rainton's P2P LA2A chassis "original style" discussion thread

[rainton]

Bring the noise!

If someone offered me either a clean modern handmade copy of a classic piece of kit with precision componants all around, or an original unit with aging period parts, I'd pick the original every time!

I've spent enough on some DIY gears' parts from just sourcing the correct old bits that I could have almost bought the real thing  The definition of insanity?  :-X

I hear ya! haha!  ;D ;D

Even though I like to experiment quite a bit and also modify designs to my liking, sometimes when I want to build a replica of a vintage unit, I try to do it to an extend and detail where not just I think of myself I'm crazy
It's almost like an obsession. Original trannys, original pots, switches etc...whatever I can find.


My three main reasons for DIYing: 1. I can build the kind of gear for myself I was always dreaming of, but could never afford  2. I can modify proven circuits to my liking and add functions the original doesn't have 3. I'm learning A LOT!  About how these things work, what happens to the music when it goes through those circuits, etc.

Are those Allen-Bradley resistors you used?

So yes those are Allen & Bradley and Ohmite carbon comp resistors.

Any idea when cash is needed? PayPal? How long to produce and ship?

Well, I will close this group buy kind of feeler thread Wednesday night at 10pm CET. In the meantime I will make a list of everybody who's interested and put it in the first post. Thursday I would get in touch with all of you who are on that list and let you know the details. As soon as I have gathered the funds to make it happen I will place the order and from then it will take about 2-3 weeks until I receive the rough enclosures. Then they need to be painted and silkscreened (still waiting for a reply from the company that does the silkscreening on how long it takes) So my guess is all in all the production will take about 4 weeks after the initial order placement. I would ship the enclosure as tracked parcels, but how long they take to arrive will depend on the destination. German DHL is very reliable though

You can't legally print the logo.  You might get away with it, especially from eastern Europe as Tat has.  Remember he got kicked out of this place for doing that sort of thing.  It's all about whether you are willing to risk UA coming after you, or whether they decide to make an example of you. 

I'm afraid you're right Doug. And as much as I can understand those of you that want the original logo on the front panel I certainly won't risk UA suing my pants off. I put so much work in creating this chassis in the CAD  to make it possible for me and a small group of people here to get very close to the original look and feel, and I don't want to screw it up now by illegally using a trademarked logo.

We could either try to find a replacement that is legal, or I just leave the spot where the logo is supposed to be blank and everybody can decide for himself what to do?

Hey Martin, i just noticed Keith mentioned earlier that the sifam replacement Meter could eventually collide with the turret Board. Did you check that already?

I moved the meter cutout slightly upwards already, but since Kulka's replacement meter is supposed to also fit an original LA2A it should work? I know someone that has one of those replacement meters in an LA2A - I will ask him about it and let you know

 

[Quayhog]

If the Sifan meters are too deep and this dimension is known now would be the time to make the chassis a little deeper.  While I don't know your actual dimensions it wouldn't hurt to make it up to an inch or so deeper.  After all, it's just a DIY project.

Are there any other USA builders? 

Jonathan
Quayhog53 at gmail

 

[rainton]

So far we got 18 enclosures (if hymentoptera takes 2?)

I put together a list at the end of the first post. Please check it if I forgot someone.
If we can get two more we have 20 which would be cool.

 

[nickhepfer]

Maybe I will take 2.
Let me decide this the day this feeler will be closed.
If we are at 19 then,  I will go for 2 enclosures to make it 20

 

[hymentoptera]

Due to unexpected expenses, I'm afraid I'm only going to be able to afford (1) one of these cases, unless somehow we can extend payment another week. Many jobs here in the States pay weekly, and I'm going to be broke until next paycheck. If we wait until the 10th I could afford a second unit, and hopefully that would give us 20 total.

If no one's in a hurry, then maybe extending the deadline another week will draw in a few more interested builders? I would hate to be the reason we couldn't reach the 20 unit minimum.  :-[

Everyone spread the word! We only need a few more people to make this a reality! Thanks rainton for doing the heavy-lifting to make this happen!

 

[Quayhog]

I personally don't mind the delay of a few days if it will get the count to twenty.

What is the dimension of the cutout for the meter?  There I a dazzling amount of choices on ebay ranging from less than $20 USD to a Teletronix labeled one for over $200. 

What is the depth of the chassis?

Are there any othe USA builders?  I'm from the Bay Area in  California

Jonathan Horne

 

[rainton]

Ok I will extend the feeler until Tuesday June 9th, 10pm CET

I'm still waiting on feedback from a fellow forum member who has used the Sifam replacement meter in his LA2A.
As far as I remember fitting the meter wasn't the problem, but the sifam meter can be ordered with a light box/ illumination kit that includes a 12V bulb - and this light box doesn't fit the enclosure.
So he had to use the meter without the lightbox.
But actually the original meter didn't have an internal light bulb either thats why a light bulb was mounted above the meter.
That's why on the original and also on my version there's that screw on the right upper corner above the meter which holds
the lamp holder.

Since the enclosure this is all about here offers the same cutouts and holes as the original, this hole to mount the lamp holder is also  present and you don't need the light box at all.

I'm not sure because I'm on the road, but the cutout for the meter is 98x46mm if I remember correctly.
Not sure how deep the enclosure is really - will check when I get home on thursday...

 

[nickhepfer]

… now me and the idea of a 2nd LA-2A just became best friends… count me in for a total of 2 enclosures! 

 

[Quayhog]

The SIFAM meter that fits a 98x46 mm cutout is AL39WF,
http://www.canford.co.uk/Products/58-382_SIFAM-AUDIO-LEVEL-METER-AL29WF

Now all I need is to find a USA distributor.

 

[Potato Cakes]

Please put me down for one if I am not too late already.

Thanks!

Paul

 

[rainton]

The SIFAM meter that fits a 98x46 mm cutout is AL39WF,
http://www.canford.co.uk/Products/58-382_SIFAM-AUDIO-LEVEL-METER-AL29WF

Now all I need is to find a USA distributor.

try  www.meterdistributor.com

Where in the Bay area are you from - I have some good friends there - they're in a band called 'Groundation'

welcome aboard!
Please put me down for one if I am not too late already.

Thanks!

Paul

 

[rainton]

Ok, If counted correctly with my 2 enclosures and the 2 extra ones I need for another friend we reached 22 now!
Yeah!!
But in case there's somebody who still wants to join - you're very welcome to do so! 

BTW: I heard back from the fellow forum friend who used the Sifam meter in his LA2A.
So the meter fits the enclosure IF you don't use the light box/illumination kit available for the AL39WF.

He also said that he got his replacement meter with the teletronix logo and everything from IMS  (meterdistributor.com)
and that unlike the regular AL39WF the panel where the scale is printed on is made of solid aluminum instead of translucent plastic.

So, since the enclosure I designed offers the mounting hole for the lamp holder you can use a standard miniature lamp holder as in the original for lighting up the meter and it should work fine with the chassis 

 

[hymentoptera]

I personally don't mind the delay of a few days if it will get the count to twenty.

It looks like I'm going to be able to afford 2 x units after all!  8)

Are there any othe USA builders?

East Coast here. About an hour outside of the Baltimore/DC area.

 

[weiss]

98x46 would be great! It fits the IMS meter then. The part number is IS14049 and they sell them for $145.00 each

 

[rainton]

98x46 would be great! It fits the IMS meter then. The part number is IS14049 and they sell them for $145.00 each

Great news Weiss!!

 

[weiss]

We could do a group buy, if few people are interested? Maybe we save some money..

 

[hymentoptera]

So this meter fits the case, but will it still touch the turret board? I though that was the big problem with the Sifam. Or will this case be deeper depth to account for that?

 

[weiss]

So this meter fits the case, but will it still touch the turret board? I though that was the big problem with the Sifam. Or will this case be deeper depth to account for that?

Just received a mail:

The meter is 1.838" or 46.7mm behind panel. This is dimension to the end of the terminals.

so we need to know the depth of our case now

 

[rainton]

So this meter fits the case, but will it still touch the turret board? I though that was the big problem with the Sifam. Or will this case be deeper depth to account for that?

No it won't touch the turret board I think. Paul - our fellow forum member who uses the Sifam in his LA2A got it working perfectly for him (without the light box that is). My enclosure has the original depth and so does his, so it should be alright.
enclosure depth = 7cm

At least it should work perfectly fine if you mount the turret board the original way - without standoffs. The original only has a sheet of insulation material underneath the turret board (fish paper) - I used a thin sheet of rubber mat - but other than that the turret board is mounted right to the bottom of the enclosure...

 

[weiss]

Okay great, so i will do a group buy. There is already interest in 3 vu meters