New product - VTA driver board cover (photo)

Got the cover installed and couldn't be happier!  I've posted some pictures below.

A couple of notes - the cover is designed to fit flush with the chassis and as has been indicated, all the large caps have to be located on the bottom of the PCB.  Additionally, on my unit C11 and C12 were probably .15" or so above the top of the chassis as well.  

In lieu of moving them to the bottom of the board, I simply sourced some 3/4" #4-40 bolts from my local hardware store and some .197" #4-40 hex nut spacers from Amazon (100 of them!).  The original 1/2" 4-40 bolts holding the PCB had two nuts acting as spacers between the bottom of the chassis top and the PCB.  I removed those and replaced them with the new .197" spacers and also placed spacers on top between the chassis and the plexi cover.  This gave me exactly the clearance I needed and looks attractive.  I reused the locking nuts on the bottom of the PCB.

IF ANYONE WANTS TO DO THIS - I HAVE 92 .197" #4-40 SPACERS REMAINING AND I'D BE HAPPY TO JUST MAIL YOU 8 OF THEM FREE OF CHARGE, JUST PM ME.

(also, if anyone is interested in a McShane matched quad of Gold Lion KT-88's, I posted some for sale in the sticky for it...)

That looks very nice s1. Nice work. Curious to know if the glow from the tubes in a dark room gets picked up by the cover and conducts/provides any added visual affect?

Ordered a set with Roy today for the 2 m125s. I'll post some pics once they're installed.

if i had a stereo 70  i would def order one it looks really sharp and keeps the dust out .

jasn54 wrote:That looks very nice s1.  Nice work.  Curious to know if the glow from the tubes in a dark room gets picked up by the cover and conducts/provides any added visual affect?

Does't really do that, I'm sure if the 12AU7's had a bit more "glow" like, say, some 6922's it would. I couldn't be happier with how it came together though.

Everything lines (holes) up nicely, they are crystal clear (not a scratch/mark on them) and look great. You'll need 5/8" or 3/4" 4 40 screws to allow for the extra 1/8" thickness of the cover. Had to tilt back a couple of components very slightly to allow for space.

nice photos Claude, thanks
BTW, a pair of covers for the M125 amps is $55 including shipping in USA.
For ST70 or ST120 amps, $45 including shipping.
I don't stock these, custom made to order as needed.
send me an email or PM to order, and payment via PayPal

Thank you Roy. Forgot to mention, if anyone is using the adapter to mess around with the 6sn7 tubes, the cover does not get in the way. The sockets are perfectly flush with the top of the cover. See here:

I wish they had 4 holes for the ST-120 standing topside capacitors too

Cletus,
then you'd have a whole lot of holes and not much plexiglass !! kind of a waste. Move the caps to the underside of the PCB.

tubes4hifi wrote:Cletus,
then you'd have a whole lot of holes and not much plexiglass !!   kind of a waste.   Move the caps to the underside of the PCB.

I really want one but with the additional holes for the four standing electrolytic capacitors. Let me know price please (no VTX etc engraving)

Interested in the acrylic covers for my M125's if available with cap holes?

Do these covers help with heat dissipation on the top of the unit? Do they help keep the innards of the chassis cooler?
I don't need to ask if they are about the coolest looking thing to add to an amp- anyone can see that!

It arrived today, and I'm pretty damned happy with my Acrylic Cover (4-holes for the standing caps)

WireNut,
if anything, things will run hotter not cooler since you're covering up most of the board.

Cletus,
great photo, looks great, now you just need to keep your fingers away from those HOT output tubes !!

Thanks Roy!   ...it certainly lends a nice "finish" to the amplifier.
I can detect no increase in running temps with my FLIR thermal imager.
No need to touch the amp at all, system power (on and off) is via voice commands to "Alexa"

has anyone made a polycarbonate cage for the st 70?

Are driver board covers for the M125 available today?  I see from the web site they are out of stock for the ST70, but see no  mention of the 125.  When will they be available and how do I get them?

tubes4hifi wrote:Cletus,
then you'd have a whole lot of holes and not much plexiglass !!   kind of a waste.   Move the caps to the underside of the PCB.

I'm a tiny bit concerned those caps will bake faster under the chassis, with no ventilation. Less exposure to tube heat though. Visually, I prefer them below deck. I preemptively built my second M125 board with the caps underside, with the cover in mind. I suppose I'd have to run the amps with temperature probes above and below to answer my concern.

I can have clear acrylic covers made for the M125 amps anytime, would be better if several people wanted to order to maybe lower the price about 10%.
Cost would be around $55-60 per pair including shipping. Email me to order or get on a list.
info@tubes4hifi.com

I'm ordering 3 pairs of M125 plexi covers, for sale to interested people for $55 a pair with shipping. $10 more if you need the big cap holes on top.
email me or check my MK3 page

Will moving the caps to the bottom on the M125s cause an issue if installing auto bias boards in the future
Thanks

Also comparing my board to the board in the earlier post they appear to be different.
Will the covers even work to cover my board.
Thanks

ranges, you have an older board, so a custom board would need to be made to fit yours.
Also, you'd need all the holes on top for large components, because the auto-bias mounts 3/4" below the driver board.