[BC] Black Box circuits

[Dana Puopolo]

The Sta-Max had 16 matched 1N914 diodes in parallel (two pairs of 8)

Its clip was very hard!  I had one of the original hand built prototypes (s/n
2 I believe).

-D



------ Original Message ------
Received: Thu, 06 Jul 2006 08:14:10 PM EDT
From: Chuck Leavens <chuck at wduq.org>
To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Subject: Re: [BC] Black Box circuits

Sounds exactly like what Chris Hood told me he put in the sta-max



>My "Black Box" was literally black. It was a passive baseband
>clipper. Two Zener diodes (RCA SK Series) very low voltage.
>The Zeners were across the Composite Input BNC jack. The
>hot side was connected to the high side of a 5k trimpot with the
>wiper feeding the BNC Output jack. There was a SPST switch
>in series with the Zener diodes.
>
>You adjusted the Composite Output of your processor for
>105%, 110%, 115% whatever amount of composite clipping
>you wanted with the switch Off. Turn the switch On, placing the
>diodes in line and adjust the 5k pot for 100% peaks. You had to
>readjust the Pilot Level and possibly the Composite Level on the
>exciter.
>
>I used this at KC-101 when we signed on in summer, 1979. We
>(legally) blew everyone off the dial. I used a modified Crown
>crossover, three modified DBX 160's and a modified Harris
>MSP-90 FM limiter. Not really fair since no one else was using a
>composite clipper and this was before the FCC forbid pilot modulation
>by the composite clipper.

-- 
Thanks,

Chuck

Chuck Leavens 
Director of Engineering and IT Management
WDUQ-FM  Duquesne University  Pittsburgh PA 15282
412-396-5508 Direct
chuck at wduq.org

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