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ZKIT-1 INFO (SE84DIY) (Read 1847 times)
Steve Deckert
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If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

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ZKIT-1 INFO (SE84DIY)
02/17/08 at 01:18:42
 


Here is a link to the KIT:

https://www.decware.com/newsite/SE84CDIY.htm

This is a general support forum for builder's of this project.

Steve  :)
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Larry_D
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Re: Welcome to our new support forum
Reply #1 - 02/22/08 at 09:02:50
 
Thank you for this great inexpensive DIY kit. I can't find any other discussion here. I can't believe I'm the first one. Am I overlooking something?

I'd like to see an on-going thread of pictures of everybody's completed kits in different boxes. I'm sure they will be very creative in different sized chassis, different woods, some chromed, some painted, transformers displayed, covered, connector placement, tube display, etc. Maybe you could have a prize for amp of the week.

In the meantime, you mentioned to buy a Hammond chassis. Can you recommend a part number, also dimension size to look for that will hold your kit?

Will you offer additional instructions for modifying the parts on the board to fit a box -- volume control, connectors, etc.


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Steve Deckert
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If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

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Re: Welcome to our new support forum
Reply #2 - 02/22/08 at 20:43:18
 
Larry_D wrote on 02/22/08 at 09:02:50:
Thank you for this great inexpensive DIY kit. I can't find any other discussion here. I can't believe I'm the first one. Am I overlooking something?

I'd like to see an on-going thread of pictures of everybody's completed kits in different boxes. I'm sure they will be very creative in different sized chassis, different woods, some chromed, some painted, transformers displayed, covered, connector placement, tube display, etc. Maybe you could have a prize for amp of the week.

In the meantime, you mentioned to buy a Hammond chassis. Can you recommend a part number, also dimension size to look for that will hold your kit?

Will you offer additional instructions for modifying the parts on the board to fit a box -- volume control, connectors, etc.





Larry,

As of date of this post - the product is not yet linked on the website, so no one knows about it yet.  It will go on the site next week, and then expect a month or two to go by before people start posting results.

As for the chassis, the board is 6" x 6" so any chassis large enough to accommodate the board internally as well as the transformers on top will work.  The board used in the sample pictures was 8 x 16 inches.  Smallest chassis you could use for this project is a 8 x 10 x 2.

Steve
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Brad_Kizer
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Re: Welcome to our new support forum
Reply #3 - 03/11/08 at 19:23:25
 
Steve,

Putting your SE84 on glass is a superb idea! And thanks for keeping the kit affordable. IMO, you will sell a bunch of these kits.  

Anyway, I have a new case on the shelf that is 16"W X 12"D X 6"H. I'm thinking of enclosing the entire amp for the safety of my grandkids. I could see one of them trying to touch a hot tube.... Ouch! Is a 6" enclosure height tall enough to get everything inside? Also, do you see any problem with running flying leads for the speakers and rca jacks to the rear panel of the above mentioned enclosure?

Thanks,
Brad    
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Steve Deckert
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If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

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Re: Welcome to our new support forum
Reply #4 - 03/12/08 at 16:03:00
 
6 inches is enough to fit everything inside, but you would need to be sure it's ventilated.  

Don't forget you can also purchase ventilated cages for hammond chassis from Parts Express



-Steve
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kyrill
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Re: Welcome to our new support forum
Reply #5 - 03/19/08 at 16:48:19
 
my hats off to you "Sir" Steve Deckert

for offering students  and alike with never enough money to still own a true audiophile product

I am very happy with yr TABOO and now people can build their own TABOO in 2x monoblock Smiley
:D
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ILIE
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Re: SE84CDIY  INFO
Reply #6 - 06/17/08 at 13:36:56
 
Steve,
For SE84DIY you recommend 6BQ5 or EL84. For these outputs you use 150 Ohm cathode resistor.
For SE84C you recommend SV83 or 6P15P. For these outputs you use 100 Ohm cathode resistor.
On SE84DIY if I use SV83 I have to replace cathode resistor to 100 Ohm? SE84DIY has silicon rectifier and plate voltage is a little higher.
I tried to email Steve but looks it is not possible. Maybe this way I have an answer...
Ilie

The difference in cathode resistors between the two amplifiers is to compensate for the difference in B+ voltage between them.  You can run either EL84 or SV83 without re-biasing in both amps.

Steve
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Azul Shiva
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Re: ZKIT-1 INFO (SE84DIY)
Reply #7 - 01/06/09 at 09:06:36
 
Did anyone build this amp?
https://www.decware.com/newsite/SE84CDIY.htm
How does it sound? Can I connect it to any kind of speakers up to 500W or are there limitations? How is it compared to a normal amplifier for a 1000 Dollar price? Can it provide these strong and low bases as a normal amp can?
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Visit www.ambiophonics.org for a better sound!
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Alan H
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Re: ZKIT-1 INFO (SE84DIY)
Reply #8 - 05/25/09 at 13:35:37
 
Azul - this is a 2 watt per channel single-ended triode amplifier, with the advantages and limitations that are inherent in this type of amp. To understand these google SE84C and read the comments and reviews.

I await delivery of the kit - but am well aware of what I have purchased, and how it is likely to compare with my current Charlize tripath amp, and large 20wpc Class B valve amp.

Alan
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Lon
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Re: ZKIT-1 INFO (SE84DIY)
Reply #9 - 05/25/09 at 17:22:26
 
Azul, the short answer is YES it can provide those highs and lows. . . . but careful matching of components, especially speakers, is required to get all that you can from the two watts.

As Alan has mentioned, there are a lot of documents online to read about this basic amp configuration that will give you an idea of what it would sound like when optimized with the right equiptment, and what that equiptment is.

Here are a few good places to start reading:

https://www.decware.com/newsite/SE84C.htm (launch the Owner's Manual)

https://www.decware.com/paper43.htm

https://www.decware.com/watts.htm

https://www.decware.com/zenspeakers.htm

https://www.decware.com/newsite/speakers.html
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HR-1,ZTPRE,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod,Taboo MkIV;Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD,P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls,Reference spkrcbls;Mapleshade SamsonV3;VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones:Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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Raduschka
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Re: ZKIT-1 INFO (SE84DIY)
Reply #10 - 01/16/11 at 03:47:19
 


Hello, I have a question, perhaps someone can help me out!

can the 0.1 uf 400v caps be replaced by


M-CAP® MKP Series 0.1uf / 630V  or any other cap with more or less the same specs, or is the voltage fixed?


Can I use the yellow caps I have now (they came with the kit)  for the CCE mod??
Thank you very much

Raduschka
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Raduschka
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Re: ZKIT-1 INFO (SE84DIY)
Reply #11 - 01/16/11 at 06:33:00
 
oh and in my solitary reflections I came across another idea that I would like to roast over the fire of your seasoned experience: is the heater circuit on the pcb a compromise compared to a twisted wire based one? Since I have a hum problem on my zen kit and I tried everything else, do you think I could float pins 4 and 5 on all tubes, thus bypassing the printed circuit and reconnect the green wires from the power transformer to the heater circuit with twisted copper wire and run it nicely above everything else? Would that reduce the hum?  Am I out of my mind?
I need help. ;-I
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Raduschka
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Re: ZKIT-1 INFO (SE84DIY)
Reply #12 - 01/17/11 at 16:48:21
 
I disconnected the supply to the heaters momentarily, while the amp was in flight and I noticed no reduction in hum whatsoever. Can I assume that the heaters are not the cause of the hum?
The hum appears around 15 seconds after powerup and dies as soon as the power is down.
Thank you
otherwise the sound is fantastic
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fidelity71
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Re: ZKIT-1 INFO (SE84DIY)
Reply #13 - 01/14/17 at 02:25:41
 
Hi all, I just finished my Zkit and performing the pre flight check.
At point A = 488 about 140vdc higher than shown
           B = 488 as above
           C = 18.3 and climbs
           D = 2.8 most accurate
Also the 1k 5w resistor near test point A(black resistor Mexico printed on it) starts to smoke (quickly turned power off)
I am using the recommended PT from edcore xwpr107-120
wiring from top down---brown brown, grnd chassis,red/blk,rd,red
Any help is appreciated and welcomed.
Thanks to all who reply
Dale


well After a good night sleep, I went back to the board.... I found two errors 1, the 6.8k resistor is really a 6.8ohm oops  my bad there.
2. the two resistors at 2.7k and the bands suggest they are measure at 1k.
I'm going to swap all these resistors out. and repost after second pre flight check.
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Core32
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Re: ZKIT-1 INFO (SE84DIY)
Reply #14 - 01/14/17 at 14:56:47
 
The 6.8 ohm instead of 6.8K ohm will make a huge output voltage change.
If you are reading the 2.7K resistors "in circuit", (that is while still soldered to the board) 1K is about what you should measure.
They are in parallel with 1.5K resistors and 2.7K in parallel with 1.5K results in 0.964K, so I would leave those alone.
If the 1K 5W still measures close to 1K then it is likely fine to continue using it, even though it smoked some. Usually if a resistor is damaged due to overstress the measured value will be higher and eventually become infinity.
Good luck.
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fidelity71
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Re: ZKIT-1 INFO (SE84DIY)
Reply #15 - 01/15/17 at 00:16:05
 
Core Thank you for replying, After I posted I realized the 2.7k resistors were in parallel. was fairly tired. After changing the 6.8ohm to the proper value6.8k and changed the black 1k resistor for safety sake. I am Happy to announce the pre flight checked out very well. At time of this post this beautiful amp is Happily jamming my PSB T90 speakers.

Amazing sound, No wonder its an award winner. THANK YOU DECWARE and the Decware Team.
Simply Sweet   !!!!
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Core32
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Re: ZKIT-1 INFO (SE84DIY)
Reply #16 - 01/15/17 at 02:08:24
 
Enjoy!  :)
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