Dual-500 king of the Castle

Been a while since I have posted any updates on the D500 rebuild project I started a couple months ago, but to date it has been a matter of getting the chassis prepared for some circuit enhancements Glen has been developing for this platform, as well as getting the backplane he built for me installed back onto my rear chassis/heat sink. Also had to modify the heat sink to accommodate an IEC connector and the gold plated input/output jacks required additional clearance to ensure no conductors are touching the chassis metal. Next I will be starting on the WOAD Control board and some changes Glen and Joe have developed.

In the meantime, my amp did not arrive with a top cover and the bottom cover was pretty well beat up ... simply repainting would not work. Bondo might have fixed some of the damage, but that was not an option either. Glen provided me a couple pics of his top cover ... which I went to a local fabrication shop and had several sets of tops&bottoms made up. They are laser-cut from 18GA steel, far heavier than the original 20GA, which might actually help with quieting the massive transformer's hum. I then had them powder coated with matte-black textured finish. They are very attractive and fit perfectly with all chassis holes in the correct place and 1/4" turn-up at the front panel edge. The bottom panels have 2 sets of holes to accommodate the relay bracket which apparently had 2 potential mounting positions. I had sent a couple sets to Glen for test fitting ... he confirmed these fit perfectly and look great! There is a comparison pic between the original bottom panel and the new one - I added more vents on the bottom as well as the top, compared to the originals.

I'll be selling the remaining tops&bottoms at $110 per set, plus $25-27 for USPS Large Flat Rate Shipping. Pics attached for reference.
Al
 

Attachments

  • 67884777203__7B1CE06A-9C26-461C-A33C-7E9142D7BAF4 Large.jpeg
    67884777203__7B1CE06A-9C26-461C-A33C-7E9142D7BAF4 Large.jpeg
    243.2 KB · Views: 31
  • 68031810597__090BCB63-32B7-46EB-83D2-4DD8E2EC9A98 Large.jpeg
    68031810597__090BCB63-32B7-46EB-83D2-4DD8E2EC9A98 Large.jpeg
    394.4 KB · Views: 30
  • IMG_7209 Large.jpeg
    IMG_7209 Large.jpeg
    209.7 KB · Views: 30
  • IMG_7276 Large.jpeg
    IMG_7276 Large.jpeg
    268.2 KB · Views: 29
  • 68031768586__C0CBE332-CB3B-490A-BA03-037D095208FF Large.jpeg
    68031768586__C0CBE332-CB3B-490A-BA03-037D095208FF Large.jpeg
    344.6 KB · Views: 29
  • IMG_7097 Large.jpeg
    IMG_7097 Large.jpeg
    422.5 KB · Views: 29
  • IMG_7352 Large.jpeg
    IMG_7352 Large.jpeg
    400.9 KB · Views: 24
  • IMG_7353 Large.jpeg
    IMG_7353 Large.jpeg
    417.4 KB · Views: 27
  • IMG_7354 Large.jpeg
    IMG_7354 Large.jpeg
    143.6 KB · Views: 27
  • IMG_7355 Large.jpeg
    IMG_7355 Large.jpeg
    350.6 KB · Views: 26
Last edited:
mlucitt said:
Glen, what kind of input/speaker connectors are you using on that little amplifier?
Click to expand...
Mark if I get this right I use Switchcraft Type 3501FRX RCA Panel Mount on my amps. Gold plated versions of the same on clients. The outputs are 30 amp binding posts HH smith I think

the cable ends I think are Amx
 
Last edited:
I think Switchcraft 3501FRX are the OEM RCA jacks that Phase Linear used. I have not been able to find that connector in a gold plated version. That is the reason I went to Manley Labs for my RCA jacks. They fit the Phase Linear mounting hole because the threaded portion is .375" and the shouldered washers are perfectly sized for a .500" hole. Plus, they have the nut on the outside, just like the Switchcraft jacks. The insulation inside the jacks is real nylon and it will not melt like the Chinese jacks do.
Here is a link: https://tubesrule.com/products/manley-rca-connectors-au-plated
And the price is right at $7.00 per pair.

And, which cable connectors are you using, they look sweet!
 
mlucitt said:
I think Switchcraft 3501FRX are the OEM RCA jacks that Phase Linear used. I have not been able to find that connector in a gold plated version. That is the reason I went to Manley Labs for my RCA jacks. They fit the Phase Linear mounting hole because the threaded portion is .375" and the shouldered washers are perfectly sized for a .500" hole. Plus, they have the nut on the outside, just like the Switchcraft jacks. The insulation inside the jacks is real nylon and it will not melt like the Chinese jacks do.
Here is a link: https://tubesrule.com/products/manley-rca-connectors-au-plated
And the price is right at $7.00 per pair.

And, which cable connectors are you using, they look sweet!
Click to expand...
Mark the Gold switchcraft plug is BPJR02AUX and BPJR03AUX. About $3.50 each
 
Been putting a few hours here and there on the D500 build ... figured I would update the forum with some pictures. I hope to start some power testing on the frame - need to reform the big capacitors and finish updating the display/control panel. New caps installed, have new diodes to put in ... might as well.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7508 Large.jpeg
    IMG_7508 Large.jpeg
    415.9 KB · Views: 37
  • IMG_7509 Large.jpeg
    IMG_7509 Large.jpeg
    328.2 KB · Views: 37
  • IMG_7513 Large.jpeg
    IMG_7513 Large.jpeg
    335.5 KB · Views: 36
  • IMG_7514 Large.jpeg
    IMG_7514 Large.jpeg
    348.1 KB · Views: 34
I suppose this could go in any number of forums..."DIY", "What are you doing today", yada yada...advise if it needs to move. Thx

I have the D500 project near the phase of power-up, but wanted to ensure the two NOS "oil can" sized electrolytic capacitors in the PS were properly reformed. I've tried getting some background on why this is important and how to do it, also tapped Joe and Glen for their advise; I recall the PS caps I bought from Joe for my 400-II project were formed prior to him shipping.

Also took Spencer's project a few postings back as inspiration and combined the functions of reformer, discharger and decided to put the DBT circuit into this package. All-in-one kind of thing. The wooden box had some nonsensical 1970's electronic project that was tossed from the lab where I taught HVAC electrical systems. It reminded me of the kind of box that old test equipment was housed in ... back in the 70's and earlier!

The DC power supply in the background right has volts (R), power (M), and amps (L) on the front panel. It will crank up to 120VDC and 3 amps. I figured it would be a good idea to observe the amps passing through the reforming circuit, so I added a couple banana jacks for an external ammeter. Optionally I have a jumper that just completes the circuit between the jacks. The resistor can be changed out (yep - those are old PL speaker binding posts) to whatever size is needed to work with the capacitor under test. While reading documentation on how others monitored their reforming progress, measuring the amps and volts dropping over time and final values are important, so I added the meter to measure the volts across the forming resistor as well as a switch to alternatively select the volts across the test cap. If the analog volt meter does not provide enough granularity, another pair of jacks is provided for a DVM across the meter.

In discharge mode, you can observe the volts dropping in real time ... as well as observe some voltage re-charge, as larger caps often do, when the button is released.

The good news is that I got to use some parts lying around here forever, but unfortunately had to buy some other parts and then invest the time to make the panel, powder coat, etc. It was a fun diversion nonetheless.
 

Attachments

  • cap tester.jpeg
    cap tester.jpeg
    304.3 KB · Views: 43
  • cap tester inuse.jpeg
    cap tester inuse.jpeg
    398.5 KB · Views: 42
  • cap tester underside.jpeg
    cap tester underside.jpeg
    322.2 KB · Views: 38
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top