Currawong

the thermionic watercooler

Re: Currawong

Postby soundbrigade » Fri Oct 30, 2015 3:25 pm

Slot cut deeper, the red/green LED in place as are the pin headers.
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Re: Currawong

Postby soundbrigade » Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:05 am

tomlang wrote:Magnus, it appears there is another footprint for larger output transformers. Is that for using the M1120 transformer?


WWhile recommending a Brit cheap transformers, I found this: http://www.ozvalveamps.org/optrans.htm
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Re: Currawong

Postby soundbrigade » Sun Nov 15, 2015 8:08 am

Spent some time trying to get my first Darling up and running, but with bad result. Everything is crammed into a wooden box and there are dozens of possibilities that something has gone wrong in the depth.
Still have to file square hole in an aluminium panel for the IEC connector, drill/route holes in a wwooden backplane for connectors. Try to fix a suitable arrangement for the mains switch.








And get my ass from the compiter ... (net)
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Re: Currawong

Postby soundbrigade » Thu Dec 03, 2015 3:44 pm

Holes!!!! Even the smallest progress is still a progress. Just have to get the hole filed for the IEC-connector.

currawong_19.jpg
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Re: Currawong

Postby soundbrigade » Sun Jan 17, 2016 3:38 pm

Got the box glued and scrued together and even stained. The color (will take some daylight shots when I'm finished) is called philosopher ....
Still have to mount the mains transformer on a wooden bar across the box, solve the issue with remote control and fix the mains switch somehow.

currawong_20.jpg
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currawong_21.jpg
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currawong_22.jpg
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Re: Currawong

Postby Geek » Sun Jan 17, 2016 4:57 pm

All ya need is one of those custom knobs for sale around here somewhere ;)
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Re: Currawong

Postby wobzilla » Fri Jan 22, 2016 3:16 pm

Looks good man.
I'm in the middle of making a Currawong at the minute too but it'll probably be some time before I finish it.
I've most of the components for the PCB already and have put on all the resistors, caps, diodes, LEDs, fuse clips and transistors.
Would you be able to tell me what relays you used by any chance?
Also one issue I have is with the 1/4W resistor directly under the relay at the rear left of the board.
The PCB has 10KΩ printed on it but the schematic I have says 470Ω on it. I assume it's a mistake in the schematic.

That toroidal with the 37 and 15V secondaries is practically impossible to get. I found it on one Australian site but they want $85 shipping on top of the $55 for the actual transformer.
I may just get one with 2 55V secondaries and a small 6V one to create the high voltage rail
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Re: Currawong

Postby soundbrigade » Fri Jan 22, 2016 4:22 pm

Looks good man.
Thanks! :$
I'm in the middle of making a Currawong at the minute too but it'll probably be some time before I finish it.
I've most of the components for the PCB already and have put on all the resistors, caps, diodes, LEDs, fuse clips and transistors.
Would you be able to tell me what relays you used by any chance?

You're the second guy that are into the Currawong. Theres another Swede who got the complete kit: http://www.hififorum.nu/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=93499
I had accidently ordered relays from China, thinking they were 2-pole, but they were just single-pole, but they were the right model for this one. They are marked HK4100F-DC5V-SHG. You should be able to find them everywhere. (y)
Also one issue I have is with the 1/4W resistor directly under the relay at the rear left of the board.
The PCB has 10KΩ printed on it but the schematic I have says 470Ω on it. I assume it's a mistake in the schematic.

Have you got ALL articles from Silicon Chip? There's a change to the relay switching. I can send you the details as well looking up the issue with the resistor tomorrow; I'm going to bed right now. (zzz)

That toroidal with the 37 and 15V secondaries is practically impossible to get. I found it on one Australian site but they want $85 shipping on top of the $55 for the actual transformer.
I may just get one with 2 55V secondaries and a small 6V one to create the high voltage rail

I ordered the PCB and hard-to-find-components from Silicon Chip and the OP transformers (dirt cheap) from Altronics but I thoought the solution ith the mains transformers were a bit over the top so I simply ordered a special made transformer from www.fragjanzuerst.de with the full 116V @ 1,2A and 12V @ 4,5A. Now it looks as if the HV is a bit overrated but at least the transformer will not overheat. Besides the transformer has a an overtemperature protection (110 Centigrade). When looking at your Qs and my As, I realise that my relays are 5V, so I have to see if the circuit is supplying 5V or 12V ... (???)
I'll be back tomorrow, anyway! And good luck, this can be an interesting project for tube rolling. ;)
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Re: Currawong

Postby soundbrigade » Sat Jan 23, 2016 3:29 am

First a shot of the transformer, special made for this project.

Currawong_30.jpg
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Then some answers to wobzilla:
The resistor is marked 10K in the schamtics and on the PCB.

10Kb.jpg
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10K.jpg
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Also note the erratas. Some few components have been added to make the automatic switching LSP/Phone work OK. Here, the 10K resistor seems to be replaced with a 470R!!!

errata.jpg
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I soldered the xtra resistor on the underside.
errata-1.jpg
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The diode and cap went here.
errata-2.jpg
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Re: Currawong

Postby wobzilla » Tue Jan 26, 2016 4:13 am

I actually got the schematics from a British magazine that republished the project from Silicon Chip.

I had a look through the 3 issues that covered the Currawong and it does show a 470 ohm resistor in both the schematic and board layout diagram. I did notice that I also bought 4004 diodes as there was one in the parts list but I didn't use it. It's shown on the board layout but the actual board doesn't have through holes where it shows on the diagram. I'll have a look again later on and take a photo or two
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Re: Currawong

Postby soundbrigade » Tue Jan 26, 2016 5:29 am

I have to fix the "thingy" that attaches the axle of the mains switch to a 6mm round bar to the front panel. Almost there ....
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Re: Currawong

Postby wobzilla » Tue Jan 26, 2016 12:18 pm

As you can see, the 470 ohm resistor, extra cap and diode are all shown in the schematic.

Image

On the board layout, they're also shown with through holes to accommodate them.

Image

As you can see, the actual board I ordered from the magazine makes no reference to them. (I have the 10k resistor in as I haven't desoldered it yet)

Image

I'll just solder them on the underside to keep the top looking tidy. Nowhere in any of the 3 issues does it mention the change though, you'd have to work it out from the schematic.


Funnily enough I relays actually arrived for me in the post today that I don't even remember having ordered.
They're Tianbo HJR-4102E-L-05V.

The pinout is correct, they just have one leg for the pole instead of two.
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Re: Currawong

Postby soundbrigade » Tue Jan 26, 2016 12:52 pm

There's a Swede who is building a Currawong and has placed all components on the underside: http://acurrawong.blogspot.sg/.

I actually ended up with the correct relays by accident. Ordered some from China for the remote control PCBs I have (without potentiometer and relays) but noticed I got one-pole instead of 2-pole. But they were perfect for Currawong.

Today I got a PCB from China/HongKong and have an option of installing everything upside down.
Gold plated SE tube amplifier bare diy PCB for EL34 KT88 6L6GC FU7 FU50 6550
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Re: Currawong

Postby tomlang » Thu Mar 17, 2016 6:26 am

Good day everyone. Has anyone finished one of these and fired it up yet?
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Re: Currawong

Postby soundbrigade » Thu Mar 17, 2016 10:16 am

Yepp, Fired mine up a few weeks ago .... ;)

Image


I have a serious problem. If I encounter a problem (small or tiny) I tend to drop the project. In this case I found out after I had glued and screwed my box together that the potentiometer axle is too f***ing short for the knob. I am waiting for a piece of tube that will fit on whatever axle is sticking out and then I have to drill the hole in the knob to 8mm and attach everything. Else I am "almost finished", but I am also stuck with a soundmachine based on the now extinct SN76477 for my grandson.
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