Help needed to restore Ahuja TM 50
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reubensm
Well-Known Member
@VikasG0791, let me share a few secrets with you on the art of picking. There are many different types of enthusiasts, some have a lot of money to spend and buy exotic stuff, while others prefer to start with simple things on a budget. I too started this way with pocket money, about 45 years ago.
If you know where to look and understand some of the strategies/methods around this, you can get whatever you want. For example a few years ago, during my Chennai days, I used to roam around in Pallavaram market on Fridays and Moore Market on the weekends searching for component sources. I have come across loads of goodies that have been useful over the years, however I must say I have bought tube stuff only for friends as generally keep away from tubes. Now to the picking secret. Did you know that pickers and salvagers go after radios and tube amps mostly for the tubes (either the red mercury prospectors or genuine enthusiasts)? Usually the chassis, transformers, POTs, chokes and some valuables like gang capacitors, speakers, pilot lamps and tube sockets are thrown away. The OP transformers and Power Auto-Transformers from radios from Philips, Telefunken, Grundig, etc were of the highest quality and work even after all these years. If you are looking for push-pull OP transformers then Ahuja made some very high quality ones. I have come across a lot of discarded guitar amp chassis with transformers on them, especially if they are British or American made, they will be of the highest quality. If you have access to folks who are in the scrap business, you will also come across a lot of goodies.
If you are patient, and know where to look in your city, similarly you may come across a lot of similar goodies.
You may have some open questions in your mind about how to identify OP transformers, how many tubes to use in a push pull arrangement with a typical transformer type, importance of biasing in tube amps, tube rectifier vs solid state rectifier, if I drop the number of EL84 power tubes from 6 or 4 to 2 then can I use the same OP transformer, can I modify the Ahuja circuit from PA frequency response to Hi-Fi frequency response ranges, etc, etc. The good thing is that tubes like ECC82, ECC83, EL84, EF86, EZ80, EM84, ECL82, etc are all very commonly used even today and hence there are tonnes of circuits and related information available online.
Ps: Anything to do with tubes requires knowledge of electrical wiring, the ability to work with point to point wiring, the ability to solder well, use of test and measuring equipment, understanding of risks and safety rules, the ability to calibrate and the ability to troubleshoot. Working voltages start at around 270volts-300volts and can go much higher. For example, a Music Man 112 RP 65 guitar amp has a Power transformer which delivers an output voltage of 700volts.
If you know where to look and understand some of the strategies/methods around this, you can get whatever you want. For example a few years ago, during my Chennai days, I used to roam around in Pallavaram market on Fridays and Moore Market on the weekends searching for component sources. I have come across loads of goodies that have been useful over the years, however I must say I have bought tube stuff only for friends as generally keep away from tubes. Now to the picking secret. Did you know that pickers and salvagers go after radios and tube amps mostly for the tubes (either the red mercury prospectors or genuine enthusiasts)? Usually the chassis, transformers, POTs, chokes and some valuables like gang capacitors, speakers, pilot lamps and tube sockets are thrown away. The OP transformers and Power Auto-Transformers from radios from Philips, Telefunken, Grundig, etc were of the highest quality and work even after all these years. If you are looking for push-pull OP transformers then Ahuja made some very high quality ones. I have come across a lot of discarded guitar amp chassis with transformers on them, especially if they are British or American made, they will be of the highest quality. If you have access to folks who are in the scrap business, you will also come across a lot of goodies.
If you are patient, and know where to look in your city, similarly you may come across a lot of similar goodies.
You may have some open questions in your mind about how to identify OP transformers, how many tubes to use in a push pull arrangement with a typical transformer type, importance of biasing in tube amps, tube rectifier vs solid state rectifier, if I drop the number of EL84 power tubes from 6 or 4 to 2 then can I use the same OP transformer, can I modify the Ahuja circuit from PA frequency response to Hi-Fi frequency response ranges, etc, etc. The good thing is that tubes like ECC82, ECC83, EL84, EF86, EZ80, EM84, ECL82, etc are all very commonly used even today and hence there are tonnes of circuits and related information available online.
Ps: Anything to do with tubes requires knowledge of electrical wiring, the ability to work with point to point wiring, the ability to solder well, use of test and measuring equipment, understanding of risks and safety rules, the ability to calibrate and the ability to troubleshoot. Working voltages start at around 270volts-300volts and can go much higher. For example, a Music Man 112 RP 65 guitar amp has a Power transformer which delivers an output voltage of 700volts.
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