10 Dec
2000
10 Dec
'00
2:53 p.m.
Yup.
Five tube Heathkit AM radio followed by a 20 watt stereo amp followed
by a 25" (RCA if I remember correctly) color TV. The last one had a
BUNCH of parts and took about a month and a half of soldering to get
it all together. Taught me all, and I mean ALL, about thyristors.
Stereo taught me all about diode bridges. Each kit had their quirks
and required a steady hand, a keen eye and a BRAIN to put them
together and make them work.
My dad built a complete Dynakit component stereo in the mid sixties.
The power amp is still sought after by audiophiles (Dyna Stereo 70,
True class A amp) even though the power tubes are long NLA. After
nearly forty years it still drives those 15" Altec-Lansing VoT
speakers and sounds better than any system I've heard. Clean!
Those experiences were far better than a four year degree. Not only
did I learn how it was *supposed* to work, I was forced to learn how
it *did* work. The loss of companies like Heath (build your own pdp),
Dyna, and Knight is really an educational opportunity lost for many 'students'.
Jim
ajp166 wrote:
>Actually it's more unique to the UK than here
in the usa. The common
>transistor radios here were the very simple 2 transistor reflex and the
>standard
>six transistor superhet.
>
>I'm likely one of the few here that has built the AA5 (all American 5) 5
>tube AM superhet that was common, later transistor designs and IC
>based systems. Most of my efforts were in generatiing RF power
>and measuring it. the thing that keep my interest is the intersection
>of communications (radio) and computers.
>
>Building and analysing already built machines is a great exercise and
>creative
>instigator.
>
>Allison
>