Rocket in progress (finished and up and running)

[paulster]

I do have one last question: does it matter which way the cap that connects to the heatsink goes?

The power tube cathode cap?

If so then, yes. The negative side of the cap goes to chassis ground and the positive side to the power tube cathodes.

[Allynmey]

I do have one last question: does it matter which way the cap that connects to the heatsink goes?

The power tube cathode cap?

If so then, yes. The negative side of the cap goes to chassis ground and the positive side to the power tube cathodes.

What he said!

[strat_addict]

Does it matter which wire goes to what for the choke? I've got a black and a yellow but the layout shows 2 red.

[M Fowler]

No it doesn't matter which wire goes to what side for the choke.

[strat_addict]

Good. To my knowledge and judgement, everything seems to be correct. I'm going to order my tubes tonight so I'll tell you what goes wrong in about a week...

[M Fowler]

Do you have any cheap tubes to fire the amp up with?

I only use cheap current production tubes so no problem for me but others will keep the NOS tubes out until they are 100% sure everything is running smooth.

Mark

[strat_addict]

Do you have any cheap tubes to fire the amp up with?

I only use cheap current production tubes so no problem for me but others will keep the NOS tubes out until they are 100% sure everything is running smooth.

Mark

Yeah, thats what I'm ordering, a full set off Ebay is like $60, I just don't have those kinds of tubes lying around.

[M Fowler]

I understand.

Its not easy having a bunch of tubes around and even the lower priced tubes aren't cheap. I have a supplier just a few blocks from my house but they don't always stock what I want.

[CapnCrunch]

Here's hoping it fires off first try and blows you out of the water. The more I play mine the more I love it.

I highly recommend the start up procedures detailed in the Express build guide. The bulb limiter is cheap to build and helps you reduce the chance that you will fry something much more expensive. Let us know how it goes.

[strat_addict]

Here's hoping it fires off first try and blows you out of the water. The more I play mine the more I love it.

I highly recommend the start up procedures detailed in the Express build guide. The bulb limiter is cheap to build and helps you reduce the chance that you will fry something much more expensive. Let us know how it goes.

Tubes come in on Thursday or Friday. I will probably build the bulb limiter and just fire it up without tubes first. Is there anything specific I should worry about? Any dangers in this? I'm thinking about just taking it straight to a tech without even firing it up because I'm that worried about frying parts or hurting myself in some way. The anticipation is killing me; some people I know are just telling me to just plug it into a cab with tubes and cross your fingers that it works.

[CapnCrunch]

Here's hoping it fires off first try and blows you out of the water. The more I play mine the more I love it.

I highly recommend the start up procedures detailed in the Express build guide. The bulb limiter is cheap to build and helps you reduce the chance that you will fry something much more expensive. Let us know how it goes.

The anticipation is killing me; some people I know are just telling me to just plug it into a cab with tubes and cross your fingers that it works.

I did that with my first build, a 5e3 clone, and it turned out o.k. Having built a couple more amps, I wouldn't recommend it. I have had stupid little issues with a couple of builds that would not have been catastrophic, but the limiter alerted me to them before I fired up.

I take it from your posts that you are new to amp building, I am too, with four builds under my belt. You really need to know how to drain caps and be proficient with keeping yourself safe inside your amp. Do you know any other amp builders near you that could help you with your first fire up? If not, the tech may not be a bad idea. Where are you located?

[Cliff Schecht]

I always test the amp on a function generator first. Set it to 60 Hz, max sine amplitude (+/-10V works) and, with no tubes installed, turn the amp on and measure that each B+ node is working, the heaters are working, etc.. I've tested every build this way and every build since has worked on the first fire-up.

[strat_addict]

Here's hoping it fires off first try and blows you out of the water. The more I play mine the more I love it.

I highly recommend the start up procedures detailed in the Express build guide. The bulb limiter is cheap to build and helps you reduce the chance that you will fry something much more expensive. Let us know how it goes.

The anticipation is killing me; some people I know are just telling me to just plug it into a cab with tubes and cross your fingers that it works.

I did that with my first build, a 5e3 clone, and it turned out o.k. Having built a couple more amps, I wouldn't recommend it. I have had stupid little issues with a couple of builds that would not have been catastrophic, but the limiter alerted me to them before I fired up.

I take it from your posts that you are new to amp building, I am too, with four builds under my belt. You really need to know how to drain caps and be proficient with keeping yourself safe inside your amp. Do you know any other amp builders near you that could help you with your first fire up? If not, the tech may not be a bad idea. Where are you located?

I'm in the Kansas City, Missouri area. I don't know the first thing about draining caps and do not know a whole lot about safety after the caps get voltages in them. I know someone who has built something before but it was very simple; it was one of the first recommended kits on ax84. I think I'll have to call up my local tech (Don Warner).

[CapnCrunch]

Is your tech someone who would be willing let you hang out and watch while he works? There is a local guy near me that is highly regarded and I've been wanting to take a 5e5 build down to him. I'd really like to be able to hang out and learn a few things, but haven't run that by him.

Anyway, it could be a great learning experience, and well worth the $$ you spend.

[strat_addict]

Finished pics (besides the power tube cathode cap has to be turned around and some wires need to be organized). Being my first amp build, I'm excited and nervous, it definitely doesn't nearly as good as most of the amps I see around here.