Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: TIMBO on September 12, 2016, 05:21:57 am

Title: Power Supply Mod
Post by: TIMBO on September 12, 2016, 05:21:57 am
Hi guys, I have a local made amp that I want to mod the power supply.
It's basically a 50w JCM 800, using JJEL34s.
The power supply below is stock and I'm having trouble with the ELs running on 800+ volts.
At the time of the measurements the electricity is at it's peak of 250vac.

A question.........
Why would they need to run the ELs at such high voltage to get an assumed 50w (amp is called a "GUNN 50")

Our local supply usually is between 245 and 250v, so I would think that the PT secondary's would be around 310v.
So I'm thinking to rewire the PT as a full wave rect with an output of approx. 420v with loading.
I need to replace the Ecaps and was wanting to run the ELs at a lower voltage.
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: kagliostro on September 12, 2016, 06:32:02 am
800V on old construction EL34 is acceptable, new ones will have problems (big ones)

But .... are you sure the amp is only 50W ?? a pair of EL34 @ 800V will be able to give 100W

Franco
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: Tone Junkie on September 14, 2016, 06:43:13 pm
Timbo  Geezer had a way of hooking 5 zener diodes to the HV center tap and was dropping about 45 to volts off the supply . Maybe Tubnit will see this and put up a link. Im at work or I would put up the chart I have saved. I don't know why you couldn't use 10 and get 95volts  or so.
Just a thought .
Bill
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: sluckey on September 14, 2016, 07:09:04 pm
Get rid of the bridge recto! Someone mismatched the PT and recto. Wire in a conventional FW rectifier. Probably have to change the bias circuit as well.
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: PRR on September 14, 2016, 08:29:17 pm
> * GUNN 50.sch

Can someone remind me of the simple free Java(?) program we use to open these things?

I had it before but my PC lost its mind.
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: sluckey on September 14, 2016, 08:41:37 pm
ExpressSCH
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: Willabe on September 14, 2016, 09:01:10 pm
Here's the link for the download from Schematics and Diagrams section;

http://el34world.com/Forum/index.php?topic=590.0 (http://el34world.com/Forum/index.php?topic=590.0)
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: kagliostro on September 15, 2016, 12:34:51 am
Here the jpg of the file

(http://i.imgur.com/RRX2Lpc.jpg)

Franco
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: TIMBO on September 15, 2016, 01:28:26 am
Thanks guys, PT's got a separate bias tap and at the moment it's set at -38.
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: trobbins on September 15, 2016, 02:01:23 am
You could run everything at 415VDC - don't use half the HT secondary, and just move the diodes to make a full bridge on just half the secondary.  Simplest initial modification to make me thinks.
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: sluckey on September 15, 2016, 06:13:04 am
Quote
So I'm thinking to rewire the PT as a full wave rect with an output of approx. 420v with loading. I need to replace the Ecaps and was wanting to run the ELs at a lower voltage.
Yes, kinda like this...
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: PRR on September 15, 2016, 12:07:37 pm
> running on 800+ volts.

That only makes sense if you have a 13K OT.

More likely you have 3,400r OT and should be running 425V on plates and screens.

While you could hack half the winding as TR says, when I try to draw it I get confused.

Especially accounting for the bias-tap (not shown!).

This IS a PT for the standard two-diode rectifier. Lose the bridge.

The caps could be re-organized for the now non-insane voltage.
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: TIMBO on September 15, 2016, 01:46:32 pm
Sluckey has nailed it. I have not checked the OT primary impedance yet, i'll do that before hacking the rectifier.
I have quite a few of amps with this psu arrangement and are in the 100w+ output, so I'm looking for a way to reduce the voltage on the valves and the output.
Title: Re: Power Supply Mod
Post by: TIMBO on September 18, 2016, 05:14:20 am
Hi guys, The amp is a clone of a "PLEXI" with a few component changes.
I used the Hoffman Plexi 50 as a guide to the rewiring.
Amp fired up well with a few noise issues, now sorted.
(http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx254/Timbo-08/002_14.jpg) (http://s761.photobucket.com/user/Timbo-08/media/002_14.jpg.html)
(http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx254/Timbo-08/001_19.jpg) (http://s761.photobucket.com/user/Timbo-08/media/001_19.jpg.html)
(http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx254/Timbo-08/001%205_9.jpg) (http://s761.photobucket.com/user/Timbo-08/media/001%205_9.jpg.html)
(http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx254/Timbo-08/003%205_5.jpg) (http://s761.photobucket.com/user/Timbo-08/media/003%205_5.jpg.html)