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Avondale NCC300 amp project ..

I've had the NCC300 mono's in the system since last night and had some listening this morning...WOW.

The NCC220 'voyager' is driving the bass's, the NCC300 is driving the full range. The original 'entry level' NCC220's which where on the bass's are now some what redundant (on their sides to the right of the 5U cases)

It needs a tidy up but I don't want to up plug it at the mo...just listening.

40092137595_03da59f440_b_d.jpg


To say I'm very very please with the sonic result is an understatement.

So whats next...LOL The NCC300 'voyager' is the next logical step.....
 
I don't know if this will make any difference, but once I got the idea into my head, I had to do it:
BD237_mounting-1.jpg


A few components are hanging off the bottom:
BD237_mounting-2.jpg


Still working on modifying the second NAP135 case and building some wiring....
 
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I don't know if this will make any difference, but once I got the idea into my head, I had to do it:
BD237_mounting-1.jpg


A few components are hanging off the bottom:
BD237_mounting-2.jpg


Still working on modifying the second NAP135 case and building some wiring....


Looks good Flash..I'm sure it'll make a difference over the on board setup. I've yet to implement the BD237. I cocked up first time round..:(
 
The shelf on the NAP135 heat spreader is just thick enough to accommodate the BD237. Graham's T-shaped spreader has a narrower shelf, but it should be possible to mount on the underside of that shelf and fly some leads to the 2N5551 holes on the PCB. That probably would've been an easier solution on the NAP135 spreader, but I was trying for elegant.

Here's the work early on:

BD237_milling.jpg
 
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Never one to stand still for long. Next step is the NCC300 voyager..as below.

39238976590_67570e05ac_b_d.jpg


I have quite a few options for the front end PSU caps but only up to 63v but I'm on the look out for some 100va ish 42-0-42 secondary transformers, finding off the shelf is a nono though. I have Les's 50-0-50 transformers which would supply 70v but am unsure if the regs would drop 20v. I have installed the TIP 'C's which are 100v devices.

Just seen Airlink do a 80 or 120va 42-0-42....

The pos and neg regs 'at set up' are + - 55v and drop to 50v under load in circuit.
 
Airlink do good transformers. I've used them in several builds. It might be worth opting to have an inter winding screen fitted.
 
Airlink do good transformers. I've used them in several builds. It might be worth opting to have an inter winding screen fitted.

Already ordered...Ive gone for the 120va

Thanks for the shout, Ive never found screened transformers to be any better/worse than a standard TX evan so called 'audio grade' TX's, they can still knock (purr) and hum. (Mains dependant). So I tend to buy something reasonable, but @ £21 + vat each, these from Airlink are a low risk investment if the 300 voyager doesn't work out soniclly. But I think it might, if it does I might up the ante a bit at a later date.

They might get here tomorrow, if they do, I'll have the blighters in and a running 300 voyager by the weekend at the latest. :) :)

39248996960_93479f913b_h_d.jpg


The front end PSU's nearing completion..
MBR20200 rectifiers / BHC T Net caps 10,000uf 63v. The PCB is something I had made up way back, they've come in very useful over the years in loads of projects..
 
Those PCBs look great! One of those would probably fit in the NAP135. Now, will it make any difference? It's hard to believe anything would sound better than what we've already got. :)

BTW, the NAP135 has the same traffo specs as yours, and the res caps are 63V.
 
Never one to stand still for long. Next step is the NCC300 voyager..as below.

39238976590_67570e05ac_b_d.jpg


I have quite a few options for the front end PSU caps but only up to 63v but I'm on the look out for some 100va ish 42-0-42 secondary transformers, finding off the shelf is a nono though. I have Les's 50-0-50 transformers which would supply 70v but am unsure if the regs would drop 20v. I have installed the TIP 'C's which are 100v devices.

Just seen Airlink do a 80 or 120va 42-0-42....

The pos and neg regs 'at set up' are + - 55v and drop to 50v under load in circuit.

Care to explain why you think this will be an improvement? I've found this thread to be nothing but a, "Hey, look at me!" thread until more people get to play in the sandbox
 
Care to explain why you think this will be an improvement? I've found this thread to be nothing but a, "Hey, look at me!" thread until more people get to play in the sandbox

Galvanic isolation...you may be right, there may not be any improvement. As stated, for the money I'll give it a go. Please take a look at my and others previous posts, we've included information that would help a future builder. And yes your quite right 'look at me' is spot on:- Isn't that whats social media about. But everyone here is looking at you.
 
Galvanic isolation...you may be right, there may not be any improvement. As stated, for the money I'll give it a go. Please take a look at my and others previous posts, we've included information that would help a future builder. And yes your quite right 'look at me' is spot on:- Isn't that whats social media about. But everyone here is looking at you.
So you're saying that other people besides the chosen few will get build these in the future?
 
So you're saying that other people besides the chosen few will get build these in the future?

That's down to Les at Avondale to decide. Its early days in this project and I would imagine there will be a period of 'confirmation' that all is well with the amp before he rolls it out. But thats a call Les will make in the future.
 
So you're saying that other people besides the chosen few will get build these in the future?

From earlier in this thread....

My thanks to the guys for all the superb effort, I'm well pleased this project is
taking off.

I'm well advanced with a scheme for comverting the NAP135s and that was the main object of designing this board.

If there's sufficient interest, I might be persuaded to put together some kits for the 135s consisting of 2 X NCC300 PCB, 2 X SPM1 PCB, a set of small (sometimes hard-to-get) heatsinks for both boards and a few rare parts to enable home constructors to convert these popular amps .

The income from this would offset some of the investment there's been so far so I'd be grateful for the business.

Let me know what the team thinks.
 
Of course, I have to balance availability against the possibility of someone making a complete
hash of the construction and bringing the whole shebang into disrepute.

For now, the project is well subscribed and the results are flowing in from those folks who
have kindly offered to help with development.

For now, there is as much activity on this thread as I think appropriate.

Thanks.
 
Les has designed a new board, so releasing it to a few known builders seems a highly sensible way to test it and potentially tweak it - or at the very least find out whether it is suitable to be sold as a bare board - or just sold fully populated.

It's his product, it's up to him how and when (and if) he offers it for sale. I am sure the DIY community here is more interested in the build progress and results that the builders are getting than anything else.

I have build NCC200 modules before, and reading this thread has been really interesting - it's also made me realise that despite the improvements the new boards offer, a bare board build is probably not for me at the moment! If Les chose to release bare boards and I did want to try it, then I'd want to do it once a BOM and buy list was available and there are others who can help with queries - it's not fair to expect Les to sell the bare boards and to then end up answering millions of questions, helping source components and helping people debug problems.

...it has made me think about a few other tweaks I'd like to do on the system though.... so it's all good!
 


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