bentonar18 wrote:...but I've never heard anyone say they had to reflow any of his work.
I would posit that people buying a pre-soldered board probably don't know any better. That's why they are buying a pre-assembled board.
I was looking at the boards presented at the website for various amps and that looks like their preferred method of soldering. Different strokes, eh?
Why does it have to be Mil Spec? It is an audio amplifier not a guided missile controller. Why would Nik waste time and labor to make it Mil Spec? If it is reliable and sounds good who cares?
Sorry to have upset anyone. My bad. Gosh, why not just use better soldering? It's not that difficult.
MilSpec? It's just the way I learned some 30+ years ago. The objective isn't just a pretty solder joint, it's a joint that's easy to inspect and has solid mechanical and electrical integrity. Many people that apply MilSpec principles (that is not to say that every joint is top quality MilSpec) tend to show a little pride in their work. Sorry to have ruffled your feathers. Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
George (Zippy), I used to solder for military applications 20+ years ago (Torpedos etc.). I know what you mean about the soldering. I have to admit in the last year or so, since I have been building amps, I started soldering with solder crowns in the turrets myself. I think it looks cool. It doesn't negatively affect the joint and it makes it easy to tack a piece in there for tweaking. Funny as it sounds, I started doing it from looking at nik's pictures I built a kit from Nik for my first. Oh well.....Maybe Nik does it for the same reason I do now.
Zippy wrote:Sorry to have upset anyone. My bad. Gosh, why not just use better soldering? It's not that difficult.
MilSpec? It's just the way I learned some 30+ years ago. The objective isn't just a pretty solder joint, it's a joint that's easy to inspect and has solid mechanical and electrical integrity. Many people that apply MilSpec principles (that is not to say that every joint is top quality MilSpec) tend to show a little pride in their work. Sorry to have ruffled your feathers. Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
I assure you I am not upset nor are my feathers ruffled. Unfortunately we are stuck with the limitations of BBS communications.
I was, however, trying to point out that it is not necessary to make a simple audio amplifier into a milspec item. The extra attention to detail could make or break his price point and affect the viability of his business. When YOU are building one-offs you can afford to do that. When trying to produce large quantities you have to consider price points and your competition and many other things. Nik provides a GREAT product for a GOOD price. The shipping is not under his control! It need only be neat, reliable and tonefull!
You know George, we've all seen your type on this or other bulletin boards. You whole purpose is to politely start arguments and to keep a pissing match going with your "I was just talking about true MilSPec" or whatever.
Point is, you really don't have a purpose other than to start crap. Don't try to deny it. We've all seen your type and can smell you coming a mile away.
You will do us all a favor by going somewhere else where you and your like can argue among yourselves.
fzfwyv wrote:You know George, we've all seen your type on this or other bulletin boards. You whole purpose is to politely start arguments and to keep a pissing match going with your "I was just talking about true MilSPec" or whatever.
I think you may need to take a couple steps back. You are making a lot of assumptions about Zippy, who as far as his posts here are concerned, doesn't seem to be starting anything. He just asked a question and stated an opinion, and several other people then stated their opinions. No reason to get excited, and no reason to make it more than it is, which is a simple discussion on soldering technique and Ceriatone kits.
um.... heh. well i gotta say i like to prototype as much as the next guy but a kit is kind of attractive if it isn't overly expensive....having said that i HAVE NEVER MET AN AMP I DIDN"T JUST have to tweak; " cause turning the knobs just don't get it!" where's that soldering iron and those extra capacitors and resistors ...swap swap swap hehe.
fzfwyv wrote:Point is, you really don't have a purpose other than to start crap. Don't try to deny it. We've all seen your type and can smell you coming a mile away.
Rich, you could be more wrong about me but you'd have to try really hard.
Go away? Thanks, but this is a public forum and I won't go away just because you have some flawed concept that everybody has to be so politically correct that we cannot have an opinion that contrasts yours. That just isn't healthy.
Maybe "MilSpec" is an ugly word to you. If so, I apologize (again) for not knowing that would set you off. The military is where I learned to solder and much more. The Vietnam Era GI Bill helped pay my way through college.
Let's try and keep things civil here. The problem with non-verbal communication is that sometimes intent can be misinterpreted. I try to remain hands off with matters like this, but I don't want the image of the board to be hostile.
And as for asking someone to leave the forum, make no mistake that as owner of the board, I will be the judge on who gets banned from the board.
Funny as it sounds, I started doing it from looking at nik's pictures 
I built a kit from Nik for my first. Oh well.....Maybe Nik does it for the same reason I do now.
