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Re: Another DIY SS Amplifier with NVA Boards

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2020 5:50 pm
by SteveTheShadow
Made up a base and some angle brackets to mount the heatsinks and boards:
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Output transistors have been temporarily fitted to check they are positioned right.

Below is how it all looks in the chassis:
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Re: Another DIY SS Amplifier with NVA Boards

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2020 9:42 pm
by SteveTheShadow
A question,
I have a choice of 3x 300W transformers for the output stage of this amp.

1x 25-0-25
1x 30-0-30
1x 35-0-35

I really want to preserve these boards and not let the smoke out of them. With that in mind, is it worth going high (35V) on the output stage? I think it may come down to whether or not I have adequate heat sinking for the 50V rails a 35V transformer would give.

I’m using a 225W, 25-0-25V on the input/driver.

Re: Another DIY SS Amplifier with NVA Boards

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2020 10:56 pm
by karatestu
I have 35-0-35V AC transformer on my output stages. I have never had any problems although my heat sinks are mahoosive. They do get warm but never hot and my speakers are quite a bit less efficient than yours and we probably play music at similar volumes in small rooms.

It probably won't matter if you keep to the same volume as you usually do. Your speakers are efficient and with no crossover so there is not much reactance. You have the capability to supply more current but you probably won't use it (it will only be for supplying short peaks). My heat sinks only get hotter now than when i had smaller transformers on them when i want more volume.

Re: Another DIY SS Amplifier with NVA Boards

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2020 11:22 pm
by SteveTheShadow
karatestu wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2020 10:56 pm I have 35-0-35V AC transformer on my output stages. I have never had any problems although my heat sinks are mahoosive. They do get warm but never hot and my speakers are quite a bit less efficient than yours and we probably play music at similar volumes in small rooms.

It probably won't matter if you keep to the same volume as you usually do. Your speakers are efficient and with no crossover so there is not much reactance. You have the capability to supply more current but you probably won't use it (it will only be for supplying short peaks). My heat sinks only get hotter now than when i had smaller transformers on them when i want more volume.
Thanks Stu. Food for thought.

Re: Another DIY SS Amplifier with NVA Boards

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 8:52 pm
by Latteman
:epopc: :epopc:
Updates please

Re: Another DIY SS Amplifier with NVA Boards

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 9:23 pm
by 29mile
Quick bit of advice regarding a potential project PSU to upgrade my NVA amp to 2 rails per board for input and output stages. As I am lImited by the size of my case I could use either :
a) 2 x 300va ( single secondary output ) for output stage and 2 x 150va ( single secondary ) for input ie 4 single output transformers
or b) 2 x 500va ( dual secondary outputs ) transformers for 4 rails. Plan is to use 2 x 10000uf caps for each rail for either configuration.
I understand Richard always used single secondary output transformers for A70's and above.
Technically which is theoretically better ? ( but I suspect there is no definitive answer to that )

Re: Another DIY SS Amplifier with NVA Boards

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 4:18 pm
by SteveTheShadow
Latteman wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 8:52 pm :epopc: :epopc:
Updates please
Nothing’s happened yet worth mentioning. There is an awful lot more drilling, cutting, filing and bleeding involved, with repurposing an existing CD player chassis, than I’d anticipated; that’s if you want to do it properly. Should be something worth reporting next week.

Re: Another DIY SS Amplifier with NVA Boards

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 4:35 pm
by SteveTheShadow
29mile wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 9:23 pm Quick bit of advice regarding a potential project PSU to upgrade my NVA amp to 2 rails per board for input and output stages. As I am lImited by the size of my case I could use either :
a) 2 x 300va ( single secondary output ) for output stage and 2 x 150va ( single secondary ) for input ie 4 single output transformers
or b) 2 x 500va ( dual secondary outputs ) transformers for 4 rails. Plan is to use 2 x 10000uf caps for each rail for either configuration.
I understand Richard always used single secondary output transformers for A70's and above.
Technically which is theoretically better ? ( but I suspect there is no definitive answer to that )
Single secondary outputs need to be centre-tapped to generate a positive and negative supply off a normal bridge rectifier diode package.

This is why twin secondary transformers are are usually used. You connect the windings in series to form two ends and a centre. You then ground the centre and connect the two ends to the AC terminals of the bridge package. The pos supply to the caps then emerges from the +ve terminal of the bridge package and the neg supply from the -ve terminal.

Using single secondaries; not centre tapped, you would need four transformers in each monoblock: two to generate, the two positive supplies for input/driver and output stage, and two to generate the two negative supplies. You would also need four bridge packages: two for pos and two for neg. IMO and also Richard’s, it’s unnecessarily complex, with a lot of scope for messing up and blowing up your boards. Guess how I know.

I’d just use the two 500VA, twin secondary ones, a pair of bridge rectifiers and of course a set of 10,000u caps, and be done with it.

Re: Another DIY SS Amplifier with NVA Boards

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 7:55 pm
by SteveTheShadow
OK, by popular demand here is the progress so far:
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Just the rectifiers to fit; one behind each pair of caps, plus the electrical safety earth wire needs bolting to the base of the case. This is being built to class 1 standard.



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Output transistors fitted to heat sinks. Better fixing brackets for the heatsinks were made up, creating extra work, but the heatsinks are far more solidly connected to the black aluminium plate than they were.



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Back panel.



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Four 30mm holes punched in base to draw air through the heat sink fins. Fins are sitting 6mm above the inside of the base.
There will be four corresponding holes punched into the lid of the case, backed by an aluminium mesh.

Re: Another DIY SS Amplifier with NVA Boards

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 8:43 pm
by Latteman
Lookin good