Wiring diagrams.......

[Brian]

.....Vital for people like me, schematics as well for the experienced to use and for the inexperienced to learn from. And words of course.

A wiring diagram would give me a chance of upgrading my Ella with any future WD amp kit that I may want to consider. As NickG will testify, my initial choice was a WAD amp kit but WAD wouldn't even answer emails at the time, let alone supply me with an amp' kit.

Brian

Edit : Like this....
http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?...ry&r=&session=

[Paul Welsby]

I totally agree that the image shown is a real help to people like myself who are trying to learn this 'art'.

There is nothing better for us that finding a piece of info like "this resistor is a grid stopper and does _______ and is this value because of _______" etc.

But i would like to see a real circuit diagram along side the more visual diagram.

Its a bit like finding the rosetta stone for people with my knowledge!

Paul

[Clive]

Brian Cherry at DIYHS took a lot of input before deciding to take this route. His instructions do indeed contain the full schematic too. If I were being picky I'd say that some extra contextual words are required. Some of us just need pictures, others need words. To cater for everyone is a big excercise. Personally I like a mix. Something like the old WAD instructions plus the DIYHF pics & schematic would be great; photos on the web are useful too (they are tough to print cost effectively).

[Brian]

Clive

Yes, he certainly did, I remember when he was asking about this on his forum, I didn't know what a wiring diagram actually was! When I saw what he was proposing it hit me straight away that this was something of great use to the novice. I don't know what kind of feedback Brian has had since introducing this, but I'd be amazed if it wasn't positive.

Brian
Ps The diagram I linked to was an example he posted before he went ahead and produced the definitive article. It contains errors that some may be able to spot.

[Paul Barker]

Look if you think I have time to go looking for errors in that wiring diagram forget it, I have a gubby job to do at 8 oclock.

As for the technique, it is absolutely brilliant (as long as diagram is error free).

There are a number of published (on the web that is, not proper blind review publishing) circuits with errors waiting to trap the painetrs by numbers.

Best to understand a little about your persuit before going of a web design. Or ask about the design in a place where anorachs who know where they are wrong reside.

Now where's my anorach, I have ot go to work.

If yuou really want to learn, read books which do go through rigorous checking and peer review before going to print.

[Brian]

What I was thinking Paul, was that wiring diagrams such as these might encourage people to buy a kit amp' who might otherwise be too daunted to do so.

Obviously I don't know how big a market there is for diy valve amps', but WD will have to sell their products to remain in business. My thinking is that making it easier to build a kit than it may otherwise be must surely introduce the possibility that more people will be prepared to buy one. It would influence me if I want to try to build a SET amp'.
( Not sure how my Free or Pink Floyd collection would sound with no bass, like. )

I do understand the Ella circuit diagram now, which I've used to help me get things right when I've been upgrading. It's worth mentioning that there is an error in the diagram that I now understand but wouldn't have spotted a couple of years ago. If it's generally true that there might always be errors in instructions, then I'm not sure how any total novice is supposed to buy with confidence.

As for written words, Nick will remember that when he built my Ella there were also errors in the written instructions. It was his knowledge and experience that got around that. I'd have blown the thing up and probably myself with it.

I think WD should also offer a fully built service, as well as circuit diagrams, written instructions and wiring diagrams for the diy people. This may sound overkill, and obviously it's a lot of work, but I'm sure these will be quality products, the effort to produce quality instructions of different types should be worthwhile.

Brian

[Greg.]

Hi Brian,

The WAD kits had instructions very similar to the style you advocate and they worked well.

If instructions are supplied they should be checked and checked and checked and proof read and proof read and proof read before release.

Other issues from the past have been that designs have been released as kits and it was later discovered that there were weaknesses which would require a reliability upgrade. Original WAD were good at dealing with this for their customers and the original WAD forum with the work of John, Richard and others now moved on, was invaluable in identifying these weaknesses and getting them addressed.

Best wishes,

Greg

[Clive]

The wiring diagram example from DIYHS is a relatively rare in that it's available electronically whereas most of the DIYHS diagrams are available only in printed form when you buy a kit.

There are two aspects that make the DIYHS diagrams even better that the WAD ones from the Kit34 / Kit6550 era.

1) the diagram is in colour, it's much easier to follow wires in a busy area

2) As we've, the diagrams are great on a screen but they don't come this way normally. Unless printing is really good it's tough to get enough resolution for the best clarity. Ok, the simpler b&w WAD diagrams are fine in this respect, the extra detail for DIYHF has this downside. The solution is to hound Brian Cherry to send you the diagrams by email.

[NickG]

I know this doesn't have any bearing on the kits tha WD will go on to produce, but having built a Ella and a kit6550, the Ella would need such a diagram as the written instructions were so poor, the 6550 had everything needed. You could have built the 6550 Brian, it would have been slow back then, but you could have done it, even though it was tag strip based.

[Clive]

Originally Posted by NickG

I know this doesn't have any bearing on the kits tha WD will go on to produce, but having built a Ella and a kit6550, the Ella would need such a diagram as the written instructions were so poor, the 6550 had everything needed. You could have built the 6550 Brian, it would have been slow back then, but you could have done it, even though it was tag strip based.

Nick, you're comments on the words part of DIYHS instructions are very valid. I suspect the reason they aren't wordy (or well checked!) much harks back to what Black Stuart has said in the past. WAD were mainly built by English speaking people due to geography. DIYHS being based in HK have a different profile of customer. I suppose their options are either develop words in several languages or rely on diagrams very much. It seems they've taken the latter approach.