PA system mend & build, 2016-17



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1. The start of a project - 2x15" drivers for 70 quid...

2. Second driver with standard toy sheep as a scale

3. A complete basket case of a 2 kW amplifier

4. Will this thing ever work again??

5. Yup, that's a lot of output MOSFETs. And an empty mug of tea.

6. Burny burny... Probably why the amp was skipped in the first place

7. More reclaimed speakers! 75 quid the pair...

8. 1.2 kW successfully mended!! Hurrah!

9. The cause of the 2 kW amp fire - missing centre tap on a secondary

10. Yup, there it was...

11. And a botched mend. Approach wearing rubber gloves...

12. But sine waves of the right form show on the scope. OK...

13. Disassembly time. At least the rectifiers survived.

14. Wire colours for safekeeping...

15. Output stage 1 in pieces. Board filled. Burnt bits scraped off.

16. Time to get preamps working again. Yup. They're a basket case too...

17. Thank you Grant. A rewound, and now safe, transformer :)

18. Side project - big speakers need an extra shed to store them in...

19. Nearly there...

20. Plenty of floor space for a kite buggy

21. And one shed extension complete. Time to put that project to one side...

22. :)

23. 1.2 kW amp, bass preamp and limited in a box. Thanks Hop!!

24. Output stage rebuilt. Three times. Preamps rebuilt. Twice. Now mending tracks...

25. Not pretty, but at least functional

26. Testing... 0.28 kV peak to peak :) Looking good...

27. Power test into a water-cooled load. About 50 W. No bang.

28. One water cooled load. With enough power now to make a cup of tea (500 W) :)

29. It powers up! It hasn't gone bang! It looks like it works. Only 3 months work...

30. Second channel after mending - all good.

31. Dumping power into that tea-making water cooled load again...

32. Oh YES. This is more like it... 3.2 kW of amps now working...

33. Now to build the things that a 2 kW amp can drive. First steps...

34. ...to a Bill Fitzmaurice Titan 48...

35. Lots of crazy angles

36. First branch of horn taking shape

37. Now with added baffles. And feet.

38. Polyurethane wood glue rocks...

39. A bit more progress. Panel by panel.

40. Completed horn pathway - now needs baffling

41. Driver inserted. Yup, the support is back-to-front for those eagle-eyed readers... Ooops.

42. Horn complete with baffles now.

43. And wiring complete. I hope it's mouse-proof.

44. Side on...

45. One whole tube of PU glue. Plus weight of 1 standard human. I hope it seals...

46. Final panel in place.

47. Squirty glue everywhere. But it's got an amp connected to it now :)

48. And BOY this thing shakes the shed :)

49. One crappy monitor built. Note to self - never buy Skytech again.

50. Second monitor wedge under construction.

51. More PU glue. And another crappy Skytech driver.

52. Second Titan at the half-way completion stage. Easier second time around? No.

53. Driver in. Check. Cable in. Check. Wood clamps broken. Check.

54. 2 kW of bass. This probably shouldn't be tested in a shed in a residential area.

55. And a near complete complement of monitors.

56. Bye bye Skytech. Hello Faital Pro Sound. Monitors that now work :)

57. Most of the rig at crude completion stage. Oh and the 2 kW amp went bang.

58. But the 2 kW amp was easy to mend this time. It does all fit in the car! Sound check time.

59. Plenty of space for more...

60. Mixer wiring. Must remember...

61. ...so a second equally meaningless photo is bound to help.

62. Much much belt sanding later. And generous coats of blackboard paint :)

63. Now that's looking a bit more like it :) All cables now made up too.

64. And gig! 3.2 kW of front-of-house with 600 W of monitors. Nothing blew up. Phew :)

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