Building a Rocket - Layout Check for group build

Lonely Raven · Post by **Lonely Raven** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 2:14 pm

Thanks for the tips, Matt. As with anything, preperation is key, isn't it?

I'll strip it down to clean and reassemble. I noticed the lack of ground lugs compared to how KF typically does his and already figured I'd be drilling for those.

RJ Guitars · Post by **RJ Guitars** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 2:52 pm

Fischerman wrote:... I think he put it together like that just to make it easier to box up and ship. You should really use washers on both sides for all the trannies/choke...the washers spread the load and make it much stronger...this Aluminum is pretty soft. I used Nyloc nuts (#8-32) for all the trannies And you'll have to remove the boards to wire everything right anyway.

I've ordered a lot of transformers and a lot of amps and it seems the best way to protect everything is to secure the transformers down... then pack around them so they don't bend something while in transit.

Fisch - right on the money - take it apart, clean & fit everything, then use lock-tite and/or lock nuts and washers to go back together. This is really intended as a platform for a build rather than a kit. Thus it has not been sized for one specific set component list. Some of the holes could be undersized, depending on which components you choose.

Industrial finish = brushed aluminum. I couldn't bring myself to go with the Ken Fisher spec 1/32" aluminum since it is not only super soft but super thin. I did want to keep that industrial "I built this in my own workshop" vibe that makes Trainwrecks visually a bit different. The old Hammond chassis are not available any more (thank goodness) but I think this is very much in that same DIY spirit.... It probably helps if you've ever done anything in a Hammond chassis. If you biff something during the chassis work, use your orbital sander and some some 60 to 180 grit paper, depending on how much character you want in the finish.

Eric, do the build you want ultimately... you've got plenty of help either way. Don't let any amount of work on my part or pressure change that for you.

We have two Rockets up right now and you'll see many more in short order.... I expect most of them to have some personal character.

rj

Fischerman · Post by **Fischerman** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 2:56 pm

Two Rockets launched? Who is the other and bring on the pics!

Lonely Raven · Post by **Lonely Raven** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 3:49 pm

Fischerman wrote:Two Rockets launched? Who is the other and bring on the pics!

My thoughts exactly!

txbluesboy · Post by **txbluesboy** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:14 pm

I am the second Rocket up. I got mine wired up and running yesterday. It sounds good so far, but am still burning it in and haven't put really good tubes in it yet. Its very quiet, I used star grounding like RJ suggests, however my preamp grounds go to the buss I soldered to the back of the pots ( first and last time I'll do that, pots don't take solder well even after being sanded and scraped, UGLY!!!). This buss runs just to the input jack and goes back to ground through the chassis. I normally run a wire from the input jack back to the star ground but didn't this time just to see if it would be noisy, its not. I'm trying to get some pictures up soon. I'm sorry, I'm not to computer savvy but i'm working on it.
Terry

angelodp · Post by **angelodp** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:22 pm

Why not go with the standard bus wire ( I twist it so it has greater strength ) for all the pots, then to the star ground??

ange

txbluesboy · Post by **txbluesboy** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 5:43 pm

I'll Try some pic[IMG:799:599]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r160 ... ket102.jpg[/img]
[IMG:800:600]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r160 ... ket101.jpg[/img]
[IMG:800:600]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r160 ... ket106.jpg[/img]
[IMG:800:600]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r160 ... ket108.jpg[/img]
[IMG:800:600]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r160 ... ket109.jpg[/img]
[IMG:800:600]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r160 ... ket110.jpg[/img]
[IMG:800:600]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r160 ... ket111.jpg[/img]
s.

Fischerman · Post by **Fischerman** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:36 pm

Awesome Terry!

VVR? Does it work well? Scaling the whole amp?

Love the Dales...I was gonna use a few in mine but for whatever reason decided to stick with CFs.

What is your screen current (at max voltage)?

What is the brown or black wire that goes under the preamp board at the PI end? I can see the two power tube grid wires but there is another wire near there.

Ron Worley · Post by **Ron Worley** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 8:43 pm

Fischerman wrote: What is the brown or black wire that goes under the preamp board at the PI end? I can see the two power tube grid wires but there is another wire near there.

I would guess it's the lead off the Impedance switch to the Preamp board..

Ron

txbluesboy · Post by **txbluesboy** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 8:43 pm

Thanks, I'm scaling the whole amp. I like very well, I do it on all my cathode bias amp projects since its so simple. Besides, I had to use those pins for something

I'm dropping a half a volt acsoss 100 ohm screen resistors which makes it .005 amps. The black wire you see coming from under the board at the phase inverter is the ground from the center of the 220k resistors going to the star ground

brownnote · Post by **brownnote** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 8:44 pm

RJ Guitars wrote:The old Hammond chassis are not available any more...

They were BUD chassis.
I had an original that I built the D'Lite prototype on...oops, blasphemy I know...oh well they are pretty flimsy.

So, it looks like there's no mounting hardware on the chassis, is that correct?

txbluesboy · Post by **txbluesboy** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 8:50 pm

Ron, Your still thinking about your express. The rocket doesn't have NFB.

Ron Worley · Post by **Ron Worley** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 8:53 pm

Yup... trying to keep 3 different schematic in my head.... DOH!

It looks like it goes to a huge star ground lug.... now that I get my head out of my A$$ and look closer...

Ron

Fischerman · Post by **Fischerman** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:48 pm

EDIT:

I'm dropping a half a volt acsoss 100 ohm screen resistors which makes it .005 amps.

FWIW, now that I got new matched tubes I'm dropping 2 volts with 470ohm screen resistors for about 4.3mA per tube. I was just curious how it ran with the stock values. Thanks.

So, it looks like there's no mounting hardware on the chassis, is that correct?

Correct.

This is as good a time as any to show what I did. A little crude but it works. Bolts are #10-32 x 3" long.

[img:800:600]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n4/m ... bolts1.jpg[/img]
[img:800:600]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n4/m ... bolts2.jpg[/img]

brownnote · Post by **brownnote** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 11:27 pm

Fischerman wrote: This is as good a time as any to show what I did. A little crude but it works. Bolts are #10-32 x 3" long.

Nothing wrong with that....worked for all those years on fenders.

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Building a Rocket - Layout Check for group build

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standard bus grounding to star

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