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In the Forum: Melquiades Amplifier
In the Thread: Single-stage Melquiades vs. DHT amps
Post Subject: How to cook the "uninformed" anode.Posted by Romy the Cat on: 2/22/2009
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 floobydust wrote:
Romy,

 As you're planning to run a 6K load, you can run less current without the transfer curve suffering as much. So, another shot at some numbers.... rather than use a RC setup to drop the voltage, Hammond (not my favorite) make an open frame choke rated at 9H and 40ma with a 700 ohm resistance (154G). Using this would drop close to 30 volts at 40ma of current plus whatever you lose in the primary of the OPT. From 400 volts down possibly to 365 volts.

 Using a 1.5K cathode resistor and  a 370 volt supply, idle current would be ~39ma, plate dissipation at 12.25 watts and plate voltage at 309. Calculated distortion at 3.5-watts output is 4.6% 2nd harmonic and 0.2% at 3rd harmonic. The transfer curve looks decent and gets you very close to what you wanted.

 Using the 45 with the 154G choke (LC for dropping voltage) and the 2K cathode resistor would yield the following: 32ma, 10-watts dissipation, 308 volts cathode-to-plate, 2.5-watts output with 5.3% 2nd harmonic and 0.2% 3rd harmonic. The transfer curve looks about the same as above.

 In any case, you have a few options that all seem reasonable.

 As for AC filaments on the 6A3.... not sure what your actual setup yields in measured output noise but would interesting to note which 6A3 tube you used and measured output noise. Using various 6B4G tubes it was unacceptable with AC. For output noise into an 8-ohm load I prefer a minimum of 80dB S/N referenced to 1-watt which equates to 283 microvolts of noise (maximum). You have a better chance at less noise from the 45 as it's only a single triode section where the latter 2A3 tubes are dual-sections strapped in parallel.

Yes, KM, how we are really close to the numbers were I would like to be. When I proposed to drive the plate voltage down I also proposed to use LC chain instead RC but Dima advised me do not do it. Listening his arguments I conclude that he is right. In this situation a choke or resistor would do juts a function of decupling of my DHT from PS. There is no filtration needed as I have enormous last cap in PS (I believe it 10K-20K in the end of LCRC). So, if I use let say a couple hundreds uF at my DHT tube’s anode then it will have around 1R impedance at the working frequency. The resole that I would put for in my C would be around 1000R, so the plate will be completely not informed about PS. In case I use a choke with DCR of 1000R then I have no advantages but I might pick some LF resonances due to the choke will be with very thin wire. So, it I have no advantages with choke but only possibilities for problems then why to use the choke? That were Dima’s arguments. I personally also would like do not use choke as it will be sitting inside of amp with all ugly magnetic radiations that I have none in my amp (all chokes and transformers in Milq are on PS side and there is no magnetic or high voltage AC in the control unit).

So, with RC I am not restricted with DCR of available or custom made chokes and I can driver plate voltage as low and I with as long as it benefits the best operation for both YO186 and 2A3. Who know I might find an operation mode for them to run on the same cathode resistor…

I think the next big task for me would be the identify the keystone of this operation the type and the volume of capacitors that will be sitting right besides the primary of the coupling transformer. I wish I can find 400V wet tantalum but I doubt….

The Cat

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