Banana Jack Amp Kit - No-solder Amplifier Kit on Kickstarter

[big_teee]

They are in the planning stages, that can be corrected.
If we don't teach our young students something beside how to use video games?
Old style Tech skills are going to fade away?
I bet most of you guys were probing around on HV at a early age.
Kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for.
You can get killed getting in your car, but we do it anyway!
I think some of you are making to much out of it, but that's just IMO.
Keep Rockin,
T

[J M Fahey]

The good news is you can help! Contribute!

I'm quite open minded and was giving you credit and respected you for an interesting idea, although poorly executed.

But this last snake oil vendor's pitch made me lose all respect which might be left and your recklessness is making me seriously consider registering in Kickstarter specifically to address these grave safety concerns in the eyes of possible interested guys.

[Gerry Rzeppa]

...you don't have exposed jacks to the B+ with a Champ kit...

You do when it is being built and tested. And sometimes when it's being used before the kid gets around to installing it in a cabinet. Or when he takes it out to make some mods.

t's dangerous enough for people who know what they are doing to be probing around in an amp that is normally closed up.

No amp kit is "normally closed up". The popular MOD 102 kit, for example, describes no less than five modifications the student can make with the supplied parts, all of which require removal of the chassis from the case, de-soldering, and re-soldering. The whole idea is to spark the student's imagination; a kit that ends up permanently in a box has failed.

This would have novices dealing with exposed high voltage terminals.

As they all are when assembling any tube amp kit. Like these very popular kits, for example: Untitled

If we don't teach our young students something beside how to use video games?
Old style Tech skills are going to fade away?
I bet most of you guys were probing around on HV at a early age.
Kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for.
You can get killed getting in your car, but we do it anyway!
I think some of you are making to much out of it, but that just IMO.

Exactly.

[The Dude]

If it is a kit with instructions?
How is that different from any other Amp kit?
I can buy any number of amp kits, and If I don't know how to build them, they can be dangerous.
How is this any different with this kit, with proper instructions.
Anyone can buy a champ amp kit and build it? Regardless of their qualifications?
This forum makes it sound like no amp kit should be available, because of the potential of danger?
With proper labeling, and proper instruction, I see nothing wrong with it!
T
**The Champ Amp Kit is usually considered the starter kit for new builders.
This sounds safer than the Champ!

The difference, as I see it, is this. It's being marketed to those with zero electronics experience. Any attorney worth his salt would have no problem showing that. I equate it to the tobacco companies a few years back when they were made to (for instance) stop using Joe Camel (a cartoon character) for marketing because it was too appealing to children. Cigarettes are bad for you, as we all know and we shouldn't smoke. But, for tobacco companies to employ marketing strategies that appeal to children is not acceptable. This is much the same in my view. Tube amp kits are all dangerous- this one or any other. Again, the difference being that this one is being marketed to those with less than novice experience.

On a side note: I don't believe it's ok to solicit here, so posts containing requests for money have been reported.

[big_teee]

On a side note: I don't believe it's ok to solicit here, so posts containing requests for money have been reported.

I don't have a Dog or Cat in the fight, so don't shoot the Piano Player!
I don't think that Gerry would have showed here, had RG not started discussing it.
Happens in the pickup forum all the time!
Someone will start discussing a brand of pickup, and trying to understand the concept, and next thing you know the owner has joined the forum.
I'm all for getting Kids envolved.
Maybe he needs to have a Solid state Kit with low voltage.
I like how mojo and tubedepot and others sell kits, but always wondered how they get around the liability issues.
T

[The Dude]

T,

No personal dig intended. I was simply explaining my POV.

[gui_tarzan]

Sometimes I hate this forum software, it just deleted a fairly long post.

In a nutshell, Gerry, everything you've said so far about the safety factor of this "kit" is a farce except for the warning labels. This is different from every other amp kit out there - they're designed for experienced (or at least safety-knowledgeable users) and not kids looking to play around with removable modules with high voltage wires. The current amp kits are not designed to be taken apart and they don't include high voltage wires with the potential of hanging there with 300+ volts waiting to kill someone. If a kid wants to learn about electronic circuits, and I believe they should, they should do it with low-voltage circuits that won't hurt them. Once they have an understanding of the real dangers they can move up to the hot stuff.

[oc disorder]

These days for successful marketing for a new empire you need at least a sex tape and some cleavage! Đ O.C. Disorder

[The Dude]

These days for successful marketing for a new empire you need at least a sex tape and some cleavage!

How do you know Gerry doesn't have a sex tape......or cleavage for that matter?

[oc disorder]

How do you know Gerry doesn't have a sex tape......or cleavage for that matter?

Well Dude, you can live in hope !

[R.G.]

Gerry is immune to constructive criticism. He's going to do whatever, and like a good troll, is going to keep stirring. He enjoys it.

[big_teee]

If you started a thread about something that concerns me, I would show up too.
Was he supposed to stay on the sidelines and let the MEF Debate his Project, without him?
How is that Trolling?

[Alan0354]

Sometimes I hate this forum software, it just deleted a fairly long post.

In a nutshell, Gerry, everything you've said so far about the safety factor of this "kit" is a farce except for the warning labels. This is different from every other amp kit out there - they're designed for experienced (or at least safety-knowledgeable users) and not kids looking to play around with removable modules with high voltage wires. The current amp kits are not designed to be taken apart and they don't include high voltage wires with the potential of hanging there with 300+ volts waiting to kill someone. If a kid wants to learn about electronic circuits, and I believe they should, they should do it with low-voltage circuits that won't hurt them. Once they have an understanding of the real dangers they can move up to the hot stuff.

That's why I called it Lego amp. It gives a false sense it's child's play and there will be people stupid enough to treat it as Lego and get shocked and even killed. AND there will be people that open the box to stick their hands inside even if you manage to put safety connectors for HV.

People mostly know when you buy and kit amp like Mojotone etc., they know it's a real amp, kids don't even have all the tools to build and never pass the assembling stage.

I don't care how it sound, it's the safety that the guy totally ignore. AND I don't know why the forum let this thread going.

[R.G.]

R.G., didn't you start the thread,
If you started a thread about something that concerns me, I would show up too.
Was he supposed to stay on the sidelines and let the MEF Debate his Project, without him?
How is that Trolling?
I'm sitting on the sideline trying to make Logic out of that!

I did start it. As I explained, I thought it would make for troll bait, and it did. It was an inquiry about Gerry, and whether he was watching for any mention of his prodigy, and whether he'd chime in with the same stuff as he'd posted in other forums - at least one of which he was kicked out of.

Actually, I believe it was inevitable that it would get mentioned here, and the mention would have pulled Gerry in from wherever he was. He keeps these things going. You might want to read some of the stuff on the other fora.

Personally, I find it like watching a trainwreck in progress. The banana jack amp kit is frankly and blatantly unsafe for anything except an advanced amateur or amp tech, and it's being touted as good for raw beginners. Gerry will not hear any of this, and will debate forever how this setup is actually safer than other amp kits - sidestepping the issue of whether it's safe or not. Arguably, a quart of nitroglycerine in a paint can is "safer" than a ticking time bomb, but neither really reaches the level of "safe".

Other than that, a tinkertoys amp kit is fine. I objected first to the screaming safety issues. Gerry pushed it along, and won't let go. Ever.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Maybe he needs to have a Solid state Kit with low voltage.

Somebody does have a solid state kit, low voltage:

Snap CircuitsŪ | Electronic and Educational Toys

From their website:

"Snap Circuits Light was awarded the 2012 Best Toys for Kids award from ASTRA."

Perhaps their legal beagles would be verrrrry interested in the tube version touted by our new friend.

Ohhhhh...... SNAP!