phase linear 400

[Gepetto]

Some time in the not too distant future I will be offering the bus bar kits like pictured for the 400 and 700 amps. Bus bars like these give you the great conductivity of aluminum while making it easy to solder to, providing an abundance of attach points. They also are dimensionally accurate so the cap terminals sit nice and straight.

 

[gene french]

very very nice, mr. joe...
maybe i will close up the 8 fin...
i keep getting into trouble...

 

[gene french]

View attachment 67305 View attachment 67306 View attachment 67307 View attachment 67308 View attachment 67309 View attachment 67310 View attachment 67311 View attachment 67312 View attachment 67313 View attachment 67314

show more pics of the right back plane wiring too please...

 

[gene french]

Post 2582, unsolder it for now. If you need it for something else like the LED board, use it there. Night.

sorry, i missed your instructions originally...
i am rereading all these posts for tomorrow...
gotta take the new to me car to the shop...
not sure how much i will get done ...
this is complex...it would have taken much more time and parts without the help from phoenix...i am grateful...i am sure it is taxing on all of you...
thank you for helping out a hard headed old man...

 

[gene french]

i still have to install the ps cap upgrade on the 8 fin...along with the light board...really anxious to see the warmer color...
we are listening to the 4 fin in the meantime...
it performs nicely...we play music from 7 am to 5 pm...every day...

 

[gene french]

good night all...

 

[gene french]

You are missing a lot of items which are in the instructions. Having your hand held the whole way is up to you but you should be catching much of this stuff before they are pointed out. Also, get it under bright light and use a mag glass and pick the solder balls off. Clean, clean clean........ It's the order of the day.

i do seem to miss a lot...and probably should read more carefully...i also make a lot of mistakes...
i try to anticipate things when maybe i shouldnt...
i appreciate the constructive croticism along with the help and advice i get here...i appreciate the input...i will strive to do better...i prefer current information rather than reading archives as things evolve as time passes...ie joe has new revisions often...some of the info i was given for my build has been updated...joes own post this week stated he is constantly updating docs, products, and procedures... a lot of people here have innovative methods of doing things...that are often not documented in the literature or archives...call it hand holding if you think its appropriate...i like to consider it fishing for the latest and greatest infomation and techniques that are available at present...from innovative members that think outside of the box...i am way behind in these areas, evident in my posts...i have much to learn..
your explaination of soldering techniques, your flux and solder selections proved to be quite valuable to me...georges techniques and innovations have taught me plenty...and of course joe, who has put forward many such evolving technologied....all was presented to me in this thread...that i am trying to get a better understanding of electronic theory and practices...to help me enjoy my music more...
i wonder if others are benefitting as well ..even now joe is showcasing in real time new products that we were unaware of...if i have offended or overstepped boundaries... please accept my apology...
again...i am grateful and appreciative...
take care...

 

[gene french]

Gone, gone, gone. Who told you to put that wire there? Ground loop central

sorry, mr. joe....
it was in the instructions for the dcp board....i was unaware it did not apply to wopls...i will strive to do better....thanks for watching out for me...

 

[gene french]

Also C8, 2 resistors and 2 film caps, they are in series. Look closer. Holes are soldered shut.

i went back to the original docs presented when i bought the dcps....
it says to disable the zobel network if using wopl backplanes....
but, it did not tell me how to do it...
thank you for filling in the gaps...
evidently i am supposed to know more than i do...to install these parts...
if i was back in the states, i have plenty of buddies that could help me interpret the things i dont understand....
but, here, all i have is the phoenix forums....
this is over my head in most instances...and more complex than i anticipated...
but, is something i want to accomplish...
thanks to all who have contributed to that goal...
i am thankful and appreciative...

 

[Gepetto]

Morning Gene

Many instructions are written for folks that want to slap an upgrade into existing amps and get them back working again. You cannot get into the fine details for folks that just want to achieve that.

It is another thing altogether if you want to take the amp to the next level, which is what you wish to do.

To achieve the best performance and lowest possible noise floor, you cannot just slap in a board and hope to achieve that. Careful grounding and wire dress make all the difference for those last few dB.

Both Don and I are guilty of writing instructions for those that just want to slap in the upgrade and move on. We have to write such instructions to satisfy that need.

 

[gene french]

Morning Gene

Many instructions are written for folks that want to slap an upgrade into existing amps and get them back working again. You cannot get into the fine details for folks that just want to achieve that.

It is another thing altogether if you want to take the amp to the next level, which is what you wish to do.

To achieve the best performance and lowest possible noise floor, you cannot just slap in a board and hope to achieve that. Careful grounding and wire dress make all the difference for those last few dB.

Both Don and I are guilty of writing instructions for those that just want to slap in the upgrade and move on. We have to write such instructions to satisfy that need.

i have learned that you cant please everyone...and there is no way to document for every possibility, need, or desire....i truly understand this having written many software applications in my day....
that is why i am on the midst of a huge post....
i want to go to the next level....
safely....with the best results possible...i, as everyone else, want the most bang for the buck...
lol
thanks mr. joe...
i know i can be frustrating...thanks for your patience...

 

[J!m]

Building these things is like a lot of other things- that last 1% improvement is the hardest to achieve.

Last I knew, Roush was regularly spending 100k to add 1hp to their FR09 engine... probably more now. I'm not even sure they still run the FR09...

When I built my phono preamp, I was extremely careful with power and signal lines. Power only crosses signal at 90 degrees, and even so, it is kept as far away as possible. Signal lines (solid tin plated copper) "float" well above the DC power supplied to each board, which is also litz braided (tin plated stranded) and kept against the bottom of the chassis. The DC power supply filter is in the main case with the amp boards, but is as far away as physically possible, and contained in a steel box, which is grounded. The actual (switching) power supply is in an external enclosure, with an incoming AC filter before the PS. The filter, and being external, are both ideas "unnecessary" to achieve incredibly low noise from the design. But, I did it anyway, because I felt it was the best I could do. I also added damping material to the enclosure to make sure the case itself did not resonate.

It took longer, costed more, and I had to redress wires several times to get it "right", but now I can run all the gain I want (There is a 10dB boost switch on the front panel) with no added noise.

So, bottom line, it's worth it.

 

[gene french]

Building these things is like a lot of other things- that last 1% improvement is the hardest to achieve.

Last I knew, Roush was regularly spending 100k to add 1hp to their FR09 engine... probably more now. I'm not even sure they still run the FR09...

When I built my phono preamp, I was extremely careful with power and signal lines. Power only crosses signal at 90 degrees, and even so, it is kept as far away as possible. Signal lines (solid tin plated copper) "float" well above the DC power supplied to each board, which is also litz braided (tin plated stranded) and kept against the bottom of the chassis. The DC power supply filter is in the main case with the amp boards, but is as far away as physically possible, and contained in a steel box, which is grounded. The actual (switching) power supply is in an external enclosure, with an incoming AC filter before the PS. The filter, and being external, are both ideas "unnecessary" to achieve incredibly low noise from the design. But, I did it anyway, because I felt it was the best I could do. I also added damping material to the enclosure to make sure the case itself did not resonate.

It took longer, costed more, and I had to redress wires several times to get it "right", but now I can run all the gain I want (There is a 10dB boost switch on the front panel) with no added noise.

So, bottom line, it's worth it.

i agree totally....and
i am trying...trying...

 

[J!m]

I know enough to be dangerous... VERY dangerous...

 

[George S.]

And Joe has tried to satisfy EVERYONE's need with his huge amount of documentation. It's quite overwhelming at times and a huge accomplishment in itself. The time he's put into it must be staggering.

 

[MusicSteve]

i have learned that you cant please everyone...
i know i can be frustrating...thanks for your patience...

Gene
A lot of this is just Personal Preference and Everybody is right in their own way.
The main thing is to make sure its wired correctly and than neatly and isolated if possible.
So just hang in their! I'm routing for you!
(I know the feeling)
Good Luck
Steve

 

[gene french]

And Joe has tried to satisfy EVERYONE's need with his huge amount of documentation. It's quite overwhelming at times and a huge accomplishment in itself. The time he's put into it must be staggering.

i can imagine the hours joe has put into his "baby"....
i cant wait to fire that puppy up!!!

 

[gene french]

I know enough to be dangerous... VERY dangerous...

Gene
A lot of this is just Personal Preference and Everybody is right in their own way.
The main thing is to make sure its wired correctly and than neatly and isolated if possible.
So just hang in their! I'm routing for you!
(I know the feeling)
Good Luck
Steve

thanks steve....
i dont give up easily....
lol
take care

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

i do seem to miss a lot...and probably should read more carefully...i also make a lot of mistakes...
i try to anticipate things when maybe i shouldnt...
i appreciate the constructive croticism along with the help and advice i get here...i appreciate the input...i will strive to do better...i prefer current information rather than reading archives as things evolve as time passes...ie joe has new revisions often...some of the info i was given for my build has been updated...joes own post this week stated he is constantly updating docs, products, and procedures... a lot of people here have innovative methods of doing things...that are often not documented in the literature or archives...call it hand holding if you think its appropriate...i like to consider it fishing for the latest and greatest infomation and techniques that are available at present...from innovative members that think outside of the box...i am way behind in these areas, evident in my posts...i have much to learn..
your explaination of soldering techniques, your flux and solder selections proved to be quite valuable to me...georges techniques and innovations have taught me plenty...and of course joe, who has put forward many such evolving technologied....all was presented to me in this thread...that i am trying to get a better understanding of electronic theory and practices...to help me enjoy my music more...
i wonder if others are benefitting as well ..even now joe is showcasing in real time new products that we were unaware of...if i have offended or overstepped boundaries... please accept my apology...
again...i am grateful and appreciative...
take care...

Just a tip, use the documentation as a checklist and put a green check mark next to each step "When Finished with that step".

I do this all the time and if you have questions on a step but want to keep moving, add a note IN RED, and come back ASAP (not days later).

Missing those easy steps is a sign of being in a hurry and you should NOT be in a hurry, there is no reason to be...... You have a functioning amp so slow down and do each step methodically cleaning as you go, checking as you go. Guys sending you pics and prodding you on is not working. ONE STEP AT A TIME........ When I send out instructions for assembly on the boards I build for the Sansui's, I tell them to read it 10 times and if you don't understand what you are reading, read it again. and again, and again.... You haven't built enough of these to NOT use the docs for instruction. They are instructions, not a guide as to what you SHOULD do but what you MUST do.

 

[gene french]

Just a tip, use the documentation as a checklist and put a green check mark next to each step "When Finished with that step".

I do this all the time and if you have questions on a step but want to keep moving, add a note IN RED, and come back ASAP (not days later).

Missing those easy steps is a sign of being in a hurry and you should NOT be in a hurry, there is no reason to be...... You have a functioning amp so slow down and do each step methodically cleaning as you go, checking as you go. Guys sending you pics and prodding you on is not working. ONE STEP AT A TIME........ When I send out instructions for assembly on the boards I build for the Sansui's, I tell them to read it 10 times and if you don't understand what you are reading, read it again. and again, and again.... You haven't built enough of these to NOT use the docs for instruction. They are instructions, not a guide as to what you SHOULD do but what you MUST do.

thank you....mr. sniff
very good solid constructive advice....
when constructing, i print off the pages that i am working on and check.....
i am not as thourough as i need to be...
but, this time i will double check all thru the docs and through the eyes of interested members....
i am really not in a hurry....i dont have the bias transistors...and i have 2 functioning amps....
i just get distracted easily....i have severe adhd....
i know thats not an excuse, but, its all i could come up with on short notice...
thank you again...
very klind of you to take interest in my project....
i appreciate....