack.us%2Fimg507%2F5341%2Fdsc00704mc.jpg&hash=5a1e72a8511426c88422a5d97d5afb884a3bde3e)
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Just installed the speedball and now it is sending a MONO signal to my headphones. If you look at the below picture you can see that 2 of the led's are not lit. Since i am going to have to disassemble things a bit i may build a bigger chassis for the amp.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg708.imageshack.us%2Fimg708%2F7066%2Fmmmuc.jpg&hash=9da5bb1ea2cbe85f50e200258a45cec21162d162)
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I would not bother with a larger chassis. Yours does not look terribly crowded to me. It looks like you can get in there to measure voltages. I always dread the effort to cut a top plate and to build a box so I'm not one to abandon a nice custom chassis once it's built.
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Nice, the pic's worth the wait...John
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Ok so i had a bit of a rethink and decided that i needed a bigger chassis. certainly not as cute as my first effort, but there is way more room to work with. I have adopted more or less the CRACK arrangement be it slightly larger at 10 3/4 x 9 x 3.5". What is very welcome is the drop in temperature of the top plate from 51c down to 35c after running for a few hours. This certainly makes me feel more comfortable and perhaps will extend component life. I have installed the SPEEDBALL and changed the volume pot to a TOCOS. As it stands right now i am really luvin the sounds it produces. i think i shall give it a week or so get use to the sound signature and maybe install a choke or two and possibly add a bypass capacitor (2.2uf i think) to the final power supply capacitor. Again any suggestions are most welcome.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8330%2F8350507356_be880a0d65_m.jpg&hash=61a45cee4dbcbc385b8b4ec05f2aaa4548c6303f)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8464%2F8349440009_2febc0c5a4_m.jpg&hash=5aa7b79dc96a5c1dd370d9d133715ef9bbf58b0f)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8330%2F8350520862_27d8b76958_m.jpg&hash=21201320a7d301c4df1b93a8c08f3e8dbc8b2cd3)
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Ok so i've had my crack for a while now and really enjoying it. Problem is i just want to tinker with it some more, so i decided to build another and whilst i was at it add a few upgrades. I was so impressed by the lovely Fi-300b tube amps i thought i might try my hand at making my crack look a little like the aforementioned amp.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fscaled%2Flanding%2F685%2Fdsc00970ue.jpg&hash=16227d1348e3bed20a4a8f6215da408db2cd2745)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fscaled%2Flanding%2F72%2Fdsc00971j.jpg&hash=9e6ebf8e812f7f06f223db0c29137dfd17d022b8)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fscaled%2Flanding%2F842%2Fdsc00972a.jpg&hash=7f8dd2a6bc6a1deb33dc7cd65b239f5813dd982c)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fscaled%2Flanding%2F850%2Fdsc00973al.jpg&hash=9a707f6f63a0f68dfc764012c752909583901bf8)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fscaled%2Flanding%2F209%2Fdsc00980e.jpg&hash=332baae20f35ceba0eb937ecfb8530097a1ee002)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fscaled%2Flanding%2F132%2Fdsc00983gi.jpg&hash=ff544fcd7aa9f714b0c948ca7f590a34a1cbb8dc)
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Very, very nice. I love it 8)
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Thank you here are a few more pic's.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fscaled%2Flanding%2F15%2Fdsc00982axs.jpg&hash=c5cc90afb6b3d86a1f97b151af7cb84f7f030ef5)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fscaled%2Flanding%2F822%2Fdsc00981iyp.jpg&hash=f5f0b3aefc4771c83b2826e1822475dc6016904e)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fscaled%2Flanding%2F407%2Fdsc00978l.jpg&hash=ca551813f6d404554d2864dcf252c293567f46e5)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fscaled%2Flanding%2F811%2Fdsc00977t.jpg&hash=74435966816288278a949fd92716b23e5d8353fb)
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Holy crap! That's awesome! :o :P ;) ;D
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Cool macro pics. Nothing accentuating the curves of a nice tube or cap.
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That IS cool....
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It's been a while and whilst i do love my crack (ahem!) as is i am a bit of a tinkerer so i thought i might as well build me another one.......so here she is.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg845.imageshack.us%2Fimg845%2F3390%2Fdsc01131go.jpg&hash=1d2953231e1ac6b4c72766aa4a4267589e5c0de6)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg13.imageshack.us%2Fimg13%2F5659%2Fdsc01117fn.jpg&hash=d2e595fce77fc8587f5383203e21aa7cb8cf2ffd)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg443.imageshack.us%2Fimg443%2F8408%2Fdsc01114wy.jpg&hash=61031a7f5eb8689eef8fff66be89e587364f6208)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg43.imageshack.us%2Fimg43%2F9043%2Fdsc01125iy.jpg&hash=7a5b54c22055ba4a6369665d8a3cd2ee0b350b79)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg593.imageshack.us%2Fimg593%2F1006%2Fdsc01126a.jpg&hash=38a7fd984c93cfc09828833410cf459dd57d9006)
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I have only had her up and running for a few hours but i am really liking what i am hearing. Though i haven't (yet) installed a speedball (on order) i can turn the volume pot up to full (obviously with no music playing) and hear no hum what so ever. with this one i have just 3 inputs switching between them is done via a USSR rotary selector which i picked up from a guy in the UKRAINE for peanuts! (yet to find a knob for it) the volume pot is a VALAB 100k stepped pot which i think is a bargain for what they go for. I have already made up a rather lovely sieden's/Takman stepped attenuator which i will no doubt install in the near future.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg708.imageshack.us%2Fimg708%2F6678%2Fdsc00966rb.jpg&hash=6a00907bdebe9f627ff5d6a8c7528e898cfaa6e4)
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Just in case anyone was wondering the audio chain goes as follows;
ipod classic 160g---Pure i20---audio gd DI-v3---Valab Chameleon dac----STAX interconnect----crack amp---Beyer T1's.
The DI is battery powered...pure i20 is powered via a Valab linea power supply.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg819.imageshack.us%2Fimg819%2F2883%2Fdsc01115yb.jpg&hash=ce5104858f16195d1f52ae482c2be934ae9af9b7)
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What are you using the DI for? Why not just use the coaxial out on the Pure i-20 to feed the Chameleon?
I'm using a similar setup. See here: https://www.head-fi.org/t/476650/crack-bottlehead-otl/1605#post_9259612 (https://www.head-fi.org/t/476650/crack-bottlehead-otl/1605#post_9259612).
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To my ears with the Di in the chain it just sounds better. I don't really know what the Di does but for me it is worthwhile. The Valab power supply for the i20 is also a worthwhile addition. With the original wall-wart power supply when you turned the volume up to full (no music playing) you can hear a hiss. I then powered it via a li-ion battery and the hiss disappeared. Problem was i kept having to re-charge the battery quite frequently. The valab power supply is a good compromise. i shall be ordering one for the Di soon.
hope this helps.
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Thanks. Fortunately, I don't have that problem with my Pure i-20. Actually, I have three of them, and haven't experienced that with any of them. And since I'm only using the digital signal via coaxial and running it through an external DAC, rather than using the i-20s internal DAC and the analog RCA outs, it seems odd that the Pure i-20 could induce hiss. I wonder if maybe the issue is related to the non-USB inputs on your DAC?
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I only ever really heard the hiss, and i am talking very quiet hiss when the i20 was plugged into the supplied wall-wart power supply. That hiss disappears when the i20 is run off a battery, or from the valab power supply. Anyways i am much happier now with the better power supply. To be honest i am not going to be completely happy until i get myself a dedicated cd transport. A few days ago i had the pleasure of listing to a North star 192 feeding a Metrum Octave. All i can say is WOW.
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To be honest i am not going to be completely happy until i get myself a ......
How many time have I said that......?!
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Here we go again. Here are some pictures of my latest crack build. With this one i have built in a TDA1543x4 mini dac with a toggle switch to supply power to it-or not. I only have one set of rca plugs which are fed by my main source a turntable. I find myself listening to this much more than anything else. A toggle switch on the left hand side takes care of the input selection. You probably will notice the addition of a second octal socket. This gives me the ability to use a 6SN7 tube instead of the 12AU7. I should stress that NEVER! should both the 6SN7 and 12AU7 have a tube connected in both at the same time. Perhaps in time i might find an appropriate break before make switch so i can switch back and forth. Perhaps even a bank of 3x6080 sockets, 3x6SN7 sockets and 3x12AU7 sockets, all selectable via rotary switches a real tube rollers delight. Also i decided to add a second plate onto which all the components are connected. I did this because i didn't want bolts and screws populating the top plate.
enjoy.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg5.imageshack.us%2Fimg5%2F7329%2Fdsc01471j.jpg&hash=b9fcefc3a2cc81986dc4da7906b9cb95fa9e272f)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg62.imageshack.us%2Fimg62%2F100%2Fdsc01467if.jpg&hash=d8cf395fb7033e53743305a79044151c2d516f64)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg708.imageshack.us%2Fimg708%2F6831%2Fdsc01468dc.jpg&hash=fea2473baa2978b096a4c52938dc22c5846df007)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg692.imageshack.us%2Fimg692%2F3771%2Fdsc01433ub.jpg&hash=7969463f5b2f45a51b1d38cfb94121e23fd0543b)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg18.imageshack.us%2Fimg18%2F5949%2Fdsc01472td.jpg&hash=c8a5474dede342d5cf2abd6d01c6a86d4c3d4941)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg266.imageshack.us%2Fimg266%2F5046%2Fdsc01425a.jpg&hash=c5fc1f89640b2e6d73ac739e58101746baafa79a)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg40.imageshack.us%2Fimg40%2F233%2Fdsc01449y.JPG&hash=722dfd95ddc0a792fa5186dde3d9db8addf29f62)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg832.imageshack.us%2Fimg832%2F4483%2Fdsc01442vm.jpg&hash=52a122c71a9d5f2e2716581e69ddb0ab8d8df22c)
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I see you have the new Mundorf EVO's in service! I was wondering what you think of their sound. I have been pondering them for a spell, for speaker crossovers. Great pics and a great build BTW!
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Thank you:
As for the Mundorf evo aluminium/oil, well to be honest im not sure i could tell the difference between them and the Mundorf MKP i had previous. I occasionally swap out the tubes which certainly does change the sound signature, so trying to pinpoint the evo's sound signature for me at least is very hard.
One thing i can tell you about them is that they are huge! I thought that the MKP's were big, in comparison they look rather small!
Sorry i cant be of more help.
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Nice build! The extra octal socket is a great idea, and should be a lot of fun to roll tubes.
If you wanted to leave a tube in both sockets, a SPDT switch could be used to switch power between pin 9 on the 9 pin socket and pin 8 on the octal driver socket (note - you may have pin 9 going to pin 7 on the octal socket, which is also OK).
If two tubes are plugged in but only one is heated, the dark tube will not draw any current and shouldn't cause you any problems.
-PB
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Nice build! The extra octal socket is a great idea, and should be a lot of fun to roll tubes.
If you wanted to leave a tube in both sockets, a SPDT switch could be used to switch power between pin 9 on the 9 pin socket and pin 8 on the octal driver socket (note - you may have pin 9 going to pin 7 on the octal socket, which is also OK).
If two tubes are plugged in but only one is heated, the dark tube will not draw any current and shouldn't cause you any problems.
-PB
Now that sounds like a great idea. This is how i wired it up (this is a snapshot from HF9's web blog). So a simple SPDT that is rated to at least 170v would be ok?
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg35.imageshack.us%2Fimg35%2F5895%2F9pinto8pinwiring.png&hash=25d9d96636fd2274a89e3a4a94a72c3a5fe30e3c)
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Yes, you can lift the wire feeding 9-Pin 9 and octal 8, then switch that. The switch will be switching 6V AC at under 1A of current, so your options are very open. There are probably automotive switches you could buy easily that would do the job.
I'm not so sure, however, that I would throw that switch while the Crack is running. If you wanted that ability, I could run you through how to undo the direct coupling to maintain some bias on the 6080 while the switching and warmup took place.
-PB
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Thanks:
A simple switch i believe will do very nicely. Even if i could switch back and forth whilst power is running through the circuitry, i would still rather turn the amp off before any switching took place. I am still very much a newbie regarding all things electrical. It is only because of the simply BRILLIANT instructions that came with the kit in the first place, that i have attempted anything like this.
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Agreed.... The documentation is the best in the business! ;D
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Just installed the lovely Seiden's pot with Takman metal film. I originally installed a Tocos which in itself i feel is a really nice pot for the price. The Seiden's is in another league i feel, a very worthwhile upgrade in my opinion.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg849.imageshack.us%2Fimg849%2F7311%2Fdsc01488s.jpg&hash=4b2a98f35de7f7c3cb22a401ed697b8adfae3dc1)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg842.imageshack.us%2Fimg842%2F9020%2Fdsc01489lef.jpg&hash=c5aaf05350e8d33fc57a23f713db87ee7d856ac8)
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg838.imageshack.us%2Fimg838%2F8586%2Fdsc01487p.jpg&hash=9855f30f298d4fa712dc8e6ed24fb1b50aa13ef6)
I had to cut away a bit of the Second plate to accommodate the larger size of the Seiden's.