tubes for beginner

I used the GG clone from analog mrtric fir a year or longer. While it is good it wasnt delivering the magic of the original. The thing about clones like these are you wont realize whats missing because they sound good to the ears but dont transcend that level an original might take you to.

Sent from mobile on a crappy keyboard. Pls excuse typos.
 
i have examined analog metric GG,it is designed by some fool..it is very different from original..

china kits are not real clones many times
 
got hold of some RCA 12AU7A cleartop. made for hammond, mentions numbers 274-6026. Anyone used these? what do the letter signify, serial number? Planning to make a starving student build with these.
I am also thinking of getting some 6dj8 or equivalent as these seem to be used in quite a few builds.
 
are tube sockets available on sp road or i have to get these also from ebay/china? what kind should i go for.
 
For octal tubes, you can use Octal relay sockets - cheap at around Rs 30.
For the 9 pin tubes (noval base), you may be able to find some old stock on SP Rd.
 
why are transformers such a pain for tubes. in what way do they significantly differ from regular voltage trafos. I see that the specs state the impedance conversion instead of voltage. what makes them so expensive. Are there any good ones in india that makes these trafos. I saw that miracle makes them, but I also saw that they are bloody expensive. What about giving specs to some trafo maker, how likely is he to mess it up.
The freq response seems to be limited, but I saw some messages on the web that the response is usually listed at full power and bw is much more if you are not running these at full power. For a hp amp, that might work well.
 
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I am also looking for Tube output transfrmers for SE.Specifications are EDCOR - GXSE10-8-10K
Edcore transformers are very reasonably priced but shipping make them expensive.Can any one point out Indian source?

Regards,
Sachin
 
sachu888 said:
I am also looking for Tube output transfrmers for SE.Specifications are EDCOR - GXSE10-8-10K
Edcore transformers are very reasonably priced but shipping make them expensive.Can any one point out Indian source?

Regards,
Sachin
Click to expand...

Delta is still around?
I have used Delta for an EL84 based guitar amp (Marshall 1974). In fact I am considering a mono 6L6 power amp to mate with a Yamaha THR10 using a Delta transformer I was gifted some years back.
http://in.yamaha.com/en/products/musical-instruments/guitars-basses/amps/thr/thr10/

Getting OPTs in India are diffcult. You can canabalise old tube radios and such but to get relaible stuff you need to import. Either that or beg Viren Bakshi (Lyrita, Delhi) or Mohamed Ansar (of BE3 Amplifiers, Vashi, Mumbai).

I got mine custom built by Steven tay
Poly Electronic Industries (Pte) Ltd
Blk 2 Kitchener Rd #02-87 Singapore 200002
Tel: 6298 7729

However Steven is not as organised as say Silk
SAC Thailand

OPTs are expensive as unlike regualr transpofrmers the coils in an OPT need to be interlayered. It is part art and part science. I saw Steven make an OPT on a Sunday morning in Singapore and understood the reason for the pricing (about S$300 per 50W pair for EL34/6550 with triode and UL taps).
 
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quad said:
For octal tubes, you can use Octal relay sockets - cheap at around Rs 30.
....
Click to expand...
Dear Sir,
Are these sockets good with the heat produced by an output or rectifier valve? I think in long term the reliability of contact could be an issue.

Usually I get proper octal valve bases (Gillard delhi make) for about Rs 15 each. I personally prefer wafer type valve bases (macmurdo British make) which are also available for about same cost. These are much sturdier and the tags dont break off so easily.

navin advani said:
Steven tay...Singapore
Click to expand...
Dear Sir
Does Steve still winds the odd pair? He used to be highly regarded in the Singapore DIY community. I was told he is unable to do custom jobs nowadays.
navin advani said:
Silk
SAC Thailand
Click to expand...
The owner of SILK, Khun Kittipol is a very interesting guy. He is/was also the Thai distributor of Lowther drivers and always had a couple of work-in-progress enclosures in his home/workshop cum showroom. When the old Don Muang Airport was in operation it was easy to drop into his establishment as it was on the outbound route towards BKK city. I have used his OPTs which was good for the money.

For SE OPT's I was getting from ishikawa san in Tokyo who retired from Sansui, took a break of a few years, then joined a company called Hashimoto and retired again after putting in about 10 years. I got my last pair of OPT from him in 2007 and he was 90 years then ! Didnt speak a word of English but used to animatedly describe his meetings with David Hafler of Dynaco, who apparently sourced OPT's from Sansui in the 60's.

Ishikawa san did every winding manually in a manual jig and then took the finished bobbins to another old man who used to work for Tango. The second gent would do the vacuum impregnation, lamination and pot the transformer. Ishikawa san would then do final testing including for HV and then it will be good to go. Both were finicky, eccentric yet adorable folks. I hope and pray they live long.

Sorry for digressing from the topic but I thought these would better describe a work that Shri Navin very correctly said is part art and part science
 
I still dont get it. why are these trafos expensive? Does it require more materials? The art part is only during the design stage, after that its all machines isnt it (except for guys who are doing it themselves).

Whats the difference between a voltage trafo and a impedance trafo. Afterall a voltage trafo also has impedances and an impedance trafo also reduces the voltage levels. I also see people using 220-10 or 12v toroidals in hp amp designs and reporting that it works well. Doesnt the turns ratio, gauge, core size etc have similar significance. Any good article explaining audio output transformers? Please feel free to go technical:)
 
doors666 said:
I still dont get it. why are these trafos expensive? Does it require more materials? The art part is only during the design stage, after that its all machines isnt it (except for guys who are doing it themselves).

Whats the difference between a voltage trafo and a impedance trafo. Afterall a voltage trafo also has impedances and an impedance trafo also reduces the voltage levels. I also see people using 220-10 or 12v toroidals in hp amp designs and reporting that it works well. Doesnt the turns ratio, gauge, core size etc have similar significance. Any good article explaining audio output transformers? Please feel free to go technical:)
Click to expand...

In my limited understanding I find following differences between a normal transformer and OPT

1. Normal transformer only deals with 50Hz/60Hz, whereas OPT has to deal faithfully with the entire audio spectrum.
2. the primary and secondary in an OPT has predefined Impedence, which the winder has to maintain.
3. High Impedance always acts as a low pass filter, in spite of that an OPT gas to faithfully produce up to 20K Hz sound.
4. OPT tend to saturate and this will limit the output (watts)

I do not have much knowledge on this topic, but have just started a technical discussion so that some one having good knowledge will come and explain the science/art to us. :lol:

Regards,

Vipin
 
Audiolab 6000A Integrated Amplifier
Purchase the Audiolab 6000A Integrated Amplifier at a special offer price.

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