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Simple 1st Timer CBG Amp

Reworked Version w/ upgraded Power switching:

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on May 12, 2020 at 10:35pm

If you want a cleaner amp, then change C2 to 470uF & leave pins 1&8 open on LM386?

Permalink Reply by Southern Ray on May 13, 2020 at 11:32am

Thank you for this, Brian! I never installed any volume pots into my CBGs. MInd if I ask how one would go about adding a volume pot to this circuit?

Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on May 13, 2020 at 1:56pm

From the Datasheet:

Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on May 22, 2020 at 7:32am

Upgrade to External Power:

Permalink Reply by Southern Ray on May 24, 2020 at 5:25am

Thank you Brian! You rock!

Permalink Reply by Southern Ray on July 2, 2020 at 9:20am

I am nearly finished building the version of this amp at the top of the page. Question... Why the little "U"-turn at the end of the positive speaker trace and not in the one at the bottom? I'm going out on a limb to risk sounding stupid, but is it to add a little resistance to that part of the circuit? Or, can I just run it straight off the edge of the board like the second, (revised) version?

Thanks for any assistance you guys can give,

Ray

Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on July 2, 2020 at 9:24am

You could, it was just an extra solder pad?

Permalink Reply by Southern Ray on July 2, 2020 at 11:37am

OK, thank you very much! I am just making it harder than it is, I suppose. I presume nothing when it comes to electronics. I know next to nothing about it.

Thanks again, Brian!

Permalink Reply by Southern Ray on July 9, 2020 at 10:19am

Howdy all!

I was pulling the capacitors out to finish building this amp and noticed that of the dozen capacitors that I had bought, one was not a 16+ volt version, but a 10 volt. I remember seeing most places that amps like this use 16 volt capacitors. I was hoping one of you could/would enlighten me. The amp will not get anything bigger than a 9 volt battery or six AAs. Can I get away with the 10 volt cap or should I wait until I can get the 16 volt?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Ray

Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on July 9, 2020 at 10:44am

If you’re using batteries they won’t have any problems? Generally, most use a voltage rating of around double or more than the operating voltage, just to be on the safe side. But, you’re not using an unregulated wall wart , so no worries?

Permalink Reply by Southern Ray on July 9, 2020 at 11:44am

Cool beans. Looks like I am in luck. Thank you again, Brian. You ROCK.

Off I go to the shop...

Permalink Reply by Southern Ray on August 11, 2020 at 5:07pm

Finally, after delay after interruption after delay, I got one of these to power a CB Gitty speaker and it sounded pretty good. Today I unhooked the speaker and soldered on a 1/4 in mono jack and put the amp between one of my CBGs with one of my homegrown low-z pickups and my Micro-Cube, with the LM386 as a pre-amp and ... wow... The difference is HUGE! Thanks guys again! This is exactly what these low-z pickups need when they need to be louder and overdrive an amp more. I'll try to get a sound file or two out in a day or so.