of switched capacitors enables you
to modify the basic 20 Hz - 30 kHz
response. Maximum gain is about
100, with a maximum draw of about
11 mA at 9V. The diminutive preamp
is just a little larger than a magnetic
guitar pickup.
Instead of designing an amplifier
from scratch, I invested my time in
integrating the amplifier into my
electric guitar. After routing my
solid-body traveler guitar body with
two cavities — one for the amplifier
and one for the 9V battery holder — I
coated each cavity with conductive
paint. Next, I mounted the board and
battery holder, and added an on-off
switch in series with the 9V supply.
As with most well-designed and
documented kits, the preamp lends
itself to modification. I couldn't resist
modifying the input high- and low-pass filter circuits and adjusting the
tube plate voltage to get more of a
vintage sound from the preamp.
The take-away is that kits are an
affordable, low-risk, fun way to learn
about and experience electronics.
Several kit companies regularly
advertise in Nuts & Volts, and we
offer kits from some of our authors
in the Nuts & Volts website.
If you're new to kits or simply
haven't put one together in a while,
this is a great time to try your hand
at one.
NV
New Soldering Tip
Recycling Program
Cooper Tools has
a new recycling
program for worn-out soldering tips. By
recycling the copper
and iron from used
tips, end-users will be able to make a
solid contribution towards helping
the environment and preserving its
natural resources. Plus, for every two
pounds of worn-out tips turned in
for recycling, Cooper Tools will offer
a $75 voucher to be used towards
the purchase of new Weller® tips.
Any brand of soldering or desoldering
tip is eligible for this recycling
program, including tips from any
other manufacturer.
A free tip recycling/shipping box
is available from Cooper Tools to
make collecting old tips easy and
convenient. The box can be shipped
to Cooper Tools in return for the
$75 Weller voucher once it's full or
reaches two pounds in weight. To
request a tip recycling box or to get
information about any Weller product, contact a participating Weller
distributor or call Cooper Tools at
(866) 498-0484. You can also
email Weller Technical Services at
weller-na@cooperindustries.com.
"Cooper Tools is committed to
supporting actions that help protect
our environment," said Glenn
Schindo, director of marketing and
sales for Weller."This new program
gives our customers the opportunity
to conserve natural resources while
decreasing their operational costs
associated with purchasing soldering
tips."
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