Should Edward Scissorhands build an amplifier

[richieb]

Thinking about building the Mini-Beast OTL kit from Transcendent Sound. I know several members are well versed in amp building and might weigh in on this. I have zero background in building electronics and although this comes in kit form it of course requires closely following schematics and a good hand at soldering, another area I have very limited experience. Would I be in too deep? Should I avoid this like the plague?

[DizRotus]

As someone who has built two Heathkit color TVs and several Dynaco amps, pre-amps, tuners, etc., I say YES, but start on something smaller and less expensive.

 

Get experience soldering on another kit first.  Perhaps this:

http://www.jdslabs.com/products/76/cmoybb-diy-kit-rechargeable/

 

or something from Parts Express.

 

Finally, does Transcendent Sound have a service to check out your "finished" product and possibly correct any cold solder joints, or worse?

Edited February 17, 2015 by DizRotus

[thebes]

For a few dollars more you could get into tubes:

 

http://tubehobby.com/show_det.php?det=42

[CECAA850]

For a few dollars more you could get into tubes:

 

http://tubehobby.com/show_det.php?det=42

 

??

 

The kit he's talking about is tube based.

[CECAA850]

For a few dollars more you could get into tubes:

 

http://tubehobby.com/show_det.php?det=42

 

 

Sorry, you were talking to Diz, not the OP.  My bad.

[minermark]

Yes, kits these days are way better than mine in the 60s, if/when i smoked a componet i had no Web to rely on.

[CECAA850]

if/when i smoked a componet

 

We called it something different

[thebes]

 

For a few dollars more you could get into tubes:

 

http://tubehobby.com/show_det.php?det=42

 

 

Sorry, you were talking to Diz, not the OP.  My bad.

 

No my apology.  I should have been more clear. 

 

Now the cheapest solution is to go down to the nearest Radio Shack before it closes, buy a handful of resistors, small caps, some terminal strips, a roll of 18 or 22 gauge solid core wire, maybe another cheap part or two.  Also a 40 watt or less pencil solder gun, and a small roll of 60/40 rosin-core solder. Drill a few  holes in any thin piece of metal you have lying around, bolt on a couple of terminal strips  and practice soldering.  More importantly, practice de-soldering, because everybody  gets something wrong and taking it apart and putting it right, is a necessary skill. I like the vacuum sucker desoldering guns, also carried at the Shack, over the desoldering wire.

 

Also use your multi-meter to check and see if you have continuity on the parts (does not apply where caps are in the practice circuit). That will tell you if you are soldering right.

 

Also watch some utube videos on how to solder before you begin and take a look at some undershots of amps done by the pros. 

 

Here's a great example to study, Maynard's (Tube Fanatic) "Little Gem SEP" :

 

https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/153612-amazing-little-gem-flea-power-sep/

[Paducah Home Theater]

Easy peasy.  Looks like something out of one of those 300 in one electronics lab kits from childhood.  Now if you were designing and soldering that board in the upper right you might have a few more concerns.  Personally I wouldn't enjoy it much but I think it is doable.  

 

 

Edited February 17, 2015 by MetropolisLakeOutfitters