Craig Sawyers

Well, the Triad toroids spec sheets say that the temperature rise at full rated power is 50C - which means 70C if the ambient temperature is 20C. The only way to escape the inevitible temperature issue is to use a transformer with much higher VA rating than is needed. So if the nominal spec is 150VA, and you use a 300VA transformer, the temperature rise will be closer to 35C (resulting in a transformer temperature of 55C). Note that is all with the transformer sitting in air at 20C - as soon as you put it in a case, the air temperature is a lot higher, and the transformer will run hotter still. In this forum we obey the laws of thermodynamics (to misquote The Simpsons)

The disadvantage of having the transformer inside the case is thermal. A transformer running at its rated VA will heat up to typically 50C+. Inside a case with little ventilation, it will get hotter, all of which will compromise the life of the smoothing caps and other components. I'd stick it outside (it looks like a Hammond) and run the lead outs through grommets in the top of the case. Craig

Formally that is called the transformer regulation - the percent difference between fully loaded and no load. For your numbers (490 cf 450) that is 9%, and is typical of a 120VA transformer. That percentage also takes into account that when loaded the transformer will heat up - typically to 50 - 60C, and the copper windings will increase in resistance.

Well, his worst work is Eine Kleine Nacht Musik. It is musical popcorn. But the guy wrote 600-odd pieces of music, so he is allowed the odd bad one. The most wierd one he composed was for glass harmonium. This was a mechanically driven set of rotating glasses tuned to different notes, and sounded by a keyboard linked to felt pads which pressed on the rim. Kind of like the thing we've all done of rubbing a finger around a part full wine glass. The guy who funded that piece clearly had bought this instrument from hell, and Mozart was commissioned to write something for it. But I have no idea how you would write a list of his best pieces. The operas? The clarinet concerto and clarinet quintet? The requiem? I love everthing I've heard of his, with the exception of EKNM, which drives my nuts.

This guy http://www.hobbithou...s/snakewood.htm seems to have a large load of snakewood. I've never come across the wood before, but I can see why it is highly thought of looking at the photos. Scratch that - he just hosts pics of other peoples wood!!!!

Yup - done.

Nice! How about Cocobolo http://www.exotichardwoods.co.uk/Woods_List/Cocobolo.asp

An 8-bit birthday Seriously I love Mozart's works - if I were stranded on a desert island, and all I had was a collection of his works (and a solar powered CD or MP3 player...) I would not go mad.

Cool! We're just expecting a kitchen designer to arrive, and here in the UK Corian is twice the price of real marble. Allegedly this is because DuPont are focused on the large installation market, like top quality hotels, and the prices for the sort of quantity you need for domestic kitchen worksurfaces are through the roof. Kitchen through the roof???!!?? And I haven't had anything to drink. Yet

Sticky Killer Davis. I think I'll keep to the day job

I think it is OK for my LV one. It is linked to a delrin shaft, and is not in contact with the (toasty hot) casework, and is a wood with a very high internal oil content (which is why it was used for ship's propellor bearings). I might get a bit more concerned with a really hard wood like ebony or african blackwood. Anyone think about a one made out of natural stone, like marble, limestone or slate? Or one of the polymer composites like Corian.

That is fucking hilarious. It is the ones in the gimp masks that really corpsed me.

Future electronics.

Hear hear. Hic. Splat.

I'll go with the opponent at the top, if it is OK with you

Must make the lignum vitae ones seem easy by comparison! Craig

Or even: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=EVwlMVYqMu4&vq=medium#t=10

Have a great one! Tyll - like the pic

Heh. Tongue firmly in cheek

After two pretty hard winters here in the UK (we're talking maybe a week of deep snow, and maybe -10C) this one is crazy mild. It is 11C at the moment. Not one single flake of snow this winter. That will remain the case unless the saline pump just off the arctic doesn't fail. Drives warm water from South America and the Carribbean to wash our Western shore, and stops us getting too cold. If/when it fails, we'll be the same temperature as places on the same latitude like Calgary and Irkutsk, and we'll freeze our nuts off - our homes aren't built to cope with those conditions.