Carver amp for The Ark.... worklog.

[Beat_Dominator 5,000+ posts]

Well I was searching everywhere for an amp the would give me over 800x1 RMS for my HT woofer project. I really wanted an amp with a passive cooling solution, but the ones available with the kind of power I wanted were out of my budget.

My solution is in the form of a Carver PM-900 amp. It is a live sound amp by design, but I hope to tweak it into a quiet HT amp for my passive sub. I went with Carver because the amp in my car that powers my components is a Carver made in '87 and it sounds very very nice. If something that old can work so well..... then you have a customer for life..... even though Carver is closing down //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

This thread will be my worklog of the mods I do to the amp. If possible I will upgrade some of the capacitors and eliminate the fan completely..... if it still runs too hot at the least I will put in a MUCH more quiet fan than the stocker (it sounds like crap).

Here are some pics......

Teh GiZuts.

EWWW a fan!!

Ummm, yeah that's a DOMED cap.... deffinately going to replace that one.

#169 made in May 1990.

Let the strip-down and modding begin!

FET action.

Click to read more...

 

[Worlddre 5,000+ posts]

looks sexy i wanna see the ark itself

 

[bimma85 5,000+ posts]

interested in a c1 to match? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

shibby. ill have to come over for a listen,. when its all done

 

[Beat_Dominator 5,000+ posts]

interested in a c1 to match? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

Only if it's free? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

 

[bimma85 5,000+ posts]

Only if it's free? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

Eh, nope //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif.

Still would have my m1.5t if I wasnt strapped for cash last year //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif. Oh well....sold it for 4x what I paid for both //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif.

Gl with the install.

 

[Beat_Dominator 5,000+ posts]

I almost had my hands on a Hafler 9000 but the guy wanted $700 and I was like.... "let's not go broke today" //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[joetama 5,000+ posts]

Hafler's are pretty good, they are tanks...

 

[Beat_Dominator 5,000+ posts]

Update on this project: Replaced the resevoire caps with computer-grade 10,000uF units. Pulled out that domed cap (it actually was split and leaking on the bottom..pwned by eBay //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif ) Ordered a bunch of replacement capacitors for the rest of the amp and have 20 rectifier diodes as well as one was split.

My soldering skills aren't as bad as I feared so I should have that stuff done in the next few weeks.

 

[btnhfan 5,000+ posts]

More pics!

 

[Beat_Dominator 5,000+ posts]

Sheesh ok, I had the faceplate all painted up and then I found out that the paint needs like 5 days to cure, so the back side got an impression on it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/furious.gif.fc81ca146dbff91fede3ed290dbc4f4c.gif

Now I have to sand that one side down and repaint //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[Beat_Dominator 5,000+ posts]

A few weeks did I say? I meant a month //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

I replaced all the junk tonight. Now all I need to do is get some Arctic Silver (that's thermal paste for you non-computer modders) so that those FET's stay nice and cool //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Before the Soldering...

After with shiny new caps //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Johnny Drama 5,000+ posts]

I havent got to see the ark yet...post pics //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Beat_Dominator 5,000+ posts]

Not yet, slow going with the heat so high //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[Johnny Drama 5,000+ posts]

Not yet, slow going with the heat so high //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

Dam...PM me a link when you do put up pics //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Or post then on SSA and Ill see them.