This is going on for a 20 year project and has seen many iterations of the build
It started way back in 1995...
It was decided to make up 2 Class A monoblocks in suitable enclosures that could be brought to meetings as a standard amplifier, with which to compare others. In this regard, several people, some of whom have passed on (this was 21 years ago mind)
The transformers (80VA at 42-0-42 volts secondary. These came from Frank Huddle in Orange Grove in Jhb
A class A design chosen by Dave Naude, who at that time was a retired SABC engineer
The enclosures were made of 6mm aluminium, which was bent to shape courtesy of Serge, who worked for Centurator who had metal bending presses. The boxes were sprayed matt black inside and out
The schematic was the predessor of this design from a Dutch builder and was chosen since we already had many of the components available, and price was a primary consideration
All went well over a period of about 6 months and the amps worked, although got very hot and after 10 mins, even on idle, you could smell the paint starting to burn
One spring evening in about October 1996 they were presented to a club evening. Alas, one amp only lasted 2 mins before smoke appeared and it was decided to stop the demo in case the expensive B&W speakers that had been borrowed from Norman Foglar received a terminal burst of electricity
After much soul-searching and measuring, it was decided to scrap the Class A design and buy two Anihillator monoblocks from Dan Jakob at RSE electronics. In those days, the amp modules cost R35,00 per module so the club did not have to raise a special levy to pay for them, and I think some discount was chiselled out of Dan
Needless to say, these amps performed flawlessly and were in use for about 8 years, when the club temporarily closed in about 2005. At that time, one of the amps developed a hum and was given to John Fuller to look at, Dave Naude having passed on. Unfortunately, John Fuller died soon after he received the amp and his flat was cleared so fast that the amplifier disappeared, never to be seen again
Things stayed as they were until 2012, when the club came back into existance and we needed a standard amplifier. There was a balance of R1400 left over to get new equipment
Next chapter to follow...
It started way back in 1995...
It was decided to make up 2 Class A monoblocks in suitable enclosures that could be brought to meetings as a standard amplifier, with which to compare others. In this regard, several people, some of whom have passed on (this was 21 years ago mind)
The transformers (80VA at 42-0-42 volts secondary. These came from Frank Huddle in Orange Grove in Jhb
A class A design chosen by Dave Naude, who at that time was a retired SABC engineer
The enclosures were made of 6mm aluminium, which was bent to shape courtesy of Serge, who worked for Centurator who had metal bending presses. The boxes were sprayed matt black inside and out
The schematic was the predessor of this design from a Dutch builder and was chosen since we already had many of the components available, and price was a primary consideration
All went well over a period of about 6 months and the amps worked, although got very hot and after 10 mins, even on idle, you could smell the paint starting to burn
One spring evening in about October 1996 they were presented to a club evening. Alas, one amp only lasted 2 mins before smoke appeared and it was decided to stop the demo in case the expensive B&W speakers that had been borrowed from Norman Foglar received a terminal burst of electricity
After much soul-searching and measuring, it was decided to scrap the Class A design and buy two Anihillator monoblocks from Dan Jakob at RSE electronics. In those days, the amp modules cost R35,00 per module so the club did not have to raise a special levy to pay for them, and I think some discount was chiselled out of Dan
Needless to say, these amps performed flawlessly and were in use for about 8 years, when the club temporarily closed in about 2005. At that time, one of the amps developed a hum and was given to John Fuller to look at, Dave Naude having passed on. Unfortunately, John Fuller died soon after he received the amp and his flat was cleared so fast that the amplifier disappeared, never to be seen again
Things stayed as they were until 2012, when the club came back into existance and we needed a standard amplifier. There was a balance of R1400 left over to get new equipment
Next chapter to follow...
