VDA-2/VAC-1 converted to 12 volt battery power

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jk@home

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VDA-2/VAC-1 converted to 12 volt battery power
« on: 26 Dec 2011, 01:26 pm »
OK, so here's another hair-brained idea I've got going. I have ordered a basic Dodd tube buffer kit to try on the output of my CI passive preamp. It requires a 12 volt battery for power.

If I wanted to power my VDA/VAC combo with the same battery, what would be a non-surgical way to do this? A 12vdc x 120vac inverter? Has anyone tried this?  Any sonic benefit here?

JLM

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Re: VDA-2/VAC-1 converted to 12 volt battery power
« Reply #1 on: 26 Dec 2011, 02:19 pm »
Power abberations (dirty power) are a localized phenom, dependent on age of utility infrastructure, profile of other users on your piece of the grid, condition of your residence (design of home wiring/age of appliances), etc.

My former place was a 50 year old house with a rats nest of wiring and noticed no difference going off the grid.  My current place (new build with underground service, our own transformer, all new appliances, dedicated audio circuits, separate grounding, and cryo'd hospital grade receptacles) as you might guess also showed no difference.

Some swear by battery power, others swear at it (as a waste of money/effort).

jk@home

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Re: VDA-2/VAC-1 converted to 12 volt battery power
« Reply #2 on: 26 Dec 2011, 02:32 pm »
Thanks, this exercise is as much for convenience as for performance. Because of the layout of the system, the DAC PS is plugged into a group of wall outlets of a dedicated circuit where the power amps are located (with no filtering) The CI components are directly behind the amps to keep analog cables short, the rest of my stuff is on a filtered power strip downstream on the same circuit, inside a closet in the back of the room.

Since I would be going to the expense of a battery and charger, adding a small inverter wouldn't be much more difficult. I would think if anything, it would protect the DAC from brownouts.

To Dusty, what would be the smallest inverter I could get away with, if just powering the VDA-2/VAC-1?

CIAudio

Re: VDA-2/VAC-1 converted to 12 volt battery power
« Reply #3 on: 26 Dec 2011, 02:47 pm »
VDA-2 is externally powered by AC (not DC). It would require internal modifications to directly run on batteries.

Inverters are a no no

jk@home

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Re: VDA-2/VAC-1 converted to 12 volt battery power
« Reply #4 on: 26 Dec 2011, 03:53 pm »
Hey Dusty. Actually I was thinking of the external type, such as one would plug into their cigarette lighter in the car, to power a standard 120v appliance, such as a TV.

So nothing would be modified, the VAC-1 would just be plugged into the inverter, which in turn would pull power off the battery.

http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/product-series.cfm?txtSeriesID=815

CIAudio

Re: VDA-2/VAC-1 converted to 12 volt battery power
« Reply #5 on: 26 Dec 2011, 04:05 pm »
Inverters usually have a poor waveform, can be noisy, and are also inefficient.
It doesn't make sense to step 12VDC to 120VAC, then down to 14VAC, which is the converted to DC inside the DAC.
It will work, but I don't see anything "good" coming from it.

jk@home

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Re: VDA-2/VAC-1 converted to 12 volt battery power
« Reply #6 on: 26 Dec 2011, 04:07 pm »
Well, like I said, hairbrained  :wink: Thanks