Aion Electronics Refractor/Klon-Centaur

[Ekimneets]

Thank you, I still have a vast amount to learn and am just a babe in the woods. When you post info like this I inevitably learn and I do have my disclaimer "I'm just a cook., you guys  are chefs".  I mean that am not an EE or even a tech for that matter and so if I make a mistake it should not be a surprise.

Now if you want to discuss 1 year survival of Glioblastoma or the relative merits of the Mayfield head clamp then I would be more in my element.

-Mike

[Ekimneets]

Would this be more palatable for you?

Diodes: Bill F., has stated that 1n34a's were the original diode. The forward voltage was ~0.35. I aimed for that value. We need to also understand that a guideline as those numbers can vary a great deal with a multitude of factors including each individual HHMM. So, it is just a guideline.

Many hundreds of diodes were tested.
D9B, D9E and D9K sourced from Bulgaria.
1n34a, 1n60a and 1n914 sourced from the US were tested.
As per the build documentation, I tested some  100 1n270 diodes were sourced from Tayda in Thailand. The values of these varied a great deal including quite a few of what I call "Hot loads" that measured 0.4v or more. A number of them were an exact match or were within a few hundredths of a volt. I made the decision to use these.

As for the caps, it is painfully obvious that I have a lot more reading to do. Now, Impicked up the "Art Of Electronics" from Amazon for some light reading a couple of years ago. I can only compare it to my old immunuology textbook for induction of catatonic zombie sleep.

Can someone give me better recs for an electronics book. I don't know, Imguess I'm looking for "Basic Bear Guide to Making LED's Glow Pretty" or "Piggly Wiggly and Adventures in Resistors".

As always, any help much appreciated.

-Mike

[EBK]

Diodes: The exact Diode used in the original is generally not agreed upon.

As Jon already pointed out, Bill Finnegan has freely shared that the diodes in his Klon Centaurs were 1N34A.  There is no secret and no need for debate.

[Ekimneets]

Duh, I totally missed that. That's why younshouldn't Do five things at once.

Give me a minute and I'll fix it.  I may not get it right the first time but I'll sure is hell keep trying.

-Mikel

[Ekimneets]

All right, I made even more corrections. You're gonna help me get my crud straight One way  another.

Hard to believe how much I've  already learned from this thread. Keep up the good work.

-Mike

[alanp]

Something to note is that germanium diodes and transistors are *infamous* for wildly varying specs, even within the same component code. A 1N34A diode from one company, may sound wildly different to a 1N34A diode from another company. This is why, for example, Smallbear sell matched sets. You can't trust that any given transistor will match the "typical value" in the spec sheet. You need to measure what you have in front of you. (You can trust that a diode is a diode, and a NPN transistor is an NPN transistor, but you're on your own as far as leakage and gain are concerned.)

[jubal81]

Don't be afraid to use your ears.
Don't believe numbers and parts are gospel and don't get hung up on using the 'right' part.
This goes double for anything made with germnaium. I've found that FV readings mean diddly poo with those and that reverse leakage is far more influential. If a FV .23 diode is very leaky, it will take a bigger signal to make it clip, rendering that .23 reading moot.

Don't sweat it. Try different diodes and use the ones you like the sound of the most.
One thing you can do is buy 2-3 PCBs of a design. Build one using lots of sockets so you can swap in and out parts. When you dial it in, slap those parts on the empty board for the final build.

Definitely do some reading. There's some 'technology of' articles on geofex and electrosmash that will help a lot.

[Ekimneets]

 I'm obviously a little slow on the pick up on some things. As noted in this thread.   I did pick up on the fact pretty early do you need to directly measure a lot of things and that's why I took such care for measurement of those diode's.

You guys have no idea how much I appreciate all the help. I have belong to other forums  for other purposes and encountered a tremendous amount of hostility for seemingly no reason whatsoever. The reception is been very different here and I really do appreciate it .

[JackSkellington]

So... the 1N34As are the correct diodes? If I already knew it, I forgot it!

I was going to order D9E from Musikding. The 1N34As are more expensive than D9E. Or I could order a pair of 1N34A from Tayda, the low cost choice.

Now, what I have to do?
Cheaper D9E from Musikding, expensive 1N34A or cheapest 1N34A from Tayda?
I also have two 1N270s diodes from Tayda bought maybe four years ago.

[Ekimneets]

If you want some D9E's I've got plenty. I"d be more than happy to send you a few gratis if you decide to go with that particular diode.

Just send me a PM with your addy if you decide on them.

-Mike

[JackSkellington]

I just want to be sure if the 1N34As Tayda are fine and accuracy for the Klon.

[jubal81]

I just want to be sure if the 1N34As Tayda are fine and accuracy for the Klon.

The part number 1N34A is pretty much meaningless. Depending on manufacturer, they could be anything.


It's like a Toyota. If someone just says they're selling a Toyota, that could mean a compact car, SUV, pickup ...


Best thing to do is socket and test with your ears.

[destro]

Jack,

Form my experience the 1n34s from Tayda have tested on my multimeter have been in the 2.7/2.8 range. Could just be the batches I've received on a few occasions....good luck!

[JackSkellington]

Form my experience the 1n34s from Tayda have tested on my multimeter have been in the 2.7/2.8 range. Could just be the batches I've received on a few occasions....good luck!

Hi destro. I'm sorry, perhaps I missed something. What do you mean? What is 2.7/2.8 range?

Best thing to do is socket and test with your ears.

Yes, probably I'll do. It's just to know how this pedal works.
Anyway, I bought a pair of D9E from Musikding and, of course, I forgot the 1N34As from Tayda!
So, I'll have wait some weeks to build the Klon and I'll socket the diodes. I'm going to try D9E, 1N270 and... what about 1N60P?

[JackSkellington]

I tested some germanium diode, except 1N34A.
The couple of 1N60P and 1N270 sounds pretty similar.
But the D9Es are the best, with the highs warmer and softer, and maybe a bit less aggressive.

Meanwhile, the 1N34As are now more hard to find.

Off Topic: How you see the D9E as perfect substitute of the 1N34A? Or those sound too much different?