[dayneger]

Hey guys,

Here're a couple of things that I've been wondering about:

1.  What's the best way in sonics terms of attaching signal wires to those little pins on the PCBs?  In my AKSA 100W I soldered the signal wires directly to the pins, which ended up looking kind of ugly.  In the GK-1 there's at least 1 pin that's also kind of hard to get to when everything's built.

2.  How do you attach AC and DC wires to the same little pins?  Are there little spade connector thingies that make it a little cleaner and easier to re/attach?

3.  With my layout as in this topic I end up needing longer wires for the high and low-tension wires than the Cat 5 Hugh supplied.  Does it really matter what I use as long as it's decent copper and I twist it tightly?

4.  The GK-1R keyboard pad is supposed to be mounted with stick-on PCB holder pieces.  In my CAD layout it shows that I should expect to use ones with 8.5-9.5mm height (based on a 2mm chassis wall thickness), but the ones I got in the kit are about 6.4mm high.  Did I measure something wrong?  Or is the whole button supposed to stick through?

5.  Also for the GK-1R, maybe I missed something here as well but I couldn't seem to find anything about hooking up the Panasonic motor pot to a power source, presumably the separate DC supply.  Could someone set me right?

Thanks for any tips!

Cheers,

Dayne

[fred]

5. Also for the GK-1R, maybe I missed something here as well but I couldn't seem to find anything about hooking up the Panasonic motor pot to a power source, presumably the separate DC supply. Could someone set me right?

This one, I can answer.  the power to the pot is from CON4 on the Digital Control PCB.  Don't worry about which way you hook it up initially.  When the remote is working, if VOL+ decreases the volume, then switch the wires around.  

I am also curious if anyone else has an elegant connector to the PCB pins.  I too just solder right to them, in general.  Occasionally, I solder wires directly to the copper side of the PCB, underneath the pins.

[Malcolm Fear]

I drilled the holes in the PCB slightly larger and soldered my CAT 5 straight onto the board and threw the pins away. I figured I was getting rid of an extra solder joint. I don't know know if it sounds better, but I don't lay awake at night wondering about it.

[dayneger]

Thanks for the info about the pot, Fred!  Can't wait until I'm far enough along to test it out.

Your suggestion is very good, Malcolm--I might actually take a few of them out and redo it your way.

Does anyone else have a suggestion about those little pins?  How do you handle them, Hugh?

Cheers,

Dayne

[AKSA]

I'm sorry Dayne, I didn't answer you.... Asleep, dammit!

1. What's the best way in sonics terms of attaching signal wires to those little pins on the PCBs? In my AKSA 100W I soldered the signal wires directly to the pins, which ended up looking kind of ugly. In the GK-1 there's at least 1 pin that's also kind of hard to get to when everything's built.

Solder them onto the wire, nothing to it.  Two solder joints is fine, I've not been able to 'hear' the solder yet!

2. How do you attach AC and DC wires to the same little pins? Are there little spade connector thingies that make it a little cleaner and easier to re/attach?

Once again, solder them for permanency.  You can find little round thingies which will do the job, but after time has passed you cannot guarantee that they will make good ohmic contact, so soldering is de rigeur.

3. With my layout as in this topic I end up needing longer wires for the high and low-tension wires than the Cat 5 Hugh supplied. Does it really matter what I use as long as it's decent copper and I twist it tightly?

This is an issue of some religious concern.  Generally, 0.5mm or thicker pure copper wire with PVC or teflon insulation is best.  YMMV, but the reason I use CAT5E is that it is, as ICs go, inexpensive, and very clean.  Try to use solid core for signal wires, and on the GK-1 it's OK for power as well as currents, even filament currents, are low.

4. The GK-1R keyboard pad is supposed to be mounted with stick-on PCB holder pieces. In my CAD layout it shows that I should expect to use ones with 8.5-9.5mm height (based on a 2mm chassis wall thickness), but the ones I got in the kit are about 6.4mm high. Did I measure something wrong? Or is the whole button supposed to stick through?

The front of the button should be about flush with the panel, maybe protruding a little, and the pcb stand-offs need not press all the way home, as you can position it precisely where you want, and then put quality epoxy on the pcb/stand-off to secure it into place.  Another option is to secure plastic squares at the feet with epoxy;  either/or is a good and effective option.

5. Also for the GK-1R, maybe I missed something here as well but I couldn't seem to find anything about hooking up the Panasonic motor pot to a power source, presumably the separate DC supply. Could someone set me right?

As Fred says, this is CON4.  Remember, this must be reverse polarity switchable, and only the transistor bridge network on the digital control pcb can confer this facility.  It's just two wires;  one to each termination on the electric motor connections at the back of the jockey pcb on the Panasonic motorized pot.

Dayne, hope this helps, and my apologies for not giving it earlier attention.

Cheers,

Hugh

[dayneger]

I'm sorry Dayne, I didn't answer you.... Asleep, dammit!

Shame on you for sleeping, Hugh!    Don't you know the whole AKSA DIY community requires you to be working on new audio delicacies the whole time?

Thanks for the answers!  Now back to soldering. . .

Ciao, Dayne