The Dynaco Tube Audio Forum

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The Dynaco Tube Audio Forum

Dedicated to the restoration and preservation of all original Dynaco tube audio equipment - Customer support for Tubes4hifi VTA tube amp and preamp kits and all Dynakitparts.com products


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pedrocols
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Bob Latino
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    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120"

    Bob Latino
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    • Post n°1

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" Empty Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120"

    Post by Bob Latino Fri Feb 06, 2015 8:36 pm

    This custom VTA ST-120 was built by Andy J. of Illinois. I have never seen a custom ST-120 built like this .. Kind of a "sideways ST-120" with a number of custom features .. Looks like an aluminum chassis ..

    Nice job Andy ..

    Bob

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" 01_zps6ab92974

    with custom made top cover ..

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" 02_zps8cddd0c2

    Bottom view

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" 03_zps1cf726b1



    Last edited by Bob Latino on Fri Feb 06, 2015 8:44 pm; edited 1 time in total
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    tonebells
    tonebells
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    • Post n°2

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" Empty Re: Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120"

    Post by tonebells Fri Feb 06, 2015 8:42 pm

    That is one cool looking amp!
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    • Post n°3

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" Empty Re: Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120"

    Post by Guest Fri Feb 06, 2015 9:28 pm

    now that IS different!!!!...I likes it!!
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    pedrocols
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    Posts : 162
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    Location : Western MA
    • Post n°4

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" Empty Re: Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120"

    Post by pedrocols Sat Feb 07, 2015 1:45 pm

    The sky is the limit!
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    sKiZo
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    Location : Michigan USA
    • Post n°5

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" Empty Re: Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120"

    Post by sKiZo Sat Feb 07, 2015 6:35 pm

    I swear ... why people can't just leave well enough alone ...  ;-}

    Really nice features ... would have never thought of spinning the heavy iron sideways. Tucks in right neat.

    PS ... I THOUGHT that pre section looked familiar ...

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" Grace_m903_headphone_amp_dac
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    tajanes
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    • Post n°6

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" Empty thanks to Bob for providing a great amp, and a lot of advise

    Post by tajanes Sat Feb 07, 2015 7:25 pm


    Its been a fun project (still looking for my source of 60 cycle hum...) but I wanted to build a chassis that 'fits' with/on my acurus 150 for down the road if I want to biamp - tube for mid and high and the acurus for the bass, so I wanted a 17 in wide low profile tube amp- and what the heck...

    The pre is a Grace DAC/pre, I stream to an appleTV and the Grace takes toslink in, I'd recommend this set up to anyone (I understand the new Grace is even better)

    And if there are any old race fans out there, that's Gulf racing blue and orange...

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" Af7eVW1

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    tajanes
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    • Post n°7

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" Empty I found the source of the hum

    Post by tajanes Sun Feb 08, 2015 11:38 am

    (error between keyboard and computer....)
    I revisited the underside of my amp and found two wires from the power transformer that I had not twisted, did so and rerouted and reconnected.  A 60cycle hum - should be a clue.  Hope this helps someone- its frustrating trying to find the source, but its all good now !
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    • Post n°8

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" Empty Re: Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120"

    Post by Dogstar Sun Feb 08, 2015 3:46 pm

    Interesting looking build design...I like it.
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    Maintarget
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    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" Empty Re: Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120"

    Post by Maintarget Sun Feb 08, 2015 6:50 pm

    I knew there was something more to this awesome build that deep down I liked, My All time Favorite car, race car, racing legend "GT 40 Ford" I even had the metal embossed lunch box in grade school in the early 60s, great job!!
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    Bob Latino
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    • Post n°10

    Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120" Empty Re: Interesting looking custom VTA ST-120 - The "Sideways ST-120"

    Post by Bob Latino Sun Feb 08, 2015 7:48 pm

    tajanes wrote:(error between keyboard and computer....)
    I revisited the underside of my amp and found two wires from the power transformer that I had not twisted, did so and rerouted and reconnected.  A 60cycle hum - should be a clue.  Hope this helps someone- its frustrating trying to find the source, but its all good now !

    Twisting wires that are carrying AC current is a must when building tube gear. When you twist two wires together the two wires are always at right angles to each other and any interaction between the two wires (to cause any 60 Hz hum) is almost zero. People bitch all the time about the Dynaco ST-70 (as well as the VTA ST-70 and ST-120) having the input jacks on the front of the amp - SO - some go through the bother of drilling holes on the rear face of the amp and installing new input jacks on the rear face. Then they run long wires to the new rear face input jacks and sometimes even twisting the (now a longer run of) wires from the driver board to the new input jacks does not total zero out wire interaction - AND - now the amp has a little hum. My usual suggestion for a solution is to run shielded cable around the two sides of the chassis (keeping the wires away from the power transformer) from the driver board to the new input jacks on the rear face. This does seem to work and the amp's hum level is now very low again.

    Bob
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