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Cheap Chinese 6P3P kit

Siliconray becomes a sponsor! thanks for supporting AK!

i saw their banner ad:
siliconray468.gif





regarding these amps: i have been watching the thread. I hoe someone gets one singing soon so we can hear a review!
 
JoeDotCom said:
Siliconray becomes a sponsor! thanks for supporting AK!

i saw their banner ad:
siliconray468.gif





regarding these amps: i have been watching the thread. I hoe someone gets one singing soon so we can hear a review!
Click to expand...

Outstanding! Hey, Mike, welcome aboard!!:D
 
The link to the Siliconray instructions is returning 404 error while I'm posting this but I would not be surprised at any deficiencies in the instructions. Even noted kit makers like Velleman are putting instructions in their kits that say things like "Mount the resistors" and leave it at that. The instructions that are the caliber of Dynaco, Eico, or Heathkit are a thing of the distant past. I'm guessing that the makers just don't want to invest the time and money needed to write instructions that will take inexperienced builders successfully through a complex build.

I think its a crying shame, but what do I know.

Shelly_D
 
I agree, but they may be coming from the standpoint that people can use the schematic to build the circuit which IME is a bit easier than having the instructions spell out where to place each component. That eliminates your need to read then try to find the terminal which usually leaves you referring to the schematic anyways.

I recently built a nixie tube thermometer from a kit which only had the pc board microcontroller and schematic.
 
Just an FYI for those interested in seeing this amp built. I am away from home until the 15th. Of December then I will have to do the normal holiday stuff with the fam. So I will probably get this started on the 20th. or 21st.

I don’t want to leave interested parties hang’n.
 
Big & Pink said:
Just an FYI for those interested in seeing this amp built. I am away from home until the 15th. Of December then I will have to do the normal holiday stuff with the fam. So I will probably get this started on the 20th. or 21st.

I don’t want to leave interested parties hang’n.
Click to expand...

Have you received the amp yet? I am wondering about shipping times
 
grafxdesin said:
Have you received the amp yet? I am wondering about shipping times
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I have been away from home for a month and will not be there for another two weeks. So unless it is not there when I get home I wont know and it is a bad time of year with shipping items because of the holidays and such.
 
Tube Radio said:
I agree, but they may be coming from the standpoint that people can use the schematic to build the circuit which IME is a bit easier than having the instructions spell out where to place each component. That eliminates your need to read then try to find the terminal which usually leaves you referring to the schematic anyways.

I recently built a nixie tube thermometer from a kit which only had the pc board microcontroller and schematic.
Click to expand...

Typically not a problem for an experienced builder. It's been a VERY long time since I built my first kit (an Eico) but I do remember and appreciate those step by step instructions that it had. I was 18 and had the support of 2 friends who had been through the electronics course in the high school I had gone to. I hadn't. I know enough to know that diodes, transistors and some capacitors had specific orientations but that was it. the instructions were clear, always quoted the color code for each resistor that needed to be placed, and always spoke about polarity for every part that needed it. I think it is a shame that this type of kit, buildable by a novice, is not still available.

Just my take on it.

Shelly_D
 
You guys do realize, don't you, that asking for detailed instructions written in the king's english is only going to increase the price of these things.

Sure, Dynaco and Paco etc could put resources into it when they were selling tens of thousands of units per year. This fellow is not. He's selling parts and a schematic at a pretty amazing price. Sounds like a modest-sized operation, and from what I can tell an admirable one.

If you don't know your rass from your elbow and you need paint-by-numbers, expect to pay for it.

RWood
 
RWood said:
You guys do realize, don't you, that asking for detailed instructions written in the king's english is only going to increase the price of these things.

Sure, Dynaco and Paco etc could put resources into it when they were selling tens of thousands of units per year. This fellow is not. He's selling parts and a schematic at a pretty amazing price. Sounds like a modest-sized operation, and from what I can tell an admirable one.

If you don't know your rass from your elbow and you need paint-by-numbers, expect to pay for it.

RWood
Click to expand...

Yes I do realize that:yes:. I also realize that it is a one time cost, just as developing and testing the amp design is a one time cost:yes:. Those costs are generally amortized over the first few years of kit design's life. Just as I expect to pay more for a high quality kit (I personally choose to draw my line at quality that makes an audible difference to my ears) I consider the instructions to be part of the quality of the kit. Yes, I expect the detailed instructions to raise the price of the kit. Remember though, the design of this amp is single ended and not a very complex single ended design at that. It would probably take a team of two people 1 day (16 man hours) to build and document the build (one builds while the 2nd makes notes). Followed by perhaps another 3 days of typing up those notes and proofing. So 40 hours of additional one time cost labor. Even at $50/hr (and the typing and proofing would probably be more like $35/hr) that is 40 hrs x $50/hr = $2000. Amortize that over 50 kits and the price increase could be held to $40 each. At this price point, I think that would be worth the added price. This also has the advantage that once the extra costs have been paid for, a price drop of $20 could be announced and the maker still has an extra $20 per amp coming in over what he has now. I would like to think this approach is worth it.

This is part my opinion and part speculation, but I do think these are realistic numbers.

Shelly_D

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
 
I have a question about this kit. Could I sub in an 807 tube? I think it's equivalent to the 6L6/6P3P used here, of course the socket is different but could it be done?

Cheers,

Bob
 
bobrown14 said:
I have a question about this kit. Could I sub in an 807 tube? I think it's equivalent to the 6L6/6P3P used here, of course the socket is different but could it be done?

Cheers,

Bob
Click to expand...

Yes, BUT... the 5-pin socket would have to fit the hole and screw spacing of the octal ones. If not you'll have to drill or punch the stainless steel chassis. One backup plan would be to get some 6BG6Gs - pretty much an 807 with octal base.
 
Tom Bavis said:
Yes, BUT... the 5-pin socket would have to fit the hole and screw spacing of the octal ones. If not you'll have to drill or punch the stainless steel chassis. One backup plan would be to get some 6BG6Gs - pretty much an 807 with octal base.
Click to expand...


I found this over at Angela - top mount with screw slots ....


Cheers,
Bob
 

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It is still there. Looks like it got moved though.

Home/Kits/Audio Video

Their site is a little jumbled. They should have a kits section then break it down by type of kit...IMO.
 
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