[rustneversleeps]

I have a Dyna Pas 3 and a Pat 4, both are stock unmod units.

I've been thinking about rebuild a Super Pas 3, but I am not sure if the Super Pas 3 kit circuits are the same one from years ago or have they been updated along with the newer line product.

As far as for the Pat 4, it wasn't even mentioned in the AVA catalog, if memory serves me well, I seem to remember AVA use to have a rebuild kit for the Pat 4 and the Pat 5.

Since the Pat 4 rebuild kit has been dropped, I wonder if I could use the Pat 5 rebuild kit in my Pat 4, or could I build a Super Pas 3 in a Pat 4 chassis, if I purchase a Pas 3 power transformer from Triode Electronics. That way I can keep my Dyna Pas 3 original, since I am a vintage audio collector.

[Wayner]

Rusty,

I also have a Pat-4 and was considering having Frank do an upgrade, but the circuit designs for the rebuild are old and if the volume control goes, there isn't a replacement that I know of. I think picking a non-working Pat-5 or the Pas that you had maybe a better choice. I've put my Pat-4 on the shelf, replaced by the AVA T8.

w

[rustneversleeps]

It's just simply not feasible to buy a Pas 3 and Pat 5 to do the AVA upgrade, because they are both going for about $175 and up. As far as non working ones, for parts only, I don't see them that often. Most sell would make them at least somewhat functional to get more dollars.

A working Pat 4 is going for about $75, but there's no AVA upgrade.

So what is Frank thinking? Offering upgrade for the people who's willing to spend $175 and more for the chassis, so they can buy the upgrade from him?

$175 or more for a Dyna chassis and $500 for the AVA kit is $675+labor if you DIY. A used T-6 without phono is about that much, so what the *&^%. excuse my French.

If Frank's counting on someone's inherited a Dyna chassis from his grandpa, and buy the upgrade from him, good luck on that.

[CE2]

   I have had a couple of PAT-5's, upgraded to OmegaXXXX  A kit or two and a factory one I ain't no grandpa either.  I had some PAT-5 from the 70's NEW, not inherited either. Never bothered with teh PAT-4, that was long gone.  PAT-5s ain't just your grandpa's pre amp.   

[avahifi]

Of course the Dynaco rebuilds are no longer an important part of our business, but since we can still do them without additional development costs, we still make them available.  Of course we are not depending  upon the grandkids to pick up on the rebuild business, but it actually still does happen.   

We can install the OmegaStar circuit set in a Dyna Pat-4 chassis ($699 --- same price as in a Pat-5) but the Pat-4 is sooo ugly looking and without the same mechanical functionality as the Pat-5 that we don't recommend it.  A new jack set is not available for the Pat-4 chassis and never has been, would require different tooling and never economical to tool demand for this.

Our precision volume and balance control set go into the factory wired OmegaStar Pat-4 rebuild as well as the Pat-5 rebuild.  The rebuild kit is no longer available for the Pat-4 chassis, again because of economics - - - not enough demand to justify the cost and time of the kit manual rewrite.

The Super Pas Three rebuild has not changed for many years now, and is still available for the Dyna Pas-2, Pas-3 and Pas-3X models. They are all essentially the same except for cosmetics and (removed in the rebuild) tone control function.  Further improvements to the Super Pas Three would require a much beefed up power transformer and a new regulated power supply board, which is not economically feasible.  It would push the price up to near that of a factory wired new Transcendence Eight preamplifier which is all modern and way way way better sounding. Of course the Super Pas Three is
considered by many to still be a great sound tube preamp, and if you own the original PAS and can spare the time and cost ($399) for the rebuild kit, you will likely be very happy with the musical results.  Lots of cables and power cords sell for more.

Any other questions about our rebuild kits - - -  post them and I will be happy to answer.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[avahifi]

Of course the economics of going out and buying a old Dyna preamp or amp to do the rebuild in does not make economic sense.  We certainly do not recommend this.  You will come close to paying the price of a new AVA product.  However, if you already own the original, then the projects are still very much worthwhile.

Frank Van Alstine

[rustneversleeps]

After I looked at the pictures of the Super Pas rebuild, I noticed that in the small color picture, there's a small extra circuit board mounted vertically by the power supply board. Is this a different version from the original?

How critical is the fiberglass selector switch, would I need it if the original works fine?

Does the jack set have the same outputs as the original, would I need to cut into the chassis to mount it?

Even the kit doesn't come with any extra circuit upgrade, would you provide consultation on how to build the regulated power supply, and so on, so one can build one that's better than the original Super Pas?

[avahifi]

The small photo shows a unit with the Omega solid state buffer boards installed, useful several years ago to provide higher output current, low output impedance, and to unload the tubes.  We have not offered this for some time now because by the time all the "extras" are added up (this was available factory installed only), you are paying nearly as much as for a new T8 preamp and it makes no sense to put this much into a PAS chassis project.

The new selector switch will make no difference at all musically. We consider it to be simply a useful repair part and the original switch is no longer available.

Same number of jacks as the original, but spaced on 1/2 inch centers so gonzo cables will fit.  You have to nibble out the sheet metal between the two jack rows with a $10 Radio Shack sheet metal nibbler to make room for the expanded jack spacing.

Again it makes no sense at all to put a bigger power supply in a Super Pas Three, you will spend as much as for a new T8.  We do not support this.

Frank Van Alstine

[rustneversleeps]

Frank, did you also build some Super Pas 3s with only one Omega solid state buffer board? There's a Super Pas 3 on Ebay with only one vertically mounted circuit board, the one on the left is missing. Would it not sound as good without these boards?

[daveshel]

The OmegaStar PAT 5 is a danm nice preamp. I built one last winter. I went for the jack set and the selector switch. I can attest to what Frank mentioned about the challenge of rewriting the manuals: there were instructions to wire the jack set to the old switch, and instructions to wire the new switch to the old jacks, but none for wiring both the new switch and the new jacks. I called Frank and he figured out that he had all the proper pieces but had pasted the wrong part into the version of the instructions for this combo. (Rest assured that this is OK now because he fixed it while we were talking.) Then I got the polarity bass-ackwards on my caps, which exploded after 30 minutes of play. I declared myself incompetent and packed it up and sent it off to Minnesota, where it was nursed back to health by professionals. But I love it, maybe more than my Super Pas Three.

[avahifi]

The Super Pas Three mentioned with only one buffer board does not have a phono buffer board.  That was an option, either buffered line or for a bit higher cost, buffered both line and phono. Some who did not use phono much chose the first option.  Obviously, line performance is not degraded.

Frank Van Alstine