Hello all from jersey

NeilP

Hi everyone.

I was directed here after shorting the output of my Claymore IncaTech and blowing the RH channel ( more requests for help on that in a later thread) 

The shorting incident was caused by me crawling behind the HiFi/Computer stack in the living room, a device that was not plugged in to the X10 controller power bar ( so it was still turned on), and the 24 inch PC screen falling on my head and giving me a black eye...a fund day in all.

Anyway, I did a bit of searching for a schematic, came across the name Colin Wonfor on another forum,  e-mailed him and he helped me out and directed me here.

So if I start pestereing you all with inane questions..you only have Colin to blame    

My Inca Tech was my second amp, bought back in 1988 from Rayleigh Hifi in Chelmsford while I was at college there.  Recently it has been used as a phono stage and analogue input selector for a Sony 'LISSA' system with only one analogue input.

The Sony amp output relays have started sticking in the last few years, requiring a sharp tap with anything heavy to get the left channel running, the Mini Disk had a disk stuck in it of the last year, we never used the CD player (CD's ripped to Mac), and the receiver did not work due to a poor antenna.

So all in all the system needed an upgrade, and until the moment yesterday when I shorted the Claymore output, the Claymore was going to be the heart of the system once more, well i buggered that idea up   X(

I was just going to have my Rega P3 turntable, and three analogue inputs from;  TV, Mac and Sky box.

Well that all went out the window when I went to town yesterday, walked in to the local Hifi store, and within 8 minutes had purchased an ex demo yamaha RX-V771 for £400.  No research, no auditions, or comparing spec and ummming and ahing over what to buy, walked in there it was..it had all that I wanted ( a phono stage ).  

May have made a mistake..time and listening will tell, but it was there, the only one in the window, it had a phono stage and network connection, and the price seemed good.  i was expecting to pay £1000 or more.  I needed an amp  NOW  so bought it.

Need to go out and buy some HDMI and optical cable this morning, and do doubt will be back here later when I cant get the thing to do what I want.

A hell of a steep learnign curve setting up compared to the Inca Tech !!

A bit about me:

live in jersey

ex farmer

now flying the local Jersey Ambulance service medivac aircraft

Interested include computers (building repairing/making NAS boxes etc)

Metal detecting (rare now my mate found it all a few weeks ago  biggest hoard in Europe they reckon)

building high power Electric bicycles 

Guess i stop waffling now and go and but these cables

Regards

Neil

Alan

Hi Neil, and welcome! What an interesting first post, if I may say.

I do hope the Yamaha amp proves it's worth, as I understand the old Claymores are pretty hard to beat and had a lovely phono stage...

Are there many HiFi nuts on Jersey? Not that there are many flying medics, electric cycle builders or metal detectorists...

NeilP

Hi Alan,
There is still I believe a local HiFi music club, that I remember going to once when I was about 18 or so and listening to stuff like Statua Quo or Iron Maiden and the like, the Beethoven they were playing did not really appeal to me so never went back. From what I gather it is more of a classic music listening type club rather than a 'system' type technical club.

Still not been out to get the new cables, been tinkering with FM patch leads, but it must be the communial antenna system at fault, can't even get the local stations in more than crackly mono, and the transmitter is only 5 or 6 miles away

Docfoster

Neil, best opening post eva...!
Welcome.
I have a claymore. Tho' it hasn't seen much action recently. As I've explained to Colin - I'm holding on to it to give to my son when he's a bit older (hopefully both channels functioning!)

NeilP

Thanks

Doc..I do tend to waffle on a bit sometimes.

Got the new HDMI and cables for the beast of an AV amp.

Just cant get the bloody thing to select TV when the TV mode is selected.  Possibly a compatibility issue with the Panasonic TV ..they are probably not compatible.

Doing a firmware update of the amp now.

Now I have this AV receiver, the need for fixing the Claymore immediately has abated, so I guess it is going to end up in the back of the cupboard for now ill I can find time to look at it.  

I sheared the on my e-bike last month, 14kW through it at peak for the last 6000 miles has taken its toll .  I have a piece of steel in the lathe at the moment, just waiting for a tool to arrive from the UK to knurl sone splines on to it..then there is the Harley to rebuild ...too many jobs....  

Alan

That's not such a bad list of jobs, as far as lists of jobs go!

It may be a little off topic, but do you have any pictures of your bikes? They sound most interesting.

NeilP

Not uploaded anywhere, that you can get to definetly

but take a look at a few of the other bikes built by guys on the Endless sphere e-bike forum or the Facebook group

http://www.facebook.com/groups/125035107565566/photos/

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=6

Am struggling with getting this bloody over complicated AV amp setup at the moment.  that is the good thing with my job..I am working today, but only get to actually fly of there is a medivac emergency..

would post here ..but a bit tied up ..literally ..with HDMIO and component video cables at the moment

Docfoster

Thanks

Doc..I do tend to waffle on a bit sometimes.

Got the new HDMI and cables for the beast of an AV amp.

Just cant get the bloody thing to select TV when the TV mode is selected.  Possibly a compatibility issue with the Panasonic TV ..they are probably not compatible.

Doing a firmware update of the amp now.

Now I have this AV receiver, the need for fixing the Claymore immediately has abated, so I guess it is going to end up in the back of the cupboard for now ill I can find time to look at it.  

I sheared the on my e-bike last month, 14kW through it at peak for the last 6000 miles has taken its toll .  I have a piece of steel in the lathe at the moment, just waiting for a tool to arrive from the UK to knurl sone splines on to it..then there is the Harley to rebuild ...too many jobs....  

I have no experience of AV receivers.
I do know it's worth perservering with HDMI it is the best way to transfer the signal by a miliion miles. HDMI video is superb.
Sorry if this is teaching granny to suck eggs, but what resolution can your HDTV accept...? If the signal is 1080p and your TV can only manage 720p that may be an issue. Are there settings that you can play about with on the receiver for video resolution?
Also, are your HDMI cables 1.3 or better...? I had a problem when I bought my HD projector that my (old) HDMI cable was not capable of transmitting HD signal over my required distance. Which was a bit annoying, although easily solved.
TBH, it's probably something simpler...
Good luck...

NeilP

TV is all the way up to 1080i and 1080p, so that is OK..I had to look up what that meant too just now.

No idea what the cables are.  When I went in to buy one this morning, the bloke was talking about 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5..but since we were talking lengths as much as anything ..he only had 2 meter in stock..I thought he was talking about length, not spec!!  

Well i did get an inkling that it may have been a spec ..but I just took what ever he had to do the job..seems to work OK.

Not many inputs anyway:

Apple TV

Panasonic DVD/HDD player

Sky box is connected via S-video and analogue audio..no HDMI and the Scarts are used to daisy chain in a video player to transfer vids to the DVD.

MD player connected via analogue, since it does nto have a digital output of any sort..only digital input for recording.  MD is only staying as long as it takes to copy about 15 70 minute MD's to the Mac.

Amp is a bit overkill for my setup, but as I said earlier, i bought it in a snap  decision.  Wanted to try Surround sound, the amp had phono input, and newtork ability to play FLAC files from my NAS4Free homemade NAS server that does DLNA

Brumjam

Hi Neil and welcome to Audiochews.  The HDMI spec 1.3 is non-3D compliant, 1.4 is 3D compliant.  1.5 so far as I'm aware doesn't exist. HDMI 1.3 is perfectly fine for normal DVD and Blu Ray viewing at resolutions up to and including 1080p.  Here is a link to some yawn inducing information on the various HDMI specs:

http://www.easylifesolutions.eu/blog/cable/hdmi-standards/

There shouldn't be any compatibility issues connecting your new amp to a Panasonic TV.  I've read your posts above but am not clear on what the issue is - if you get time can you reply with what the problem is and I might be able to help you.  Are you trying to go Sky box to amp to TV?

Cheers,

James

Docfoster

I'll step aside for James...

NeilP

What I am getting at is the Audio Return Circuit  ARC

The TV does not have either audio out on the HDMI, at least not that I can find, neither does it have optical digital audio out. It only has a standard 2 channel audio out.

I was having difficulty finding at way from the 'instruction manual' to get the correct audio channel associated with the TV analogue audio out, switching on when the TV was selected in TV mode.

The amp has 2 x Audio only channels, so I have put TV out on one and the Mini Disc on the other.

Finally got it operational, but ot thanks to the manual.

I did have 2 x Scart cables running to the TV (VCR and Sky box) , plus component and audio (Apple TV) , a feed from the Windows PC to the PC input, HDMI from the DVD/HDD box, and HDMI from the Mac, plus a return audio to the amp...All 5 meter cables ,,thick chunky ones as well, when 2 meter cables would have been adequate.

I now have a single HDMI up, and a the audio back down...removed all the XS cables and can now push the unit 6 inches close to the wall.

Also removed the Claymore, the three Sony separates (amp, cd and md) and the Tascam studio tape deck

Kept the VCR, for transferring old tapes to DVD, that is connected direct to AV1 input of the DVD, and that connects to the AV amp direct.

 Had no longer any need for two separate,switching units for switching  between sources when recording and listening..That was the main let down of the Sony LISSA system..only one analogue input..hence the analogue switching units and the Claymore to use its phono pre amp stage.

The tascam tape deck was there mainly for level balancing , nice VU meters and real knobs on the front.

Got rid of the PC, too.  a major slimming down of the system..with no noticeable difference in usability.  in fact the audio path was so torturous, the girlfriend frequently gave up on listening to anything and used to listen to a battery powered portable CD player .  Hopefully she will get the hang of this amp and it 'Scene' feature.

Alan, are you planning on buidling an electric bike yourself?..remember the official legal UK limit is 250W, Pedal asist, and 15mph.  Mine at peaks output of 14,000Watt and 55mph, with a throttle, was probably pushing the limits a little   )...just wait till the mark II gets built..pushing the voltage up from 84 volts to 134, 

This woudl increase the speed, so i am using a smaller diameter wheel, to bring the speed down a bit, well down to 50 or so..but increase the torque and acceleration  

Brain_Dead

Hi Neil,

You got here at last, see PM.

What type of electric motor are you using on the bike?

Best Col

NeilP

got PM, thanks

the motors are brushless DC motors (BLDC0 basically PWM DC '3 phase' 

my motor is a Crystalyte 5304..also have a wider stator motor the 54xx series, coming in a slower winding..less coils per stator.

Basically a scaled up CD drive motor,  

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/store_motors.php

If you have the cash to spare, save building one.buy a ready made 'Stealth Bomber' or 'Figher'..not quite as powerful as my bike, but they do have full suspension..but they are big money..think of figures around 10,000 euro.

http://stealthelectricbikes.com.au/bomber.html

PAC

Welcome Neil

I lived and worked on Jersey 1989 to 1990 and still have very fond memories of it.  Lovely place to live providing a few breaks were taken off the island now and again!  Always remember that the eating out was fabulous and the fishing great!

NeilP

As you say as long as you can get off every now and then.

Not done any fishing or boating in years now..just too expensive and time consuming.

What were you doing over here?

uglymusic

Welcome Neil

Wow! A whole thread I know very little about.

I'll sit back and leave you in the hands of those wot know ;-)

Brain_Dead

got PM, thanks

the motors are brushless DC motors (BLDC0 basically PWM DC '3 phase' 

my motor is a Crystalyte 5304..also have a wider stator motor the 54xx series, coming in a slower winding..less coils per stator.

Basically a scaled up CD drive motor,  

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/store_motors.php

If you have the cash to spare, save building one.buy a ready made 'Stealth Bomber' or 'Figher'..not quite as powerful as my bike, but they do have full suspension..but they are big money..think of figures around 10,000 euro.

http://stealthelectricbikes.com.au/bomber.html

Nice, I had to design one a few year ago that weighed 10Kgs and was 220mm dia and went from a stop to 100K RPM in a vacuum with mag bearings in less than 30sec, scary things.

NeilP

Mag bearings..vacuum..what was that for?something very special I imagine.

These are very basic 'agricultural spec' chinese made motors.

The first one i received, was so badly machined hat the bearings in the outer casing, were so tight that they did not run free,

I had to remove the bearings and remove a thou or so to get the correct interference fit to allow the bearings to run free

Brain_Dead

It was a centrifuge, the air molecules at that speed damages metal and glass so in a vacuum, there was 13 of them in a big circular construction about 2.5M across. The motors run on a 6 phase 115V  with flat PCB coils and rare earth magnets.The gap between coils and magnets was about 0.05mm, the magnet bearing used also rare earth material and were f-beep-g dreadful to fit as the magnets would jump about a meter to stick to filling cabinets, were they stayed and a mole grip joined them later in attempt to remove the magnets, a young engineer lost his mole grips he he.

The gyroscopic effect was amazing when started out of order as the table tried to twist a 80mm stand bearing bar.

NeilP

That sounds a bit more power than we have on our bikes.  a lot more refined..

Took the back of the Claymore just now

Serial number on the back 84606

Would be nice to see a thread with all the Claymore mods in one place, I have been trawling the Pink Fish forum but have not come up with much so far.  Will keep looking, and maybe create a thread with all the links in one place

Alan

What a great idea. Can I sugget you send a PM to Paul Quick (or perhaps Colin could do it) as he has a lot of experience modding these. He goes under the name quickie, and is a really super chap.

uglymusic

I'd like to see some information pages here - not just on the Claymore.

I wonder if I should think about installing a wiki? Has anyone here used one? How do people feel about putting information into a wiki?

NeilP

Yes, I have heard of Paul, through the forums and Paul, but despite the mention of him, there does nto seem to be much direct info on threads I have found so far, searching for Claymore and IncaTech

I went through al the results and cut/pasted all the relevant info i can find to a local document here,, but not a much as I would have hoped on the first search.

Really need a list of mods on the first page, followed my individual posts for each mod

I'll start a new thread now and pm Paul with the link

uglymusic

Forget about the wiki idea for the moment. Don't let me hold everyone up. Just go ahead with the thread.

Quickie has been a bit quiet recently, but we do follow each other on Facebook, so I could contact him there if you like.

NeilP

Yes I agree. ..well depends..how easy is it to enable on the forum software?

If it can be enabled, then if it could be done with no public link to start with, we ( I) could start putting a few bits on it as the thread develops, then make it 'live with a public link from the forum later?

http://www.audiochews.com/index.php?p=/discussion/799/inca-tech-claymore-mods-and-repair-thread

uglymusic

The main question, as far as I'm concerned, is to find a way that the Chews login applies to the wiki as well. They can't be two separate things.

I'll have a look later - probably this evening - and see what I can come up with.

NeilP

Ok, yes, I see what you are getting at, but what i was saying was  that you could perhaps enable it ( the wiki) but not publish a link to it on any of the pages, so it is there , but no one can log on ..unless you send them a direct link to it.

uglymusic

I'd want the information to freely available as part of Chews and on the audiochews.com domain. The more information Google can see on this domain, the better we perform for search and the more Chews grows.

I imagine we'd be able to restrict access in the early stages when the info is being shaped, but then an open wiki page allows everyone to collaborate and share their information.

PAC

 Neil Wrote:

As you say as long as you can get off every now and then.

Not done any fishing or boating in years now..just too expensive and time consuming.

What were you doing over here?

I was a project engineer working on site at St Saviours Hospital and also at the Bellozanne STW for a company called Halcrow.  We were providing new sewage treatment facilities for Jersey at the time so the rock face blasting and new works in the valley plus the UV disinfection plant and sludge treatment were all things I had a hand in designing and supervising.  Not glamorous I know!

NeilP

Ah yes, I know the area..i occasionally drive skip trucks to supplement my income, so am often down at Bellozanne