Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: kagliostro on February 03, 2014, 02:53:12 am

Title: Where is the trick as to be able to use this heater wiring method ??
Post by: kagliostro on February 03, 2014, 02:53:12 am
There is a trick to apply as to avoid problem using this path for heater wires ?

Some guys do the thing in this way, does they have a secret trick as to avoid humm ??

Thanks

K

Title: Re: Where is the trick as to be able to use this heater wiring method ??
Post by: FranciscoPerez on February 03, 2014, 03:14:01 am
Hi,
I think they just get away with that.
Your second picture looks like the way a soldano SLO is wired. I can't understand why they wire heaters like that in such a high gain design either, but they do elevate the c.t. and it seems to work well.   :dontknow:

Title: Re: Where is the trick as to be able to use this heater wiring method ??
Post by: stratele52 on February 03, 2014, 03:37:13 am
These wiring may induce hum in the amp .
Title: Re: Where is the trick as to be able to use this heater wiring method ??
Post by: LooseChange on February 03, 2014, 04:50:29 am
Much less less likely to hum on the power tubes than the preamp tubes.
Title: Re: Where is the trick as to be able to use this heater wiring method ??
Post by: kagliostro on February 03, 2014, 05:15:36 am
Quote
Much less less likely to hum on the power tubes than the preamp tubes.

That may be a clue, I didn't considered the fact that Power Tubes are less prone to admit Humm

Thanks

K
Title: Re: Where is the trick as to be able to use this heater wiring method ??
Post by: alerich on February 03, 2014, 01:36:33 pm
The Soldano SLO 100 is wired like that on the power and preamp tubes. The handful of SLO 100 amps that I have played all were relatively quiet for high gain amplifiers. Some normal hiss at higher gain settings but no more real hum. I read an article once online that explained why this approach would work (not that it was better or worse than the common method of tightly twisting the heater strand) but a quick web search for it was fruitless.
Title: Re: Where is the trick as to be able to use this heater wiring method ??
Post by: dbishopbliss on February 03, 2014, 01:55:32 pm
I saw this style of heater wiring for the first time on a another forum. The explanation can be found here (http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/squawk-box/163651-my-new-2w-amp-build-project-ef86-ecc83-ecc99-2.html#post3162437).
Title: Re: Where is the trick as to be able to use this heater wiring method ??
Post by: John on February 03, 2014, 04:34:07 pm
I forgot till just now, but I think DL does his the same way, at least sometimes. I asked him about that, and he said when the runs are short it's much less of an issue (IIRC).
Title: Re: Where is the trick as to be able to use this heater wiring method ??
Post by: stratele52 on February 04, 2014, 02:49:01 pm
If you think about it, a lot of the older amps, from the 50's and some from the sixty's had a single heater wire to the 12A_7's and the nine pin was grounded to chassis. 
 

Those amp are very noisy ( hum ) too . I modify the heater in two heater wire  with artificial ground ( 100 ohms to ground ) and they came quiet .
Title: Re: Where is the trick as to be able to use this heater wiring method ??
Post by: HotBluePlates on February 11, 2014, 08:53:08 pm
There is a trick to apply as to avoid problem using this path for heater wires ?

Some guys do the thing in this way, does they have a secret trick as to avoid humm ??

Much less less likely to hum on the power tubes than the preamp tubes.

LC gave you the answer. Basically, hum fields are more tolerable at output tubes where the signal level is much higher than in preamp tubes. Also, circuit impedances are generally lower, which reduces hum pickup.

I saw this style of heater wiring for the first time on a another forum. The explanation can be found here (http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/squawk-box/163651-my-new-2w-amp-build-project-ef86-ecc83-ecc99-2.html#post3162437).

Their explanation is kinda B.S., but only to the extent that cancellation would only happen in the space between the parallel heater busses.

My first experience with this style of heater wiring was in a McIntosh MC-30 (http://dood-moon.angelfire.com/mcintosh_mc30_sn22041_inside_001.jpg), but while there are "preamp" tubes, the signal level is pretty high throughout as it is a power amp. That said, their matching C-8 preamp (http://www.soundup.ru/images/stories/archive/Classic/pre-amplifier/mcintosh-pair-c8-rare-c8s-stereo-controller-tube-preamp/mcintosh-pair-c8-rare-c8s-10.jpg) used untwisted heater wires, but they kept that relatively far from other wiring.

Bottom-line, we probably worry about twisted heaters too much, as there are many other ways to cause hum in an amp. But twisting heaters and keeping that wiring away from other wiring (and high impedance circuitry) does give you assurance that at least the wiring won't be causing hum.
Title: Re: Where is the trick as to be able to use this heater wiring method ??
Post by: kagliostro on February 14, 2014, 01:33:43 am
Thanks to All

K