Group Buy: GK-1 Upgrade (AudioCap 40uF & BC560)

whubbard · « **on:** 10 Jul 2008, 03:42 am »

Alright we finally have made a decision.

This group buy will be for 2x AudioCap 40uF capacitors. I am also just going to go ahead and put the BC560s (matched) in for free. I'm going to buy 1,000 (or 500..basically...I'm going to get a lot) of them from digikey and its only $62 and it would be silly to charge the $0.08, so they come free! (I will need a tiny bit more explanation on how exactly to match the 'beta' on them though).

Here is a link to the Capacitor: http://www.reliablecapacitors.com/audiocap_1.html
Here is a link to the Transistor: http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=BC560-ND

I can't make a promise on the price of the capacitors as I am yet to hear back from my second request for a quote. I will call them directly tomorrow. It will be a max $134 for the whole package.
One 'Set' will be 4 Caps and probably around 10 BC560 (depends on how many I match).

Here is the list of people I have in this group buy already: (This will be the master list. I will update it continuously until the group buy is done!)
Whubbard - Paid
Gerardo - Paid
Kyrill - Paid
PSP - Paid
Felipe - Paid
Dayneger - Paid
Mark Joiner - Paid
Seano - Paid
Andyr - Paid
Aurelius - Paid
PT914 - Paid
Fos - Paid
TimS - Paid
DaveW - Paid
Greg Erskine - Paid
Mllow - Paid
Builder Brad -

If you have Need Information next to your I need you to email me at west.hubbard at gmail dot com and give me your full name, address, and confirm you can use paypal (or however else you plan to pay).

I will keep it open for a week or two, but then I will close this group buy and collect the money I need to order. Tthen I will send you all your goods!!!

-West

AKSA · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 Jul 2008, 04:40 am »

Great start, West!!

Many thanks, you are doing the Aspen community a big favor, and I appreciate it very much.

Cheers,

Hugh

davew · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 Jul 2008, 09:21 am »

Hi west,

"one set" is 2 caps? Shouldn't that be 4? ie C4 and C7 x 2. Or have I missed something?

davew...

kyrill · « **Reply #3 on:** 10 Jul 2008, 11:45 am »

Quote from: whubbard on 10 Jul 2008, 03:42 am

Alright we finally have made a decision.

This group buy will be for 2x AudioCap 40uF capacitors. I am also just going to go ahead and put the BC560s (matched) in for free. I'm going to buy 1,000 of them from digikey and its only $62 and it would be silly to charge the $0.08, so they come free! (I will need a tiny bit more explanation on how exactly to match the 'beta' on them though).

Here is a link to the Capacitor: http://www.reliablecapacitors.com/audiocap_1.html
Here is a link to the Transistor: http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=BC560-ND

I can't make a promise on the price of the capacitors as I am yet to hear back from my second request for a quote. I will call them directly tomorrow. It will be a max $67 for both.
One 'Set' will be 2 Caps and probably around 10 BC560 (depends on how many I match).

Here is the list of people I have in this group buy already: (This will be the master list. I will update it continuously until the group buy is done!)
whubbard - 1 Set
gerardo (Need information) - 1 Set
Kyrill (Need information) - 1 Set
curly joe (Need information) - 1 Set
PSP - 1 Set
Felipe (Need information) - 1 Set
dayneger (Need information) - 1 Set
Mark Joiner (Need information) - 1 Set

If you have Need Information next to your I need you to email me at west.hubbard -@- gmail.com and give me your full name, address, and confirm you can use paypal (or however else you plan to pay).

I will keep it open for a week or two, but then I will close this group buy and collect the money I need to order. Tthen I will send you all your goods!!!

-West

Hi West plz change yr email address in case of email robots for spam

whubbard · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 Jul 2008, 12:35 pm »

Yep 4 caps! My mistake!

...and I've fixed the email. Trust gmail filter but can't hurt to do it this way.

Thanks

-West

aurelius · « **Reply #5 on:** 14 Jul 2008, 07:24 am »

Hi West,

Please put me down for a set.

gerado · « **Reply #6 on:** 14 Jul 2008, 02:02 pm »

West,

i sent you email with my details

T

fos · « **Reply #7 on:** 15 Jul 2008, 09:49 am »

West, add me to the list as well please, though im just leaving darwin at the moment heading for the timor sea for 2 weeks. helping to keep the oil flowing.

Will be home end of the month to sort out payment.

Foster

AKSA · « **Reply #8 on:** 15 Jul 2008, 10:50 am »

G'day Fos,

How are you? Long time no speaks..... How is the Timor Gap, huh?

Thanks again West, bonzer buy this one!

Cheers,

Hugh

whubbard · « **Reply #9 on:** 16 Jul 2008, 02:27 pm »

I have a feeling that we have all the interest were going to get, so I will begin to wrap up this group buy at the end of the week. It will wind up being no more than $114 each for the 4 caps. I will cover shipping, and once shipped I will ask you pay exactly what is costs and no more. I trust that all you here won't try and avoid the shipping charges!

On the caps the reason I say it will be 114 MAX is because that is what Michael Percy would charge us for the high volume. I have tried calling rel cap twice, and emailed them aswell to no avail. However once michael gets back from his holiday I will give him a call an maybe he will cut us more of a break.

AKSA · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Jul 2008, 12:10 am »

HI West,

RelCap is difficult to deal with. I found the only one there who is imaginative and knows how to handle money transfers is E. Jean Smith (Ersi) who is marvellous. See if you can get hold of her via email at RelCap, ask for her by name.

Her price will be a lot cheaper than Percy's price for obvious reasons; no reseller.

You will find the shipping is quite pricey, so be sure to make it clear to people before they agree to buy. Moral: 'No nasty surprises'.

Once again, you perform a public service, and I thank you for it profusely,

Cheers,

Hugh

gerado · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Jul 2008, 12:27 am »

West,
I appreciate your efforts.

I dont mind if I have to pay a few dollars more for your time effort and packaging on top of postage.

The benefit of having it all sorted and delivered to my door is worth it.
Thank you again for arranging this, you are a saint.

whubbard · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Jul 2008, 12:33 am »

Quote from: AKSA on 17 Jul 2008, 12:10 am

HI West,

RelCap is difficult to deal with. I found the only one there who is imaginative and knows how to handle money transfers is E. Jean Smith (Ersi) who is marvellous. See if you can get hold of her via email at RelCap, ask for her by name.

Her price will be a lot cheaper than Percy's price for obvious reasons; no reseller.

You will find the shipping is quite pricey, so be sure to make it clear to people before they agree to buy. Moral: 'No nasty surprises'.

Once again, you perform a public service, and I thank you for it profusely,

Cheers,

Hugh

Hugh,
I have tried contacting her many times and left voicemails/emails, however I am yet to hear back. I will try again.
Also I am aware that the shipping will be somewhat costly. What I intend to do is ask people exactly how they want it shipped, and I will ship it to them for the price I pay. I assume most will want USPS to Australia.
Could you also explain exactly how to match the BC-560s. I orders 500 of them today!

As of right now we have:
7 From Australia
3 From America
1 From Switzerland
1 From Netherlands
1 From Portugal

Shipping: Seems that USPS is saying First Class International is only $5 to all the above countries for 5 Ounces, which is what I assume the caps will cost. Not Bad! (Then again...you may want some sort of Delivery confirmation...UPS)

Fairly worldly group buy!

Theo,
My time effort and packaging come free

Anybody with (Need Information), please contact me! I want to make sure I have all the information before I take the next step.

-West

P.S. Unless anybody objects I'm going to send out all US via UPS. I trust them, and its basically the same price as USPS.

kyrill · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Jul 2008, 10:47 am »

hmm
Does not Hugh wants one (at least) set?

AKSA · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Jul 2008, 10:39 pm »

Kyrill,

You ask a very interesting question. No, I don't want one..... I have other fish to fry right at present.

I am constantly searching new ideas, new sounds, new components, new layouts, etc. I'm also trying very hard to bring a new amp to market. The designs you see, as the end user, are the result of many iterations to reach the destination. Every pcb is the result of two or three prototypes, and then finally, agonisingly, I go firm on a design and that's the basis of a new product.

Down the road from me about ten minutes lives a good friend, aka LM on this forum, who has a wonderful system with enormous Vandersteen speakers in a dedicated room. If I want to hear my system at its best, I visit him, and we enjoy a coffee together. He is an accomplished military aircraft pilot, with helicopter, STOL, transport plane and vintage plane licences, and he tells me fascinating stories of his long military career, which I love because I'm a frustrated pilot myself (I can fly a glider!!). And you should know that whenever there is a chance for socialising, I always take it!!

My own GK1 is absolutely stock. It should remain so for local buyers to audition it. It would not be fair to have it tricked to the nines because then people would suffer sticker shock when they paid for it!! So I tell them they get the base version from me, and refer them to the forum for any approved updates.

The Nirvana, N+ update cycle was an eye opener for me all those years back. It revealed a market I never realised existed. But this market is risky. I have a guy right now wants to buy a LF100 with S102 Vishays, and all film/foil caps right through, and Rubycon ZLH electros. To offer these 'updates' is extremely expensive in stock, and already my shelving is creaking under the weight of thousands of components, so I'm trying to reduce my exposure to this sort of specialty buying; it's dangerous, because the market is flightly, and next week all interest could disappear. Slowly, I'm learning......

There really are enough excesses in my life; one daughter living in London, the other intending to live permanently in NYC in six months; matching late model Toyota Cressidas, both in immaculate condition, for HIS and HER; a old 1986 Ford Falcon sedan on LPG; a ZRX1200 Kawasaki naked bike; and large numbers of prototype and traded amps taking up valuable space - so I'm confident you would understand!

I also have a trailer piled high with junk, including two very old air conditioners which have passed their green use by dates. Problem is I will have to rewire the trailer lights to actually get it all to the garbage tip!

So, this is the reason; I know what all this sounds like, but I'm constantly moving on. Ask Ron Russell the same question - he knows what I mean......

I've just listened to an amusing segment on breakfast radio. Apparently Australia's Funeral Directors are gearing up for a very busy decade as the Baby Boomers, my generation, start to fall off their twigs! Apparently from age 65 lots of people start to die off, and since there was a huge population surge in the Allied countries directly after the War, lots of funerals are coming up. The problem is, how to make it green? It's 160Kg of greenhouse gases for a cremation, and only 39Kg for a natural decay in a coffin. BUT, a coffin needs a big plot, with lots of grass, and it has to be mowed with an infernal combustion engine, and that makes it more carbon friendly to cremate. Ah, what to do? This is SOOOOOO difficult!!

Cheers,

Hugh

kyrill · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Jul 2008, 11:22 pm »

Hi Hugh

"Ah, what to do? "

Enjoy music,old friend

You need 2 Gk-1
one stock for the reason you mentioned.
one to the nines, for yr own listening pleasure
and ehh.
let the gasses come, after you're gone

whubbard · « **Reply #16 on:** 22 Jul 2008, 02:45 am »

Alright everyone! I should have a quote in the next two days. I'm only going to ask that you cover the caps as of now, and then we can deal with the shipping when the caps arrive in late august or very early september. 60 Caps is a LOT for someone like RelCap. Please be prepared to pay about $100-$110 on wednesday or thursday. I would like to get the payments in ASAP so we can order the caps.

-West

Felipe · « **Reply #17 on:** 22 Jul 2008, 04:50 pm »

whubbard · « **Reply #18 on:** 22 Jul 2008, 08:58 pm »

Alright! It's going to be $22.95 per cap and then $23 to ship them to me. So it is $91.80 for the caps plus $1.65 for the shipping, so you owe $93.45+3% for paypal= $96.26! Not Bad!
I will work out shipping cost to you once I get the caps. Seemed USPS would go anywhere for $4.60 but I think some of you might want something a little better than that.

Please send the money to west.hubbard -AT- gmail -dot- com thought paypal ASAP! I want to be able to order them but I can't cover everybody!

-West

EDIT: Not sure why but PayPal seems to be messing with my fees. So if you haven't paid already would you mind paying $97.6, that way I will break even minus those who have paid.
THANKS!

Felipe · « **Reply #19 on:** 23 Jul 2008, 05:11 pm »

huba,

Just to make sure...its US dollars am i right ?