PL 700 II Clair Bros Rising from the Ashes

[Peter S]

Hi Laatch55;
Do you have pictures of this modification? I'm now back to plan "C". I could find a 14 Ga IEC line cord and not have to wrestle it through a strain relief.

 

[laatsch55]

Yeah, it was in one of my build threads...
I'll have to peruse a few of em to find it. In the field till tonight. I think it was Przems build...

 

[laatsch55]

IIRC, IT took about 30 minutes with a file, with numerous checks along the way.

 

[Peter S]

Thanks. If you find it, great, but no emergency. I think I am going to do it but it is kind of non reversible mod. I have tried searching your threads, but no luck---probably because I'm not completely familiar with this forum setup.
I figured the same thing, filing with frequent checking. It's a tight squeeze but I like the line cord interchangeability.
My WO goodies arrived today! Thanks Joe, time to sharpen my soldering irons. I would like to get that IEC jack installed first, to get that messing job over with.
Laatch55, I am curious about your mod and will wait before hacking into this vintage piece. (I should be working at my real job now anyway)

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

The two Clairs I have both have the switch. If it actually bypassed the capacitor Perry would know.

very amp I've built (Which are ALL WOPL's) have none of the funky junk that was original. I leave the switches in there to cover the hole but they are dummy's.

I also removed the crap Phone jacks and used Cardas RCA..... Never any issues

 

[Peter S]

Thanks for the quick reply, I just sent you the PM! Pardon the dumb question, but if the switches are dummy's, are your caps also removed or bypased (permanently in Direct mod)?
My amps were permanently in Normal mod, caps could not be bypassed.

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Thanks for the quick reply, I just sent you the PM! Pardon the dumb question, but if the switches are dummy's, are your caps also removed or bypased (permanently in Direct mod)?
My amps were permanently in Normal mod, caps could not be bypassed.

I replied. I never Fix any 700's... They all get converted to WOPL's for safety sake. The were cobbled together at the factory and I'm surprised any of the worked. If not For White Oak, I'd have yamaha's (motorcycles AND stereos). They are dangerous and unreliable... BE A CONVERT BEFORE IT"S TOO LATE

 

[Peter S]

Hi Perry;
I am on my way to WOPL'ing. I have to agree with you on all of the above. If you look at the rack (above, not to the left), you'll see a Yamaha. It is driving my tweeters. The Yamaha P2200 has been in my system since the 80's. Although I love PL, I just don't have the nerve to connect a PL to $2000 worth of Planar tweeters, even with the 20 ufd DC blocking capacitors. I am hoping to build two PL700 series II WOPL's, if the turn-on thump is not an issue, it would be an impressive looking rack with one WOPL for mids and one for HF.
I am driving the RCF 18" subs with a Crest CA18 (1000 Wpc) The woofers have a 50 mm P to P excursion, and every once in a while, I like to put the fear of Pink Floyd into the local wildlife.
I have always felt that PL's look so much better on the outside than the inside. Joe is changing that!. But in defense of the old Flame Linear's; My original PL700 (offset meters) toured with "Triump" and before that, allegedly part of a system used by "The Who". The amp was beaten so hard, the VU meter needle broke off. That amp was in my system for over 35 years, and only blew up once. It is still running on PL909's. There are 'iffy' traces on the PCB, and I'm a little hesitant to plug it in now.
If all goes well with the two Clair Bros projects, I am going to investigate upgrading the old 700. The non-standard 7 & 1/2" rack height is was just the the beginning of the "strangeness"

 

[laatsch55]

Here ya go Peter....

https://forums.phxaudiotape.com/thr...0-series-ii-white-oak-conversion.5330/page-11

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Once WOPL'd, you'll never have a turn on or off thump issues

 

[NavLinear]

Here's an example - a 10 ft cord with 14 AWG wire.

https://www.amazon.com/10-Standard-...locphy=9057139&hvtargid=pla-309074892464&th=1

 

[Peter S]

Thanks Guys;
I am about to start filing the chassis. Thanks for the IEC jack pics and the link for the line cord. The great part is that the cord can now be changed anytime. Regarding another hard to find item; the rack handles. I have seen a few posts about them. Unlike the 700B handles, I was hoping that the series II handles might be easier to find?
Would anyone have a reasonably priced source for the series II handles? This is a link for Home Depot in Canada. The centre to centre distance on the face plates seems to be 3 & 7/8". Handles I have found on line so far are either 3 & 3/4" or 4". Phase Linear always has to make things difficult! Maybe some decent washers under the handles would help to 'fake it'.

 

[Northwinds]

That is another example of PL wrapping the wire around the post several times thinking the connection would be better. IT AINT! They also do it on the Fan outlet tabs...

Perry, are my bolts insulated on my Clair. This thread has got me thinking maybe I should check with you and if not, I have to really study what is being said here so I do it right

Thanks!

 

[Northwinds]

Thanks Ed;
Thanks for the heavy-duty power switch (on the right). I have searched for a replacement for some time with no luck. A rotary power switch is a lot less common than I thought! This is the amp that started my love affair with Phase linear. I bought it when I was 16! The amp already had an extensive history. The meter needles were broken off! I got it from the Canadian rock group, "Triumph". I was told that Triumph got them from a system used by The Who. This amp could be a part of history!
Ed's power switch will be the first step in this future rebuild project. The amp 'Flame-Lineared' on me in 1979 and 3 outputs were replaced with PL909's, still available at that time. I have owned this amp for over 40 years now---Yikes, I'm old. An amp full of PL909's, if they get pulled, could those old outputs be used in a Peavey CS 800 (series A )

I know Rik Emmitt from the Dean Guitar Forum, I don't remember them using PL amps or him ever mentioning them but they may have. Very cool if it is a Triumph used amp. I love that band!

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Series II handles wont fit a clair..... The Clair amps were drilled for 700B handles

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Perry, are my bolts insulated on my Clair. This thread has got me thinking maybe I should check with you and if not, I have to really study what is being said here so I do it right

Thanks!

HUH? Why, is your amp noisy???? Don't study THIS thread to closely

 

[laatsch55]

LMOAO!

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Perry, are my bolts insulated on my Clair. This thread has got me thinking maybe I should check with you and if not, I have to really study what is being said here so I do it right

Thanks!

Ron, your amp has been WOPL'd. It has nothing else in common with this thread

 

[Peter S]

Hi Folks;
Back to "WOPLing" Would it be a true WOPL without an IEC line cord?-----and isolated transformer bolts! (Just kidding, Perry) I am using this thread to vent my OCD affliction and air my dumb questions.
I was lucky enough to pick up two Clair Bros amps which will be 'WOPLed" one at a time. I will start a new thread with the second amp and hopefully the experience I have gained from this project will make the next thread more "study" worthy.

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Yes, yes, and probably not....