[TV MAN]

Construction has started! So far, I've gotten the power supply done and filament wiring run. The major layout is finished, have a few sketches of where things should go. I've made a few changes and moved things around. Hopefully I can start on the high signal parts, then low signal stuff. Also have the bias supply together. Anyway, here's a pic of the progress so far.
   

[morzh]

It's getting along!

[radiorich]

Hello Tim,
It looks very nice so far !

Sincerely Richard

[TV MAN]

I got things pretty much in place, double checked, waited a couple days, did some resistance checks and powered up through a variac and dim bulb. B+ seemed pretty close to what I wanted so I brought it up enough to get something. Yup, I could get a signal if I touched the input, so I plugged in a CD player and ... AND.../// it sounded .... AWFUL! Almost no volume and was badly distorted. Did a few voltage checks and plate voltage was really high on the inverter. I could hit either side of the coupling caps with a signal and it sounded clean, hit the grid of the inverter and - nothing. It was dead. Tried another tube, same. The inverter was dead. So I studied the diagram (that I drew), everything looked ok, that is, until I rechecked the driver tube diagram. OooOooohhhh - wrong! I had the triode grid and cathode pins reversed. Well, that'd do it. I have a feeling I just looked at the wrong pinout and drew it wrong. 

So I switched it tonight and brought it back up - and ... AND ... SQUEEEEAAAALLLLL SQUEAL SQUEAL! Well, shucks. Been there, so I flipped the ground and feedback and it came on quite well. So, yeah, oops! So anyway, some of the same stuff I ran into before. I don't know if flipping the plate leads would change it or if the tranny is backwards. Anyway, I haven't really done a thorough sound check, but I did note it has the same lousy 60 cycle hum as my last kit. Not bad, just kinda ... there. So I know it isn't a filtering issue. Gotta either be coming the heater or ground loop. Since this is an experiment, I'm going to try a few things. I set this up so I can isolate the ground from the chassis if I want, even disconnect half dozen wires and pull the complete driver stage. I can actually pull a few wires and lift the entire signal circuit out, leaving only the power supply and output tranny and try a different circuit while leaving the previous completely intact. I may try some different heater arrangements, like DC, or maybe a hum balance. But all in all, the fact that it works is an accomplishment!  And, no smoke!