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After about a year of work, I've finally finished redesigning the PCB layout for the original T2. The new layout supports several different active battery implementations, as well as multiple CCS options, making it much more flexible for different builds and future experimentation. I've also completely redesigned the chassis. Like the original concept, it will still use a two-chassis configuration, with the power supply and amplifier housed separately. It's been a long project, but it's exciting to finally see it coming together. I'll share more photos and progress updates as the build moves forward.

Marin Metric Century done and dusted! That was so much fun. Cool to ride with thousands of people. The stretch along Tomales Bay is A++ riding. Those of you who have been out to Marshall for Oysters know what I am talking about. I am soooo glad I trained for the climbing and held some back for the final hill. Next year we do the 100 miler!

Wasn't today, but my nephew returned from the ISS last week....! Long read, but pretty cool.... NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Closes Out Space Station Mission - NASA

Properly slammed, and with fresh bar tape. She is ready for the Marin Century tomorrow… hopefully I am too!

Quiet birthday dinner for Melissa before larger plans, including a comedy show, this weekend. Speaking of comedy we strangely found birthday Covid cards in 2026.

I wasn’t able to photograph the "buck moon" earlier because of the heat and heavy dust in the air. But this weekend, the conditions cleared up, and I managed to capture something. I’m happy that the different colors on the surface are visible. PD. Until they install fiber optic cable at my house in the South, my internet access is limited, and I can’t connect very often.

The Weather and the parking gods smiled on us as we got to show Sue why Big Sur and Highway 1 have the reputation they do.

The revivalists - Get It Honest A new album by a band I never heard before. I could sense some genuine enthusiasm from online comments, and I'm glad I checked them out. Three listens in, and I can say every song on this album is good. Endless hooks, rich sound, great vibes the whole way. YMMV. Ex.

DakhaBrakha....holy shitballs were they great! Highest recommendation! Great musicianship, and a massive connection with the audience (they played a small space in Portsmouth NH, they've played here before and a good chunk of the audience had seen them before). I didn't know they did this, but they auctioned off two paintings (and a pair of drumsticks) to benefit Ukraine. I won one of the paintings, and got backstage for a pic with the band and to tell them of my partial Ukrainian heritage! A wonderful night, filled my heart!

So Saturday we smoked spare ribs and a brisket in our new smoker This was early in the smoking before the ribs were sauced and wrapped in aluminum foil and before the brisket was swaddled in butcher paper.

The new alien invaders Wilson flagships have landed:

Positive trigger, so…

Ride into the Sun by Brad Mehldau (2025) https://open.qobuz.com/album/ov6m8obwm1zwa Example: Surprised I missed this release last year. Brad is on my Fav list. Anyway, lovely release. Being an Elliot Smith fav makes it that much better. Brings in a handful of friends to play along.

I love this album.. Eddy Grant "killer on the rampage"

Goes hard 🙃

Both the power supply and amplifier chassis are approximately 290 mm × 400 mm × 90 mm, so it's actually fairly compact considering it's a full-size T2. The power supply uses five GRHV regulators and features plug-in bias daughter boards, making it easy to switch between different bias voltages. Right now it supports both Normal Bias and Pro Bias outputs. The PSU also includes about a 50sec high volt soft start. In addition, there's an AC inrush limiter on the mains input. After roughly one second, a relay bypasses the current-limiting resistor, reducing the inrush current seen by both the filter capacitors and the tube heaters during startup. On the amplifier side, most of the passive components are SMD, which helped reduce the overall PCB and chassis size. The amplifier topology stays very close to Kevin's original T2 schematic, but I added support for several different implementation options to make the design more flexible. It supports three different CCS configurations:10M90, 10M90S + DN2540, and the original T2 complex CCS. The active battery section is also configurable. It supports: LED string reference, LT1021 reference. For the 2SK216 and 2SJ79 positions, I added an extra pin so they can be replaced directly with TTC and TTA devices without modifying the PCB. The overall goal wasn't to redesign the T2, but rather to preserve the original circuit while making it easier to build, maintain, and adapt as some of the original parts become increasingly difficult to source. The chassis is CNC machined by a local machine shop. One detail I paid particular attention to was the top cover of the amplifier chassis. I designed it so that the EL34 tube sockets sit perfectly flush with the top panel, which I think gives the amplifier a much cleaner appearance. Additional ventilation slots were added in the center section for airflow. The side heatsinks are sandwiched between the top and bottom panels. This not only gives the chassis a cleaner look and prevents the sharp heatsink fins from being exposed, but also makes it much less likely that you'll scratch your hands when moving the amplifier. To make sure the heatsinks can still dissipate heat efficiently, I also added ventilation openings in the top and bottom panels wherever they cover the heatsinks. I've also been thinking about turning this project into a group buy, although I'm not sure how much interest in the T2 still exists today. The main motivation would be to reduce the chassis cost, since having a single custom CNC chassis made is quite expensive. If enough people were interested, the machining cost could come down significantly.

Also my vibe. I have Catholic vibes.

Xiu Xiu* Plays the Music of Twin Peaks *'... they wrote their first Xiu Xiu song after leaving a San Jose dance club alone on a Christmas night: "Xiu Xiu came from feeling stupid and lonely and then wanting to dance it away, but having the club and its music only magnify that stupid and lonely feeling."' For the more adventurous there is their The Promise release, though I can't say it's more interesting.

That stank face

Very much my vibe.

All day Radiohead with OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017 and KID A MNESIA releases.

It's late and I'm tired, but here's a start. Needs a new seat post and seat. I'm going to update the cockpit properly. Already have a different wheel set for it, which is why I didn't bother installing the rotors.

^^ added to my seemingly endless queue. 🙄 And just a quick note on Eddy Grant - personal mental block of not really liking Electric Avenue from my past. But since your post, I did poke around 'File Under Rock' (1988), you know, 'I'm still trying to like this' type of thing, and I have to say, I think I do. Me: FATHERS by Nate Smith • Kiefer • Carrtoons • Kenny Beats (2026) https://open.qobuz.com/album/hr9lqhajxzltq Example: Pretty much an 8 track jam session. Cool vibes for 30 minutes. On Blue Note.

Some more filez from the webz

I dunno, maybe. Appreciate the concern, but some of my faves were struggles initially, so I at least want to semi-understand, before dismissing. The vocals, so prevalent, feel like syrup on everything at this point. And I love My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and most of Sigur Rós. Anyway, easier to swallow, except requiring stamina... Bill Evans, Last Waltz (the last concert).

A full of song album written without live in mind, live without singing (and with e-drums and equipment breaking). I'm still trying to like this release. DOMi & JD BECK @ Lodge Room Who Asked? Bonus:

Big metric congrat! 👏🏻

I am fond of the new Shearwater album. Even has a Laurie Anderson cameo. This is not that: This is:

Ha, I just came out here to post this ... ^^ funny that they use Pat as the screen cap (second song) - but better than Trevor Horn I guess. :} We all get old together.

Rialto - Neon & Ghost Signs

45 years ago today you ancient ones

Picchetti (Whole Foods) Picnic

The Instrument Made Famous by Scott LaFaro Has Lived a Long, Storied Life https://stringsmagazine.com/bass-legend-the-instrument-made-famous-by-jazz-musician-scott-lafaro-has-lived-a-long-storied-life/

It's out (a little early). DOMi & JD Beck's Who Asked? Ex.

Nepenthe Cheese Plate (featuring Point Reyes Blue, Monterey Jack and Humboldt Fog) Ambrosia Burger

Inferno & Paradiso https://petapixel.com/2026/07/30/photographers-reveal-the-most-painful-and-hopeful-images-theyve-ever-taken/

OMG, Mike! That must have been scary! Glad ya'll are ok! I hope your place was not damaged. Looks fantastic, Grahame! I've been in pocking/moving hell for the last month but the movers came on Monday and we are both in Denver (though some of our stuff is still in Durango). It's nice to be back in a place where I can walk to things. :) Having coffee at a nearby place and try to catch up a bit with work (and head-case).

ES Labs are cooking something good. 😃 https://www.instagram.com/p/DbBxCZOTJCE/?igsh=MXBuZDUyejU0c3pzeQ==

Tokyo Adagio by Charlie Haden & Gonzalo Rubalcaba (2015) https://open.qobuz.com/album/0060254744627 Example: Another nice set - recorded at the Blue Note but for Impulse. And very well recorded. Just a touch too much dinner table noises in the background now and then. I am over here trying to listen and you are elbows deep on some chicken parm. come on!

Making such an amplifier isn't a problem. The problem is making it commercially available for sale. The market is too small to be profitable.

^^ right behind you... New DOMi & JD and a new Fall of Civilizations Podcast - going to be a good Friday.