Group Buy '16: Dreadnought Avel Lindberg 1000VA Isolation Transformers

I'm talking with Vr3 mods right now to get new Satin finish terminal cups with the Neutrik connection.

http://vr3mods.com/Home.php

H9

What do you use the other poles for? Leave them unused?

(4) 4 pole male connectors; (2) 4 pole female connectors and (2) gaskets

Amazon is $69.02 with free Prime shipping

Parts Express is $35.25 w/shipping for the exact same items!!!

Holy Cow, I'm glad I shopped around. Only thing is for the Parts Express order it doesn't say anywhere if the Female connector is size "D" to fit the chassis of the case.

H9

Dumb question, but do the Neutrik female connectors come with screws? Or de we need to source those as well?

Thanks guys, see this is why I wanted a detailed write up. I had no idea we'd need these little things as I've never done one before. I don't happen to have some of this stuff around.

Any other little tid bits you can remember

...I can see that I ended up purchasing both 3/8" & 5/16" bolts to test for my preferred fit--I'll see if I can ascertain which diameter "the loser" ended up being.

Edit: Caliper appears to show I've got a pair of 3/8" bolts that I did *NOT* use, which would indicate I went with the 5/16". Can any past Dreadnought builder confirm this?

I'm laughing at how invested I am in this, since mine's been done for a couple years...

I'm going to open mine up and get some answers....

OK: I've taken a few (cellphone) photos which I hope are helpful.

Here's just a shot of my opened case, freshly retrieved from in between my 2BTLs. Others have twisted the matched wires--looks like I did not.



A closeup of one of two wires-to-Neutrik connections. Colors are harder to make out on this pic, but (Blue/Violet) are paired as are (Brown/Grey). I crimped both into female connector (yellow plastic) and hit the connection with some Cardas QE solder to boot.



The other side. (Red/Yellow) and (Orange/Black). If you look at other builds you'll notice that I used different tabs on the Neutrik than suggested by Jesse (F1nut) and perhaps others--This is because of the choices I made on where to solder my wires into the 4-pole Neutrik NLT4FX-BAG connectors I used on my cables. You'll need to match *your* choices made in the cables. You need continuity from transformer wiring to Neutrik to SDA cable to Neutrik to your speaker's internal SDA connections (I'm assuming you're going Neutrik on both ends)--or no worky. With the female disconnects, it's easy to choose which tabs to connect inside the transformer case. You've clamped and/or soldered your SDA cables, so no choices there. If you're using 2-pole Neutrik, a bit less to ponder. The screw/nut you see is the hardware holding the Neutrik NL4MP-UC to the case. You have to drill two holes for each side.



Just a quick shot to show the 'washer sandwich' I made. All stainless. Fender washer, lock washer, nut. On the outside of the case I threaded another fender washer on the bolt before starting it in the hole in the case that Larry thoughtfully predrilled. (He probably just bribed a robot laser to do it)



The money shot, as it were: Proof that I used a 5/16" stainless bolt. No way is a 3/8" fitting in that hole (this transformer is potted through the middle).

F1nut wrote: »

Brock, do you want one of us to come and hold your hand?

No Jesse, but Jay's tutorial and pics have been extremely helpful. That's the kind of thing we do around here. Help each other out, make suggestions, share experiences, etc.

Sorry I've never built one before and many here have. I didn't think asking for advice was going to be such a pain in your azz.

Thanks Jay, you've been extremely helpful. Now I don't have to order all these parts separately as I run into issues.

H9

Please realize that I didn't do a single unique thing in my build--I just thought I'd transfer some of the practices I got from people who got in on group buy #1 (I was 2nd wave, the "scuba" one. Hmm. Wonder if he got in on this group buy?).

Still worth your while to find/go through those older build threads (DK's, F1's). Most have used Dynamat in their cases. Still on the to-do list for me.

Good job on all of this GB's participants: No one got banned this time!

Hey @heiney9 isn't the ONLY one benefitting from all of this. He's just the one asking the questions. I've never done this before either and obviously we aren't alone in this.

Check out Performance Audio

http://www.performanceaudio.com/

They have all the Neutrik connectors and they have a very good price on Canare 4S11 cable if you haven't decided on what cabling to use with your Dreadnought. I have used Canare before and currently use it in my office rig. It's damn good stuff and many manufacturer's, whom I won't mention, use this exact cable and put sheathing over it w/their own name on it and mark it up 10-20 times.

$49 or more spent = free shipping. I have bought from them before and they are solid.

Just another alternative.

H9

Just an FYI,

Parts Express carries the Gold, insolated disconnects for the lugs on the Neutrik female connectors on the tranny case.

http://www.parts-express.com/gold-12-10-awg-0187-female-disconnect-5-pair--095-808

H9